Intelligence is Value

Different factors in modern life can affect your breathing, from stress, to processed foods, to the belief that taking deep breaths is always good, as well as overall lethargy resulting from a significant lack of exercise. When left unchecked, these factors can eventually lead to poor breathing techniques and habits, such as breathing through your mouth instead of your nostrils, upper chest breathing (rather than using your diaphragm), and even noticeable breathing while at rest.

This can affect how oxygen enters the bloodstream, which can lead to other kinds of health problems later on.

What’s the Buteyko Breathing Method?

Breathing is an involuntary activity where air enters and leaves exclusively though the nostrils. Normal breathing frequency is between eight and twelve breaths per minute, but many people can take as many as twenty-five breaths per minute. This is where the Buteyko breathing method comes in.

The Buteyko Breathing method is a great approach to controlling the flow of air into your body. It allows you to reverse reversing many health problems linked to poor breathing, such as over-breathing and mouth-breathing. However, before you start, you need to know first how you breathe and whether you’re breathing normally, which you can do by using the “Control Pause” method:

• Close your mouth and breathe normally through your nose for about thirty seconds.
• Inhale normally through your nose.
• Exhale normally through your nose.
• Close your nose gently, using your thumb and your forefinger.
• Count how many seconds passes before your first involuntary need to breathe.
• Release your nose and breathe normally. Your breath should be calm.

A good “control pause” usually lasts about thirty seconds. While a duration of twenty-five can still be improved, a pause of about fifteen seconds of less can indicate certain respiratory symptoms, sleep-disordered breathing, or anxiety. If you find that you’re not breathing normally, you can apply the Buteyko breathing technique and follow these steps:

• Inhale normally, and then exhale normally.
• Take a shorter, lighter breath.
• Exhale slowly for about five seconds.
• Repeat the first three steps.

The Buteyko breathing technique can be especially useful not just for people who breathe too frequently, but also for asthmatics, who have a tendency to breathe through their mouth and breathe more heavily. There are other benefits to this breathing technique than simply regulating your breathing frequency. One is that you can use this exercise to calm down if you’re experiencing anxiety or panic attacks.

Another is that by sticking to nose-breathing rather than mouth-breathing, you can correct certain problems and improve the airflow going in and out of your lungs. Once you start breathing only though your nose, you’ll find that you’ll also stop other noticeable factors, such as noticeable breathing and taking large gulps of air before talking.

Everyone tries their best to make good choices or avoid bad ones when they can, but there might just be a few habits that are actually making people age faster without them knowing or realizing it.

And when coupled with a really busy schedule, these bad habits can really take a toll on your appearance – even making you look much older than you really are.

Here are ten practices and habits you should probably cut back on:

Crash dieting

Losing a ten kilos overnight before a big celebration or a vacation might sound like a great idea, but they can have plenty of setbacks aside from making you look and feel older, like cutting down your energy levels and making you more irritable.

Staying up too late, too often

Sleeping is an essential part of life, and while it’s okay to pull the occasional all-nighter, doing it too often will not only make you feel more tired, but also make you look much older.

Bailing on the night out

You may think that bailing on a night out with friends is a good thing, but it’s not always the case – you also need some social activity to help balance out your life, especially when it’s been really busy lately and you need a break and a good laugh.

Hunching over your computer

It’s hard to avoid the fact that many of us hunch over our screens today on a daily basis for our jobs, but aside from sitting straight and observing proper posture, it’s also important to get up from your office chair and stretch once in a while.

Not making time for your hobbies

Studies have found that people engaged in hobbies, like painting, joining a book club, or anything that lets you be creative, tend to need less medication and have a more positive outlook.

The more you load your schedule with work and all kinds of appointments, the less time you have for yourself, and the more your stress builds.

Holding in stress

While it’s normal to be stressed after a long, hard day at work, it’s not normal to not have a healthy outlet for that said stress. When you keep it to yourself without a way to manage it properly, it builds up and starts to show on your physical appearance.

Wearing the wrong thing

Wearing the wrong clothes can highlight certain physical features that make you look older than you really are. Even if you like that shirt, some colors just won’t work and will drain your appearance.

When it comes to building your wardrobe, it’s not really about getting rid of specific colors or styles – it’s all about finding the right ones that bring out a more positive visual effect.

Guilty of leaving your house with dripping wet hair, only to arrive in your office looking like a frizzy mess? Guess what, this habit could take a serious toll on your strands since wet hair tend to be more vulnerable to sun damage and pollutants. Here’s what you can do though: air-dry your tresses before leaving the house – and while you’re at it, check out the following hairstyle inspirations that could help keep you looking stylish on your daily commute.

Tight Ponytail

Even if you just had a four- or five-hour sleep, this sleek hairdo can make you appear instantly polished especially if you’ve got a big morning meeting to attend to. Plus, it’ll help keep all your strands away from your face. Simply use a tail comb to achieve that neat finish around your hairline, as well as to keep your stray strands intact while staying on the go.

Side Braid

Look your daintiest among the crowd of people with a casual braid that’s pulled to one side. Bonus tip: Sprits a light-hold hairspray onto your braid so that when you undo it later on, its curls will hold. Now, you have the sexy waves for the cocktail hour!

Polished Topknot

Don’t have the time to perform a blow-dry session? Lather on a conditioning serum on your freshly-washed locks, and let your strands air-dry a bit as you eat your breakfast or finish your makeup. Before leaving your house, pull your locks up into a high bun – it’s a better choice compared to a low bun since it lifts up your facial features, making you appear younger than you actually are.

Low Ponytail

Flaunt your shiny locks by donning a sleek low ponytail. Add volume at the crown part of your hair, or stick to a neat centre part. If it’s extra hot outside, easily twist the tail to form a temporary low bun while commuting to your office.

Wash N’ Wear Hairdo

Thinking of having a long-term fix? Chop your tresses into a short bob for that easy wash n’ wear hairdo. Its only caveat is you’ll need to visit your stylist often for trims, so you could keep your style in its perfect shape. Styling your hair in the morning can be stressful at times. So be sure to check out any of these hairstyles to not just appear stylish, but to also protect your strands against pollutants during your daily commutes.

If you’re like me who has had her fair share of being in and out of the workforce, you’d know that being unemployed isn’t that bad at all – that is, if you use this time in your life wisely. The best way to do it is to think of it as your personal time, because when did you accomplish something without any deadline or where nobody is evaluating the work you’ve done? So in this time of job uncertainty, ensure that you make the most of your time out of the workforce by doing any of these things.

Figure Out What You Want

Why did you leave your job? Was your last work what you really wanted to do? Use this time in your career to answer these questions and evaluate what you really want to do – your passions, strengths and weaknesses – and use what you’ll find about in choosing your next job opportunities.

Work at Your Own Pace

This is the perfect time to slack off – no boss to please and no need to be at the office early in the morning. But surely, this isn’t what you want your life to be like in the years to come. What you should do instead is to find out wat the job market can offer. If you want, you can research about the company that you’ve always wanted to work for and send them a copy of your résumé. Who knows, you might end up getting the job position that you’ve been dreaming off.

Learn New Things

Find a hobby that you can enjoy now, or even after you get a new job. You learn to cook new dishes, attend some writing classes, or start painting. Whatever it is, learn to do something that you think will help in improving yourself.

Visit New Places

Apart from learning new things, it’d also be a good idea to explore new places outside Singapore. Visit towns or states that you’ve always been fascinated about. Doing so won’t only make you a well-travelled individual, it’ll also expose you to environments where your next job opportunity might be waiting.

Establish New Connections

Remember the weekends where you’re stuck running work-related errands? They’re gone for now, so use your free time during these days to establish connections with people you cross paths with. Whether it’s someone in the grocery aisle checking out the same product as you or a next-door neighbour who’s mowing their lawn, don’t hesitate to make a new connection. Who knows, they might be able to help you on your next career venture.

While being unemployed has its downside, it definitely has its fair share of advantages. So use this time in your life to become a better and stronger person by simply doing any of the aforementioned activities. Chances like these don’t come around often, so ensure that you use it to prepare yourself for your next job venture.

In recent years, indie game developers have been gaining more recognition from the gaming community with their unique and engaging titles that are a breath of fresh air from the big-name publishers.

The popularity of casual gaming has also inspired a new breed of games that are slightly more challenging than the ones you play on your smart phone. These indie games target the hardcore gamers who are always on the lookout for something exciting.

The following are the best of indie video games so far.

Undertale (2015)

The game is about a child who is trapped in a region called Underground that isn’t readily accessible to everyone because of a barrier. The player must guide this child in finding a means of escape. This role-playing game has several endings based on the choices made by the player.

Braid (2008)

This platforming puzzle game features the Tim who is trying to save a kidnapped princess. One of its key features is Tim’s ability to manipulate time that he must use to erase his mistakes in the past.

Bastion (2011)

Set after the destruction of Caelondia, the Kid is given the task of collecting the Cores that used to power the city to restore it. Players will enjoy the Kid’s ability to float through different locations.

Super Meat Boy (2010)

Players will enjoy the three hundred levels that Meat Boy must go through to rescue Bandage Girl after the latter was kidnapped by Dr. Fetus. Although the gameplay involves controlling Meat Boy while he tries to avoid different obstacles, the platforming game still never gets old.

Spelunky (2008)

As the name suggests, the player will control a spelunker who explores several caves to find items. During his explorations, he will also meet some enemies and rescue damsels in distress.

Papers, Please (2013)

Set in Arstotzka, the player controls an immigration officer who must review the papers of immigrants trying to pass the border. Now while this might seem like a boring game to you, it features a story mode where the player should provide for his family by doing his job perfectly.

FTL: Faster Than Light (2012)

This ship simulation game allows the player to control a spacecraft tasked to deliver information to allies by crossing hostile territory. Sounds easy, eh? If the player’s ship is destroyed, however, he has to begin the game with a new ship.

Terraria (2011)

This sandbox game allows the players to choose from various activities, such as crafting, building, exploration, and combat. The player starts the game with just three items and must try to survive with those in a procedurally-generated world.

The Binding of Isaac (2011)

As the title suggests, the game is inspired by the Bible story of Isaac, but in the game, Isaac is left by his mother in their monster-filled basement after hearing god’s message.

Fez (2012)

Fez might seem like another puzzle game, but its objective is not just to put things in order, but to restore the universe’s order in the process.

Stillbirth is the term for the death of the baby in the womb within twenty weeks of pregnancy, specifically an intrauterine death. Most stillbirths happen before the mother goes into labor, although there are cases where it happens during labor and birth. It can be devastating for a couple especially if it is their first attempt at having a child.

What causes a stillbirth and can it be prevented?

Causes of Stillbirth

To determine the cause of the baby’s death, several methods are recommended. Blood tests are usually given to rule out other possible conditions that may have caused the death, while amniocentesis is recommended if the doctor suspects problems in the chromosomes.

There is no one cause of stillbirth and usually it’s a combination of various factors. If the couple is attempting to have another child, it’s important to determine the cause so that they can take steps to prevent it from happening again.

• Placental Insufficiency

Some factors in placental insufficiency include placental abruption, blood clots, inflammation, problems in the blood vessels, and umbilical cord problems. It is the most common cause of stillbirths, because the placenta is important in the growth and development of the fetus. If there is a drop in the supply of oxygen and nutrients because of problems in the placenta, the baby becomes smaller than it should be.

• Mother’s Health

Other factors are usually determined by a mother’s overall health. If she has pre-eclampsia or if she experiences heavy bleeding late in the pregnancy, the risk of a stillbirth becomes higher. The following conditions will also make a woman more susceptible to having a stillbirth:

• Obesity and/or high blood pressure
• Use of prohibited drugs, smoking, and alcohol abuse
• The woman is older than 35 years
• Multiple pregnancies
• It is her first pregnancy
• History of stillbirth, neonatal death, and miscarriage
• History of pre-eclampsia, premature birth, and other pregnancy complications
• Untreated sexually-transmitted infections in the mother (which might also have been passed on by the father to the mother)

Delivery of a Stillborn

If the mother notices that the movement in her womb has ceased, she needs to visit the hospital right away to get the appropriate tests. If the procedures confirm that the heart of the baby has stopped beating, it means that it died and must be delivered to save the mother from infection and blood clotting.

Induced labor and other methods are recommended to remove the baby, but it will depend on the dilation of the cervix and the length of the pregnancy. If it’s in the second trimester, for example, the doctor will use the dilation and evacuation method. Others usually have no problems delivering vaginally after contractions in the uterine are stimulated.

Finally, to determine what caused the stillbirth, several tests are recommended, such as an autopsy, amniocentesis, genetic test, and tests for infections. Fortunately, the couple can still attempt to have a baby even after a stillbirth.