Self-control is one’s ability to regulate his/her emotions to increase desirable behaviors while also avoiding the undesirable ones.

Self-control is holding out on the hawker food binging to improve your weight loss efforts, it’s walking by your favorite clothing brands and not spending anything to save money, and many more. Of course, sometimes we can get pretty lax with ourselves and end up forgetting all about self-control! So, here are some tips!

Make plans ahead of time

Before anything else, it will be good to have a goal first. This is so that you have something to work towards when it comes to improving your self-control. It can be something like not going to the mall to buy clothes after each payday in the next 6 months.

Planning ahead will make it easier for you to achieve your goals because you at least know what you have to do to achieve them. In addition to that, you also know what you have to do in case you encounter situations that will test your self-control!

Stay away from things that may tempt you

If you find yourself not being able to resist the temptation yet, the logical thing to do is to simply stay away from anything that can trigger that temptation in you. If you have an unhealthy obsession with hawker food already, then stay away from hawker centres for the time being.

This is a simple and effective way to improve your self-control, slowly but surely. Once you get used to it, you can try going to/ doing those triggers to see how much you’ve improved.

Practice in smaller, less risky situations

Another great way to improve your self-control is to practice it when you have a better command of the environment you’re in. For example, for the situation given earlier about not keeping self-control over hawker food.

Once you get used to it, you can start going to hawker centres without buying food just as a mental exercise. In essence, just think of your self-control as a muscle. If you’re able to put yourself in situations where you can test your self-control and succeed, that should already be a great sign!

Delayed gratification

All in all, it all comes down to delayed gratification. Basically, delayed gratification is the act of resisting impulses in order to get a better reward in the long-term. It is our ability to fight the temptation of getting something immediately so that we get something even better in the future.

Of course, this applies to different aspects like diet, spending money, and many more. And if you think about self-control, it really focuses on the capability of an individual to wait before getting what he/she wants.

The idea of “being alone” is usually seen in a negative light. Although it’s generally good to interact with a lot of people, there’s also nothing wrong with spending some alone-time at all! On top of that, there are actually many great reasons for you to do it from time to time. Here are only some of them.

You get to rediscover yourself

When you’re constantly spending time with a lot of people, chances are you’ll develop their way of thinking as well. You become more likely to just go with the flow and not make decisions on your own anymore. That’s why it is important to be alone from time to time. It helps you take a step back and find your own voice again. Sometimes that’s all you need to get yourself back on track and rediscover who you really want to be.

It’s a good time for you to unwind

Believe it or not, your mind and body will need breaks from social interactions from time to time as well. You won’t notice it much but when you’re around people you’ll have to put a lot of effort into sharing stories with them, making them laugh, comforting them, reading their emotions, and many more. If you don’t take a break from that cycle, you’ll be exhausted emotionally and mentally over time.

You learn to put more value in your relationships

When you spend time alone, you’ll actually see the value and importance of your relationship with others. Most of the time you won’t see how special a person is to you unless you actually spend some time away from them. This can be a parent, a friend, a lover, or whoever! You will learn to appreciate all the things that come from knowing each person.

You learn to be independent

Getting used to being alone isn’t really such a bad thing. If there’s one thing you can gain, it’s that you become less reliant on others. Many people have a slight fear of not seeing anyone around them, metaphorically and sometimes literally. But when you break free from the anxiety that comes with that fear, you’ll see that life doesn’t really change that much. When you’re alone, you can still do just as many things as when you’re with a lot of people.

We won’t miss out on things

Many Singaporeans already know the “fear of missing out”. But there are also many people who hesitate in trying new things because of the thought of doing it alone. The thing is, you shouldn’t let that fear get in your way of doing things. You would not want to miss out on your favorite artist’s concert just because you’re afraid of going alone!

Make no mistake, everyone doubts themselves from time to time. But when that little voice starts to take over, it holds you back from all the opportunities and challenges you may face in life. Even so, there are many ways to overcome this and live life confidently.

Take action
If you want to start with something, just do it. It’s very easy to think to yourself, “Oh, I’ll go to Gymmboxx and lift some weights,” but nothing really happens because you’re just thinking it. When you keep it all in your mind, that’s when thoughts of self-doubt coming swimming around. That’s why it’s better to just take action and experience it for yourself. That way you’ll know that you are capable of doing it.

Don’t compare yourself with others
Comparing yourself to others is both a cause and an effect of self-doubt. This is also fairly overwhelming because of social media, where everybody just flaunts their success. But, you should learn to stop comparing your success with that of others and remember that each and every person has his/her own journey to take.

Take a break
Move your attention to something different and take a moment to relax. When you’re able to take a step back, you will be able to clear your mind of doubt and look at things in the bigger picture. You’ll also have a new perspective and maybe even have a fresh take on the things you want to do. It will be easier for you to make decisions and take action when you’re free from negative emotions.

Improve your own skills
If you’re confident with your own skills, you typically will not have to worry about making mistakes knowing that you’re already good something. Constantly sharpen your abilities so that you will always feel confident about yourself all the while also improving on your weak points. You will be able to remove self-doubt and feel more competent when taking action.

Get advice
Even though it is important to work on improving ourselves, having other people to lean on will also do just as much for us. When you keep your thoughts to yourself, everything becomes biased and you’ll only be blinded by your inner critic. Don’t be afraid to seek help from loved ones, friends, mentors, and etc. Chances are, they see great things about you that you don’t see in yourself.

Recognize that not everything is about you
Self-doubt will easily take over if you overthink and worry about what others think of you. Take the example of going to the gym. You may feel anxious because all the buff people are looking at you seeing how scrawny you are. That’s really only your mind playing tricks on you. People don’t really care much about what you’re doing because they’re too busy with themselves.

Insomnia can be difficult to contend with, especially when you tried everything from cutting out substances to setting a regular routine, only to no avail. But there’s still hope.

If you haven’t had any luck trying to fall asleep normally, try this out instead:

1. Turn off the lights
Artificial lighting throws off your body’s natural circadian rhythm, so it’s important to expose yourself to natural daylight as much as possible and reduce your sources of artificial lighting as the day ends.

This improves your chances of having your natural rhythm kick in again, and you’ll find yourself feeling tired and sleepy.

2. Get the right amount of exercise at the right time
Before you drag yourself to the gym, keep in mind that this doesn’t mean running a marathon or lifting weights. Simple aerobic exercises, such as walking or riding a bike, can be good for improving your chances of getting sleep.

3. Use lavender
If you’re not already familiar with essential oils or fragrances, lavender’s calming properties can help you unwind and fall asleep after a long day. Simply place a small amount and dilute it with water before switching on the diffuser.

You can also apply it as an oil, as it provides nutrients such as vitamin A, calcium, and iron, and even reduces anxiety and fatigue.

4. Enjoy a long shower
If you’re feeling particularly tense about not being able to get some sleep no matter how hard you try, you might benefit from taking a relaxing shower.

Our bodies’ circadian rhythms are not just sensitive to light, but are also sensitive to temperature. This means that our internal clocks start to signal our brains that it’s time to rest when it gets cold. Your breathing slows down and your heart rate drops as a result.

5. Drink tea
While you should absolutely avoid any sources of caffeine when you already have trouble getting the shut-eye you need, there’s no problem enjoying a cup of tea to wind down after a long day.

6. Practice deep breathing exercises
This will come in handy if you find that you have anxiety or a lot of racing thoughts keeping you awake even when you want to fall asleep.

While it may seem difficult at first, it’s important that you focus on your breathing. Your mind will eventually clear itself after a while and you will be able to get some rest more easily.

So the next time you really want to fall asleep but can’t, forget the sleeping pill – simply do the following, let yourself unwind, and drift off gently until you close your eyes.

Sweet dreams!

Bored and looking for something to do? Don’t have enough free time? Or do you just feel like not going outside for a while?

Pick up a book! It’s easy, cheap, and a fun hobby that gives you so much more than what you put into it.
In fact, here’s why you should start reading a book every day:

1. Fiction makes you nicer.
One study made in 2013 found that participants who read even just the first chapter of a story were found to have a significant increase in empathy a week later, while those who didn’t did not.

Developing emotional intelligence leads to more human interaction, and this increase in emotional intelligence can be aided by taking in “secondhand experiences”, i.e. reading stories about people.

Doing this more lets you relate to people better, and the more you’ll want to keep reading – perhaps the best available “vicious cycle” out there.

2. It builds up cognitive reserve.
Reading pretty much anything that exposes you to new words, phrases, and facts can lead to a mind that’s more resilient and adaptive to damage.

This is what’s known as “cognitive reserve”, and a robust one developed throughout your lifetime can really delay the onset of mental decline. This is why it’s been told that the best preventive measure for Alzheimer’s is simply picking up a book.

3. You learn about more things.
While this is the most obvious reason why you should start doing it, it’s still worth mentioning that reading will give you valuable knowledge and insight you never knew possible, and widen your horizons.

Another joy of reading is learning that you’re not alone in your thoughts and you can literally read what other people all over the world have written down. In many cases, these thoughts have already been penned centuries before you were born.

4. Your conversations will get more interesting.
If you’re looking for a great way for a conversation to last until 2 in the morning, start stocking up on books (though there’s really no need to burn the midnight oil for this).

People who read tend to be better friends and better conversation starters for a few reasons: they’re more willing to listen to you speak, and that they tend to be better at expressing their thoughts.

Aside from not having to talk constantly over one another, you’ll also be clear of any confusion, which will let you keep the conversation flow much better and more smoothly from one topic to the next.

If you have the time to go through your nearest bookstore today, be sure to do it and pick up a book – any book. Sit through it and let yourself take in the words, and you’ll be glad you did.

(Disclaimer: this list is compiled in no particular order.)

Living alone can sometimes have its own challenges, which is why you need to be prepared to solve them when they happen. Here are five to get you started:

1. Replacing a light bulb – Before going ahead and unscrewing the light bulb, however, you should turn off the main power switches to avoid electrocuting yourself.

Once the main switches are off, have another person to hold the platform you’re standing on (i.e. table, chair) to keep you steady. Unscrew the old bulb, screw in the new one. After that, turn on the main power switches and give the new bulb a test dive.

A couple of spare bulbs sitting in a drawer somewhere will definitely come in handy later.

2. Replacing/fixing a broken doorknob – Replacing your typical cylinder door knob is actually really easy to do. If a door latch doesn’t work properly, for instance, it could be that the latch bolt may not line up with the strike plate, and in that case, you could adjust the strike plate to align with the face plate.

Start by removing the visible screws. If there are none, insert a paper clip into the latch hole and press to disengage the knob. Pull the knob away from the door, unscrew the face plate, and remove the knob on the outside.
Once both knobs are removed, unscrew the screws near the top and bottom of the latch and pull it out from the hole in the door. Do this in reverse when installing the new door knob.

3. Repairing a faucet – Dripping faucets are some of the most common plumbing problems that you will encounter, often caused by seepage from the water supply.
Try to find the main water valve for your home and switch it off. After unscrewing the faucet, wrap the tube with joiner tape to prevent it from getting scratched in the process. Replace the old faucet with a new one and switch the main water valve back on.

4. Install cabinet handles – Having a broken cabinet handle makes accidents more likely to happen. This might be because of a rusty screw in the handle, in which case you might need to remove it.
If you don’t have a power drill in handy, you can always use industrial glue to fasten the old handle back in.

5. Fixing a broken shower head – If you notice your shower head leaking or if you have a hard time switching it off, start by unscrewing the shower head using strap wrenches and wrap the pipe with joint tape in order to prevent scratching.

After cleaning the arm threads and coating them with joint tape, screw the head back on and re-tighten.
However, if the swivel is broken, unscrew the shower head first before unscrewing the head from the swivel ball ring. After that, look for an O-ring or something similar to it inside. Take it out and replace it before screwing the showerhead back into place.

Learning a new language is beneficial if you’re planning to travel or live abroad. It enables you to understand and speak with people from different countries, while giving you the opportunity to explore diverse cultures. However, learning a new language is not an easy task to accomplish. To help you, here are five tips on how you can make the process a cool and successful one.

1. Love What You’re Doing

Like any other things, you have to love what you’re doing in order to enjoy them more – the same thing goes for learning new languages. The process becomes easier if you’re eager to learn a particular language, or if you love learning different languages in general. Just find a motivation and some positive association with the language of your choice – whether it’s a food, culture, love or destination – and you’ll be off to a good start.

2. Spend Enough Time to Learn Every Day

Learning a different language requires consistency and dedication. Whether you’re learning a language by yourself or taking some language course, you need to commit to learning it – ideally every day.

Studying from time-to-time won’t give you much progress. So spend enough time every day to create a habit of learning a new language, and to progress constantly. Also, try repeating certain words every day to help you memorize them better and learn the language more easily.

3. Explore Other Country’s Culture

Exploring the culture of the country where the language you’re learning is spoken is what will help you improve quickly, and make the entire process more interesting. You can do this by listening to their music, and watching their TV shows and films. This will allow you to enjoy your own interest, while learning their language.

4. Take Things Easily

Learning a language is a process that takes time, but you can make things easier for yourself by starting with the basics, such as introducing yourself, and saying several sentences about who you are and what do you do for a living. You then learn how to engage in a conversation with someone who speaks the language you learned, and everything will start from there on.

5. Have Fun Learning

The most important thing to remember when learning a new language is to have fun, since failing to do so won’t keep you motivated to learn the language. There are various ways on how you can learn to speak multiple languages these days. The key is determining what method works for you, and being consistent in practicing your chosen language.

Although learning a new language is a bit challenging, it can actually be a fun activity to do. Just make sure that you put the aforementioned to work as you learn a new language, so you’ll have an enjoyable and enriching experience.