Category Archives: Appointment

While trying to think of ways to vent at work and make it productive — the idea came across as petty. I sure envy anyone who has never had to vent. I believe that it’s just a natural response to anything from unrealistic deadlines to handling toxic individuals. And, while it may feel cathartic at that moment — there’s an obvious dark side to any venting as well.

“Venting is kind of like an out-loud ruminating that can keep us stuck in negativity and the negative emotion longer rather than noticing it, letting it go and then being more solution-focused,” explains workplace psychologist Christine Allen told Moneyish. “In general … (complaining) tends to make people feel worse and not better. It tends to make the person that they’re complaining to feel worse as well.”

Moreover, because this can put us in a negative state, this adds stress — which is never good for your productivity and health. It can also put a strain on relationships and put your career in jeopardy. I mean, if you badmouthed employees or customers on social media, then why would they continue to support your business?

Even worse, venting can become addicting. “The more you vent, the more it becomes a habit,” wrote Nadine Greiner, Ph.D. in a previous Entrepreneur article. “When it becomes a habit, you’re acutely attuned to the negative things in life.”

“Since your brain is now more primed to register stressors, it is more challenging to appreciate the more calming or positive facets of work or life,” Dr. Greiner added. “Instead of letting stress become a habit or an addiction, you can choose what to focus on and what to talk about.”

On the flip side, getting something off your chest can also be a good thing. Here are six ways that you can productively use venting to your advantage.

1. Compose a “hot letter.”

You don’t have to be a history buff to know the impact that Abraham Lincoln had on the country. But, did you know about his “hot letters” method?

Whenever Lincoln got frustrated with someone, like General George Meade, he would compose an angry letter. However, he never sent the letter. Instead, he either burned it or filed it away so that there wouldn’t be consequences.

Here’s one example of such a letter he wrote after Meade disobeyed his orders:

“Maybe I ought not to be so hasty. It is easy enough for me to sit here in the quiet of the White House and order Meade to attack. Still, if I had been up at Gettysburg, and if I had seen as much blood as Meade has seen during the last week, and if my ears had been pierced with the screams and shrieks of the wounded and dying, maybe I wouldn’t be so anxious to attack either. If I had Meade’s timid temperament, perhaps I would have done just what he had done. Anyhow, it is water under the bridge now.”

Here’s what’s fascinating about Lincoln’s thought process here. Writing what he felt was a safe and healthy way to vent. More importantly, this allowed him to put himself in other’s shoes. In turn, this helped him develop empathy.

More recently, it’s been found that writing by hand is beneficial for both our body and mind. How so? Well, it can improve comprehension, unleashes creativity, eases anxiety, and enhances focus. Any journal writing seems to take the edge off of most things for me.

2. Take a walk.

You’ve probably come across this advice numerous times. But, there’s a good reason for it. Going for a walk outside allows you to back away from the situation and clear your head. Additionally, being surrounded by nature has a calming effect.

But wait. There’s more. Research shows that walking for just twenty minutes a day could lower your risk of developing depression by a third. It can also improve your overall cognitive function and decreases fatigue. Furthermore, a Stanford study found that walking increased a person’s “creative output” by an average of 60 percent.

3. Share your frustrations with a challenger-listener.

There aren’t too many times when venting can be helpful. However, research by Kristin Behfar, Ph.D., did find an exception, sharing your frustrations with a challenger-listener.

If you’ve dabbled in marketing, you may be familiar with the term. If not, here’s the jest. “In marketing, the idea of a challenger customer is that you don’t learn something from loyal customers who are already buying your products,” explained Behfar. “You learn from those who are resisting your strategy and rejecting your assumptions.”

“People really do believe that as listeners, they have to make people feel better. That’s just not true. There’s a big difference between being supportive and being helpful,” Behfar added.

“It’s counterintuitive and a little uncomfortable. When people come to us upset, our initial reaction is to comfort them. What we found across all our studies, no matter what you say, no one felt better. But you can help them solve a problem, which eventually leads to them feeling better,” she said.

“One reason why people vent so much is because it can be a good way of making sense of your problems,” Behfar continued. “You need to talk to other people to make sense of problems. It’s not an informal or formal grievance procedure.”

Unfortunately, most of us don’t seek these individuals out. We usually turn to those we trust. That’s a problem because they will only confirm our feelings.

Behfar recommends picking someone who can help reappraise the problem and shift preconceived notions. “The challenger listener gives you a jolt, a little nudge, to rethink,” she said.

Take a moment to think about why you are bugged about something. Take another moment to calm down. Take another moment to challenge your thinking. Find a friend or mentor who thinks differently than you do. Learn to respond to others in the way you want them to respond to you — and ask them to help you with your thought process.

4. Minimize your impact.

Growing up, I was close to my mom’s sister. As I got older, though, we drifted apart. There’s no bad blood or anything. It’s just that he’s a complainer and it got exhausting over time.

Before you vent, take a deep breath and think about the reputation you want to be known for. I’m sure a lot of words come to mind, such as “innovator” or “leader.” I doubt, however, that “complainer” is also included.

Additionally, studies have found that negativity is contagious. I don’t know about you. But, I don’t want to be dragged down by someone else’s pessimism.

Instead, when you do have to vent, Katie Douthwaite Wolf suggests doing “it with as little impact as possible.” That means not pestering the same person and reducing how often you gripe. Additionally, it’s making sure that you’re in a private setting.

“Or, create physical limitations for yourself,” adds Katie. “One of my co-workers and I, for instance, recently made a pact that we would only vent to one another if one of us physically walked over to the other person’s office, and we talked behind the closed door.” That’s effective since “this makes sure no one else overhears the venting.” And, “it really makes me think twice about each of my complaints—does this certain annoyance really warrant a trip to her office, where I’ll be distracting her from her work, just so I can vent?

It’s a simple approach. I’d also add that this may even give you more variety. Let’s say that you’re hung up on one particular issue, like dealing with unruly customers. Discussing this privately with different team members provides you diverse recommendations on how to address the matter.

I have learned something. Nothing makes a person angrier than to tell them to “calm down.” Another is, “lower your voice, please.” Merely continuing the conversation in a straightforward, non-threatening manner will usually accelerate your positive impact on the situation.

5. Balance the negative with the positive.

“In many (though not all) situations, it’s better for you to discharge negative emotions than to keep them bottled up inside,” explains Leon F Seltzer, Ph.D. “Whether it’s sorrow, anxiety, anger, or frustrations in general, repeatedly holding in what may need to come out has been related to compromised health—physical, mental, and emotional.”

In addition to the immediate relief you’ll feel, this helps restore your equilibrium. More importantly, you’ll be able to move on.

At the same time, you need to balance this with the positive. Through positive venting, you’ll be able to “release your frustrations productivity,” writes Lynne D’Amico in Force of Mind, Song of Heart: Shaping Consciousness, Connection, and Compassionate Cooperation. You’ll also be able to “deepen connections with others without having to criticize or make an absent person-object wrong.”

For example, maybe you have a team member who has trouble managing their time. While they are usually able to meet deadlines, there have been a couple of instances where they did not. Understandably, this made you angry. But, instead of belittling them, try to help them solve their time management problems.

6. Take action on solutions.

“Problem-solving makes you feel better, but getting things off your chest alone doesn’t make you feel better,” Behfar advises. So, whether you’re offering advice or soliciting it, have multiple solutions ready to solve the problem. After that, you need to take action. It’s a guaranteed way to avoid complaining just for the sake of it.

I know. That’s easier said than done. But, you could use this 10-step process from Brian Tracy to put your plans in motions:

• Change your language about the problem from negative to positive.
• Define the situation or problem clearly.
• Use critical thinking to approach the problem from several different directions.
• Clearly define the ideal solution to the problem.
• Pick the best solution to solve your challenge.
• Prepare for the worst possible outcome and how to overcome it.
• Measure your progress.
• Take complete responsibility for your decision.
• Set a deadline for when things should be solved.
• Take action and solve your problem.

Even with an online calendar, homeownership is no walk in the park. There’s always something to scrub, clean, or fix, and never enough time in which to do it. However, adding a chore list to your online Calendar will help you sort out what has to be done and when.

Scheduling out your housework can make your life easier. Putting tasks like mowing and vacuuming on your calendar takes them off your mind. When it’s time to worry about them again, your calendar will tell you.

Putting Chores on Your Calendar

Trust your calendar’s organizing skills to help you keep your home spick and span. Here’s how to do it:

1. Carve Out Time

Whatever reasons you have for letting chores go undone — it boils down to not setting aside the time for them. Work and family should take precedence, of course, but you can accommodate everything if you’re intentional about it.

With an online calendar, you can block off time to dedicate solely to your housekeeping duties. If you have a one-bedroom apartment, you may be able to get it all done in an hour. In a five-bedroom house, you might have to block off a few hours multiple times per week.

2. Embrace Checklists

Housework is never finished, and many chores create other ones. Cleaning the countertops dirties the kitchen floor. Picking up trash requires you to take out the trash.

Don’t let cascades of chores throw you for a loop. Create a to-do list with sub-tasks listed out so that you can schedule ample time in your online calendar. Use the “Notes” section when creating an event: If you’re scheduling a bathroom cleaning, for instance, you might list things like “Scrub the shower” and “Clear the shower drain.”

3. Keep a Record of Your Work

While calendars are helpful for scheduling your future plans, they can also be used to record the past. When you create events, these stay in your online calendar and can be viewed at any time.

For housekeeping, you can look backward to, for instance, the last time you cleaned the bathroom. If it’s been a few weeks, then it’s probably time to re-add it to your calendar.

Use the “Notes” section of past events to give yourself tips for the future. If vinegar and baking soda helped you scour the oven, add that to ensure you remember it for next time.

4. Set Recurring Events

Dishes must be done daily. In many homes, vacuuming and dusting are weekly to-dos. Scrubbing or wiping down the baseboards is a good idea to do once a month. Other chores, such as cleaning the oven, can be done once a quarter. But I know a chef that requires his oven to be cleaned, daily.

Adjust your chores to your tolerance level and the level of those you share a space with.

Use recurring events to remind you when it’s time to do a periodic chore. Experiment with reminders: Do you want to know a day in advance, an hour, or just 10 minutes before the time block you set?

5. Get the Mess-Makers to Help Out

If you have children, they can be your greatest housekeeping helpers. Your kids are likely the ones who make most of the messes in the first place. And they usually like to help pick up your home if they are taught to do this while they are young.

Set up an online calendar for each of your kids. List out each of the chores you’d like their help with, along with instructions and due dates. Talk in advance about the consequences of not completing chores. Perhaps chores must be done before your kids can spend time watching TV or playing video games each day.

Keep these tasks in your online calendar, and share them with your kids. By adding the tasks to a Calendar and sharing the calendar you can see what is being done and can hold them accountable.

Using a Calendar in this manner is a business principle — so you are teaching your family many things by conducting “home business” in this manner.

6. Don’t Forget to Declutter

Housekeeping isn’t just about picking up after yourself; it’s also about maintaining your home as a living space. Occasionally, this might involve some decluttering. Hoarding can crowd out your living space and make it difficult to keep clean.

Schedule a day, perhaps annually, to rid yourself of old items you no longer need. Old clothing and toys can be donated to local charities. Hazardous materials, such as e-waste and paint, should be taken to the appropriate collection site. Getting these things out of your home will make housekeeping that much easier in the future.

7. Schedule an All-Out Cleaning Day

When all else fails, take an entire day to clean your home. Taking one weekend a month may be enough to take care of all your major housekeeping projects. If you like your home spotless, you may want to make it twice a month.

With your online calendar, you can get organized for your deep-cleaning day. Prioritize what you want to get done, put together a task list, and assign duties to everyone who’ll be participating.

A clean home is a happy home. Making the time for housekeeping will be a constant battle with the other responsibilities demanding your time. Your online calendar will keep you in check and make sure you’re giving your home the time it needs.

Laziness tends to get a bad rap. And, to be real — that’s a fair assessment. I mean it’s difficult to get things done when you’re just vegging out on the couch all day. For an entrepreneur — being lazy is almost impossible. Even thinking about being lazy doesn’t enter your mind. We may have to use a different word like “relax,” and even that word is scary. But, there are perks to being lazy.

Laziness isn’t all that bad. Let’s say that you’ve had a hectic day so far — and there’s no end in sight. Is it really the end of the world if you literally do nothing for 15-minutes?

What if you have one of those “lazy” days? As opposed to forcing yourself to work, which will probably be subpar, listen to what your body is telling, and take-off.

The point is, you can’t be “on” all of the time. Sometimes you need to kick back, relax, and be lazy. I mean if it worked for Einstein, Picasso, and Newton, then it probably will for you as well. But, if you still feel guilty about this, then here are seven perks of being lazy.

You’re less likely to burnout.

While most of us are familiar with burnout, though we may not realize how common it is. According to Clockify, seven out of ten people have really suffered with burnout. Why’s that a big deal? Well, this type of stress affects your productivity, as well as the following consequences:

• Ill health.
• A strain on relationships.
• Disorganization.
• Running behind and missing deadlines.
• Diminished work quality.
• A decrease in creativity.
• Loss in business revenues.

In short, burnout is incredibly dangerous. But, you can prevent this by allowing yourself to a little lazy. For example, taking breaks regularly to catch some z’s or just let your mind wander. As noted in Psychology Today, “Burnout puts your mind and body in a weakened state, so avoid jumping from one stressful, time-consuming project to the next in order to give your mind and body a chance to recover.”

Moreover, when you take it easy, you also set boundaries, like not bringing your work home with you. And, if you don’t feel like doing something, you have no qualms saying “no.”

If you are an entrepreneur — it is especially important to watch for burnout. You have to learn how to deal with burnout and the effects on you and your whole family.

It’s beneficial to your health and well-being.

When you’re less stressed, you’re obviously in better health — physically and mentally. However, when you embrace your laziness, you’re more well-rested. That’s easy to see why if since you’re making sleep a priority — you may even be known for taking catnaps during the nap.

But, there’s an additional advantage here; you’re going to improve your workouts. I know that that may sound counterproductive. The thing is because you don’t want to spend hours exercising, you’re going to be on the lookout for shorter, more intense physical activity. Research shows that these types of exercises are better suited for staying fit and weight loss.

Laziness makes you more effective and efficient.

“I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.” — Bill Gates

Just like finding a shorter and less intense workout, laziness can make you more effective and efficient. Why? Because you’re going to find the fastest way to complete a task without exhuming a ton of energy.

In return, that could spark creativity or out-of-the-box thinking. Or, it could encourage you to properly delegate the things that you either aren’t strong at or just don’t want to do. The latter may sound selfish. But, if you dread doing an activity, then why would you force yourself to do it when there’s someone else willing to take it off your hands?

It encourages idleness.

“Laziness is a lost art,” writes Chris Bailey, author Hyperfocus. “I don’t mean laziness in the sense of filling each moment with mindless distraction. I mean proper idleness when we choose to do nothing.”

That’s important when living in a world full of distractions where “we rarely put our mental feet up. Instead, we spend our spare time bouncing between novel distractions — going from checking our email, to reading the news, to surfing Facebook, and so on — activities that often make us even more tired.”

Additionally, this interferes with our focus. And, this doesn’t give us a chance “to connect these swirling ideas,” adds Bailey. But, when our attention is resting, “our mind wanders to fascinating places. One study, which periodically sampled people’s thoughts while their minds were wandering, confirmed this. The places our mind wanders to include the future (48% of the time), the present (28%) and the past (12% of the time).

Moreover, an idle mind grants us to:

• Rest. Deliberating letting your mind wander “makes the mode energy-restorative, which helps us focus more deeply later.”
• Plan. Bailey writes, “strategic laziness allows us to set intentions and recall our goals in the first place.”
• Unearth ideas. “Our wandering mind connects all three mental destinations: the past, the present, and the future,” explains Bailey. As a result, “this allows us to experience significantly more creative insights than when in a focused state.”

You’ll improve your emotional intelligence.

There’s another advantage to letting your mind drift, it gives you the opportunity to reflect. While that’s an asset to your creativity and problem-solving, this allows you to become more self-aware. As a result, you’ll be able to increase your emotional intelligence.

If you want to be more productive and overcome a vast amount of human frailty — work on your emotional intelligence.

Even if you don’t want to literally sit back and do nothing, it’s been found that watching TV can also improve your EI. The caveat here is that you shouldn’t make this a common occurrence. It also depends on what you watch — in this case, it’s award-winning dramas like “The West Wing” or “Mad Men.” And no one can dispute the value of Ted Talks.

Allows you to procrastinate.

Wait. Isn’t procrastination a bad thing? Sure, if it’s something that you struggle with daily. But, there are also some benefits.

Susanna Newsonen MAPP writes that procrastination can be good for you because of the following reasons:

• Active procrastination makes you get more things done. When you’re an active procrastinator, you’re more likely to clear the items off your to-do list — even if it’s not the task you’re procrastinating on.
• Unnecessary tasks disappear with procrastination. When you’re dragging your feet, you may stop and ask why it’s important to you.
• Shines a light on what’s most important to you. If something doesn’t have purpose or passion, then why are wasting your time on such matters?
• Makes you more creative. As you procrastinate, “your mind is subconsciously collecting ideas and processing things to prepare you for it,” explains Newsonen. “That means that when you actually sit down to get to it, you have a lot more ideas in your head on how to go about it.”
• Helps you to make better decisions. Procrastinating buys you time to listen to both your rational mind and intuition.
• Leads to better apologies. “If you’ve done something wrong and you owe someone an apology, it’s better to give them (and you) time to cool off,” writes Newsonen.

You won’t waste time or energy on the unnecessary.

Lazy people avoid unproductive things. Whether it’s monotonous work, unnecessary meetings, busy work, or hopeless ventures, they don’t waste their time and energy on these items. Instead, they focus on what’s important to them — mainly their personal and professional priorities.

What about everything else? As mentioned earlier, either delegate these tasks to someone else or drop them from your schedule. When you scratch-out the non-essential — you’ll notice that you’ll have availability to get more things done.

How to master the art of laziness.

The list here is not all that complicated. At its core, being lazy — or at least knowing how to hustle and get things done and then have fun — should come naturally. Laziness — as mentioned here doesn’t mean wasting all of your precious time on things like watching TV. The “art” is about establishing boundaries, taking breaks, and focusing more on what it’s important to you.

Being lazy is rethinking your productivity and not over-planning. For example, just because you only worked for 4-hours doesn’t mean the day is a wash. Leave a few blank slots in your calendar allowing for more flexibility and opportunities to go with the flow.

Being a parent is a full-time job. Balancing meals, budgeting, school, and extracurricular activities can be quite the handful, even without an parenting calendar apps.

To get it all done, parents have to be efficient. They need to get organized and plan ahead, all while staying on top of their own priorities.

How can you get it all done and keep it straight? By plotting everything out in a calendar app.

Top Calendar Apps for Families

Calendar apps are pocket-sized life preservers for parents. For those looking to boost their parenting game, these 7 apps are top picks:

1. Calendar

With a name that’s easy to remember, Calendar is an all-in-one scheduling tool. Also popular with business owners and teams, Calendar’s clean layout and smart tools are perfect for parents.

One of Calendar’s most powerful features is its analytics dashboard. The app tracks your time usage and gives you an in-depth look into how your time is being spent. That way, you can make sure you’re getting a good balance of work and family time.

Calendar is free for Apple, Android, and desktop users. A premium plan is available for $10 a month.

If you’re looking to create a family-wide calendar, consider a team plan. The basic team plan is free, while the Pro Team plan costs $8 per month. Plans cost $2 per month less when purchased annually.

2. Bievo

Whatever it is your family needs to stay connected, Bievo has you covered. Bievo’s features include:

• Separate calendars for work and family
• Task lists that include events and deadlines
• Family Circles for connecting with extended family and planning birthdays and anniversaries
• Caregiver access, which limits what babysitters and nannies can see while keeping them connected
• Automated synchronization for easy importation of school and extracurricular calendars

Where Bievo shines is its customizable, family-wide access. Co-parenting, caregiving, and getting the word out to the whole family is easier with Bievo.

Bievo’s basic package is free. For $12.99 per year, Bievo Premium unlocks caregiver access and shared family lists.

3. Cozi

A three-time Mom’s Choice Award Winner, Cozi is one of the most popular family organizers around. Cozi uses a simplistic design to make organization easy for families of all sizes. Color-coding helps to distinguish between each family member’s events to avoid mix-ups and miscommunications.

In addition to storing your family events and activities, Cozi also lets you manage grocery lists and recipes from your phone. This information can be shared, so others can handle dinner when you need a break from your post as family chef.

Cozi is free for all. It’s compatible with Apple and Android phones, as well as tablets and desktop computers.

4. BusyKid

As a parent, you’re raising your children to become responsible adults. The trouble is, chore lists take you as much time to put together as they do for your kids to tackle.

BusyKid makes it easy to compile chore lists. It lets you set allowances, whether given as money or other privileges, and determine how they’re earned.

Using BusyKid’s online calendar, you can arrange tasks throughout the week for each child to complete. You can set pay days for their work, pointing them to BusyKid’s blog content about saving, investing, donating, and spending to help them use it wisely.

Best of all, BusyKid is free to use. If you want to use its financial features, however, you’ll need to connect a bank account or a credit or debit card.

5. Curago

Make family organization fun with Curago’s customizable calendars. Attach photos, select themes, and even comment on events to create a unique family scheduling system.

Curago has a sleek, modern design. To help every member of the family plan their day, it displays the weather, upcoming events, and top news stories.

Curago is free for Apple and Android devices, as well as web browsers. Good news for Apple lovers: Apple Calendar data can be imported automatically for a seamless migration.

6. WeParent

Families come in different shapes and sizes, but they have one thing in common: They don’t let anything get in the way of their kids’ wellbeing.

Dedicated to helping co-parents share custody efficiently is WeParent. Planning out parenting responsibilities and weekend trips can disrupt the family dynamic, so WeParent uses reminders and task lists to minimize miscommunications.

First, WeParent has users choose their family setup: two parents, one parent, separated parents, or a blended family. Then, the app uses event scheduling, secure messaging, contact sharing, and photo storage to keep the connection strong.

You can try WeParent for free for 14 days on Apple and Android devices. After your free trial, WeParent costs $7.99 per month or $69.99 per year for the entire family.

7. FamilyWall

FamilyWall, which bills itself as “your family assistant,” has everything your family needs to run a tight ship. Shared calendars and to-do lists keep you all the same page. If certain activities are relevant only to certain members of the family, you can create groups specifically for them.

What sets FamilyWall apart is its real-time location tracking. Many parents feel anxious when their child is taking a little longer to bike home from school than normal. FamilyWall lets you keep tabs on them, with notification features to let you know when your kids arrive safely at their destination.

FamilyWall is free for Apple, Android, and desktop. Step up to FamilyWall’s premium plan for $4.99 a month or $49.99 annually. The family locator is included in the premium package, along with meal planning tools and easy syncing with Google Calendar and Outlook.

None of these calendar apps can do the hard work of parenting for you, but they can make it easier. Talk to your partner about the best online calendar for your needs. By weighing your options together, you’ll choose the best calendar app for your home team.

Have you ever experienced jetlag? Do you find yourself dragging in the afternoon? Are you finding that your workday is way too early for you in the winter?

If you’ve answered yes to any of those, there’s an answer. Your circadian rhythm is thrown off.

What exactly are circadian rhythms and why are they important?

Good question.

“Circadian Rhythm ircadian comes from the Latin and means, roughly, around (circa) the day (dian from diam which means day) and it’s a pretty special quality,” explains Tom Williams for Peak. “It helps your body understand what time of day it is and controls not just sleep but also your body temperature,” hunger, metabolic rate, “and the release of various hormones.” To put it more bluntly, it’s your body’s to-do-list.

What we know about these internally driven cycles from Nathaniel Kleitman and his research assistant Bruce Richardson from 1938. As the CDC notes, they found that “The circadian clock has an internally driven 24-hour rhythm that tends to run longer than 24 hours but resets every day by the sun’s light/dark cycle.” It’s also been discovered that not everyone has the same cycle — which explains morning larks and night owls.

“Around 40% of people are morning people,” writes Williams. “They are happy to wake early in the morning, often at dawn, and find themselves most productive in the early period of the day. Around 30% of the population are night people,” he adds. “They find themselves working best late in the evening and prefer to get up late.” As for the remaining 30 percent? They’re somewhere in the middle.

As previously stated, circadian rhythms are pretty important. So, when they’re not functioning properly it can put a number on your mental and physical health. At the minimum, this can result in exhaustion, obesity, headaches, gastrointestinal illness, poor concentration, and impaired performance.

What disrupts your circadian rhythms? It could be irregular sleep patterns, mental illness, eating at erratic times, or lack of exposure to sunlight.

The good news? You can get back on track. And, when you do, you’ll be healthier, happier, and more productive.

Establish an evening routine.

“When you look at some of the most productive people in the world, they always have some great tips and ideas about how to adjust your morning routine,” writes Choncé Maddox for Calendar. “Whether it’s avoiding checking email right when you wake up and easing into your morning, or exercising, and practicing meditation, these are all good pieces of advice.”

“However, one thing I learned a few years back that still reigns true is the importance of starting your routine at night,” adds Choncé. “While a morning routine can certainly help you get going and fueled for the day, an evening routine is likely more important.”

Why should you prioritize an evening routine? For starters, it helps you wind down so that you can get enough quality sleep. Moreover, this allows you to organize and plan for tomorrow so that you’re organized and set up for success.

What should your evening routine entail? Start by doing something that helps you help and relax. “Narrow down a few hobbies or practices that help you feel truly relaxed,” suggests Choncé. “Try to avoid checking emails at night when you’re done working for the day and pick up a book or have a chat with a loved one.”

Other options would be to read or journal. You can also review your calendar, lay out your clothes, and avoid blue light at least an hour before bed.

Practice good sleep hygiene.

Now that you’re ready for bed, here are some ways that you can stay asleep for the entire night. To begin with, go to bed and wake-up at the same time. I know that sounds like when you were a kid, but this ensures that you have a regular sleep pattern. Bonus tip, maintain this schedule even on the weekends, and try to do this naturally, aka not using your alarm to wake-up.

Some other tips to make sure that a lack of sleep isn’t’ destroying your productivity are:

• Pay attention to what you eat and drink. Don’t go to bed feeling hungry or full. Also, avoid caffeine or foods that are spicy, fatty, or fried.
• Exercise daily.
• Optimize your bedroom so that it’s like a cave. That means it should be cool, dark, and quiet.
• Keep your hands and feet warm.
• Rethink daytime naps by only taking a 20-30 minute power nap.
• Don’t let work interfere with your sleep schedule. For example, if you work until 8 pm and you want to go to bed an hour later, that’s not enough time to decompress.

Spend time outside.

There’s a direct link between exposure to natural sunlight and better sleep. The reason? It enhances nighttime melatonin. Additionally, spending time outside boosts your immune system and improves your mood.

When possible, get outside as much as possible. You can do this by spending your breaks going for a bike ride or scheduling a walking meeting. Another option would be to work in a park, your backyard, or balcony. If it’s cold, then at least setup shop next to a window.

And, when you need to reset your body’s clock, go camping. “Just two days of summer camping reset people’s clocks,” said Dr. Phyllis Zee, director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago. It’s recommended though that when you do minimize bright artificial light at night.

Identify your sleep chronotype.

According to sleep expert Dr. Michael Breus, there are four different chronotypes or circadian rhythm personalities. He suggests that you determine which one you are so that you can mirror the sleep-wake habits that best describe you.

• Bear. Most of us fall into this category. Their sleep-wake patterns follow the sun. They’re “ready for intense tasks smack in the middle of the morning,” but feel a dip by mid-afternoon.
• Lion. If you’re a lion, then you’re an early riser. “These are the go-getters, the leaders, the type-A movers and shakers.” However, they also fizzle out earlier and don’t stay up late.
• Wolf. Wolves are nocturnal. As such, they start later in the day and have two peak periods — noon to 2 pm and late afternoon/early evening. Wolves also happen to be makers and crave alone time.
• Dolphin. Because dolphins are light sleepers, they may have an irregular sleep routine. They also tend to be perfectionists and work best from mid-morning through early afternoon.

To find out what your animal, track your time and take Dr. Breus’ sleep chronotype quiz. After that, re-organize your day so that you can align your sleep pattern and work schedule. For example, if you’re a lion, then you would want to tackle your most important work bright and early.

Eat at set times.

Research shows that we also have a food-related clock. And, it can influence wakefulness and sleepiness. Because of this, you should try to eat at the same time each day. Moreover, it’s best to consume heavier meals earlier. And, you should try to stay away from dairy and saturated fats.

When traveling, or needing to reset because of shift work, scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) recommend a fasting period.

“Modern day humans may be able to use these findings in an adaptive way. If, for example, you are traveling from the U.S. to Japan, you are forced to adjust to an 11-hour time difference,” says the study’s senior author Clifford Saper. “Because the body’s biological clock can only shift a small amount each day, it takes the average person about a week to adjust to the new time zone. And, by then, it’s often time to turn around and come home.”

But, if you adapt your eating schedules, you may be able to engage this second “feeding” clock. In turn, this can help you adjust more quickly to the new time zone.

“A period of fasting with no food at all for about 16 hours is enough to engage this new clock,” says Saper. “So, in this case, simply avoiding any food on the plane, and then eating as soon as you land, should help you to adjust – and avoid some of the uncomfortable feelings of jet lag.”

Sync your exercise routine.

It’s been found that exercise can be just as powerful as sunlight when it comes to engaging your circadian rhythms. Primarily this is because it releases melatonin. However, when you exercise depends on if you’re a morning person or night owl. For instance, if you’re a morning person, then you should get your sweat on first thing in the AM.

Reduce psychological stress.

While not surprising, stress can throw off your circadian rhythm. As such, identify your stress triggers and eliminate them. For example, if you’re anxious about an upcoming presentation, write down why you’re so worried. Seeing your thoughts on paper can help you develop ways to resolve this problem.

Of course, eating healthy and physical activity are also proven ways to reduce stress. Other suggestions would be to staying connected with others, meditating, and planning ahead. You should also definitely prioritize yourself by adding a self-care routine to your calendar.

It’s a question that mankind as tried to answer for centuries. Are you more productive working from home? Your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. The concept of remote work has been around for a very long.  With the COVID-19 mess we are asking this question more and more. Ask yourself — are you more productive working from home?

As noted in a fascinating Fast Company piece, “there was no such thing as going to a different place to labor.” Around 1.4 million years ago, an extinct hominid species called Homo ergaster (“working man”) “foraged for plants and hunted animals for food” close to their dwellings.

Many millennia later, labor was clustered in the home,” adds Lydia Dishman. “Medieval England had the ‘longhouse,’ which was inhabited by peasants and their livestock at either end of the building. In the middle, there was the kitchen, as well as the center for spinning/weaving/dressmaking, dairy, butchering, and tanning.” During this period, it was common for merchants to work their trades from home too.

To be honest not much has changed. Even following “the Industrial Revolution, home-based work continued to thrive as shopkeepers, funeral parlors, and schools featured proprietors and teachers living and working in the same building.”

However, during the early 20th century in the U.S., immigrants would work in their apartments — some were know as “sweatshops” because of the heat.

After WWII, there were more in-home sales and telecommuting opportunities for women. But, it wasn’t until the 1980s that companies began to experiment more with flexible hours. It also didn’t hurt that technological advancements, like personal computers and the internet, became more accessible.

Fast forward to the 21st century. Research from 2019 found that 74% of respondents reported that flexible working has become the “new normal.” And, following the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s expected 25-30% of the workforce will be working from home multiple days per week in 2021.

The Pros and Cons of Working From Home

So, being able to work from your home has been around for ages. Why?

Well, probably out of necessity — current stay-at-home orders have proven that. For employers, it can also be cost-effective and helps them tap into a deeper talent pool.

As for freelancers, business owners, or employees who have this option, they cherish the following advantages:

• More autonomy and independence.
• No stressful and time-consuming commutes to work.
• A healthy work-life balance.
• Saving money since you aren’t purchasing as much gas, public transportation tickets, or ordering out for lunch.
• No workplace distractions, such as chatty co-workers.
• Ability to create your own inspiring work environment.
• Improved mental and physical health since you aren’t as stressed and have time to attend to your well-being.

Most importantly, working from home makes you happier and improves your job satisfaction. And, when put together, it will influence your productivity for the better.

At the same time, there are drawbacks to remote work, such as:

• Increased isolation — which can impact your mental health and performance.
• Working too many hours since there aren’t boundaries.
• Distractions like chores, housemates, pets, or Netflix.
• Feeling out of the loop with your colleagues.
• Not having access to the resources and tools you need to work effectively.
• Lack of a proper workspace.
• Unhealthy lifestyle — you aren’t walking as much, frequently visiting your fridge, and don’t have ergonomic furniture.

Obviously, those disadvantages will negatively influence your productivity as well.

But, that doesn’t answer this lifelong quarry. Are you productive working from home or not?

What’s the Data Say About Work From Home Productivity?

To help settle this, let’s dive into some data, shall we?

• “On average, remote employees worked 1.4 more days every month, or 16.8 more days every year, than those who worked in an office.” (Airtasker)
• According to data from RescueTime, “remote workers had a 4% increase in average daily time spent on their core work and an 18% decrease in time spent on communication (compared to office workers).”
• “Remote workers save 2–5.5 hours a day without commuting and in-person meetings.” (RescueTime)
• “People who work from home are 17% more likely to leave work ‘feeling accomplished about what they set out to do.’” (RescueTime)
• “Remote work has had only a small negative impact on productivity – an average reduction of 1 percent.” (Valoir)
• “The average workday is 9.75 hours, with an average start time of 8:15 am and average end time of 6 pm.” (Valoir)

Still not convinced? We got more stats for you.

• A study from Owl Labs, and published for its 2019 State of Remote Work report, stated that full-time remote workers are happy in their job 22 percent more than those who don’t. The reasons? Improved work-life balance (91 percent), increased productivity/better focus (79 percent), less stress (78 percent), and no commute (78 percent).
• Following a 2-year Stanford study, “showed an astounding productivity boost among the telecommuters equivalent to a full day’s work,” writes ScottMautz for Inc.com. “Turns out work-from-home employees work a true full-shift (or more) versus being late to the office or leaving early multiple times a week and found it less distracting and easier to concentrate at home.”
• “Additionally (and incredibly), employee attrition decreased by 50 percent among the telecommuters, they took shorter breaks, had fewer sick days, and took less time off,” adds Mautz. “Not to mention the reduced carbon emissions from fewer autos clogging up the morning commute.”
• According to research from Airtasker, “remote employees were healthier in terms of exercise. On average, they clocked in two hours and 44 minutes of physical exercise each week, which was 25 more minutes each week than office workers.”

Not all tasks are created equal.

While the data seems to prove that people are more productive working from home, there is a caveat.

A 2012 study found that productivity decreases when it comes to “dull tasks.” The reason? Well, since you’re in a less structured work environment, you’re more likely to succumb to distractions. In other words, you’re tempted to do laundry or walk your dog instead of focusing on boring assignments.

However, when it comes to creative tasks, you’re more productive. That’s because structure stifles creativity.

What’s more, not everyone is cut out for remote work. If you lack characteristics like self-motivation, discipline, being responsive, and possessing strong communication skills, then it’s less likely that you’ll be successful at working remotely.

How to Be Productive Working From Home

Regardless of what science has found, and if you have what it takes to work from afar, there are ways to ensure that you can be productive.

Establish routines.

Create a schedule where you primarily work during your most productive hours. Keeping track of your time can help you figure this out. Another trick is to align your schedule with your priorities.

Additionally, make sure that you schedule frequent breaks throughout the day. It’s the most effective way to keep you fresh since you need them to recharge.

Identify and eliminate distractions.

When it’s time to work, turn off your phone and notifications. To prevent FOMO, block out specific times to check your messages.

If you live with others, be clear on when you’re working and when you’re not. Sharing your calendar with them, closing your home office door, or setting up a signal system are useful tactics.

What about background noise? I suggest investing in a decent pair of noise-canceling headphones.

Set up a dedicated workspace.

Do you have a spare bedroom, garage, basement, attic, or shed? Consider converting them into a home office. Besides being quiet places to focus, with the space to set up a proper home office, this can keep your personal and professional lives separate.

Furthermore, make sure that you keep your work area clean and organized. A little mess may help with creativity. Overall though, it can cause your mind to wander.

Take care of your health and well-being.

Make physical activity a priority. As for your mental health, block out time for self-care, take walk outside, and prep healthy meals in advance.

If you work with a team, schedule virtual meetings with them to combat loneliness — it will also build rapport and keep you in the loop. In fact, “studies have found that teams are more productive when they communicate in bursts followed by periods of isolation for focused work.”

Beware displaced productivity.

“Displaced productivity is when you replace what you’re supposed to be doing with something else that still seems productive, but isn’t a priority,” writes Amanda Abella in a previous Calendar article. “For example, as I am writing this from my living room, I’m feeling the urge to do laundry.”

While this is still a good use of your time, it’s also getting in the way of your work. “The secret is to know when you’re using ‘productive’ tasks to procrastinate,” says Amanda. “Trust me; you’ll know when it’s happening because you will use every excuse – including cleaning the bathroom – to avoid working.”

Regardless of how you personally feel about social media, there’s no denying that it can be a powerful tool for you professionally. Social media has to ability to increase your brand awareness, establish you as an industry leader, address customer service inquires, and manage your reputation. In turn, this can generate leads, sales, and generate a loyal following.

But, before posting or sharing content willy nilly, you should take the time to develop a solid social media calendar. Why? Well, that’s an excellent question. And, let’s answer that in the following article.

What is a social media calendar?

Let’s take a moment and quickly rundown what exactly a social media calendar is.

“A social media calendar is just what it sounds like: a calendar for scheduling social content,” explained Breonna Bergstrom on the CoSchedule blog. Just like any other calendar, this can come in the form:

• A printed calendar or physical planner.
• An online or digital calendar, such as Google Calendar.
• Spreadsheets created through Excel or Google Sheets.
• Premade social media templates.
• Social media scheduling tool like CoSchedule, Sprout Social, or Plannable.

Each method has it’s own unique set of pros and cons. For example, going the digital route makes it much easier to share and collaborate with others. At the same time, constructing and managing a spreadsheet can be tedious and time-consuming.

My advice is to experiment with each and see which type of calendar works best for you and your team. As long as it helps you determine when, where, and what type of content you’re going to publish, you can’t go wrong with whatever calendar you use.

Why do you need to take time to develop a solid social media calendar?

I feel like we barely scratched the surface here. While a social media calendar can point you in the right direction, it also will save you time and preserve your sanity.

Just think about it for a second. Let’s say that during your morning routine you update your social channels. Because you didn’t plan out what you’re going to post, you have to scour the web every morning to find a piece of content that your audience will connect and engage with.

To be fair, that might only take you a couple of minutes — especially if you have an RSS feed or curating content from other industry leaders. Other times though you might waste 15-minutes searching for the perfect piece of content. And, that’s not even getting into the time it takes for you to create your own.

Doing that on a daily basis is like swimming against the current. It’s strenuous and wastes your valuable time. And, as the old adage goes, time is money.

Moreover, having a social media calendar allows you to maintain a consistent posting schedule. It also promotes accountability, lets you stay on top of your content across multiple channels, and lets you plan for holidays or observance days. Most importantly, it makes it easier for you to measure results so that you can continually improve your social media efforts.

Overall, having a social media calendar keeps you organized, eliminates excuses, and ensures that you’re making the most of your time.

How to create a social media calendar.

“Before you begin to fill out the social media calendar template you just downloaded, you need to determine what channels and content types you’re going to be using,” suggests Bergstrom.

For most of us, that should be pretty straightforward if conducting a social media audit. Just list the platforms that you’re currently active on. After that, evaluate the effectiveness of those channels by:

• Knowing where your target audience spends most of their time.
• Identifying the platform that has experienced the most growth.
• Determining which channels generate the most engagement and traffic.

After analyzing this data, you’ll want to answer an important question; what’s your goal? Remember, each and every social media post has a specific purpose. Are you using social media to tell your brand’s story? Is it educating or entertaining your audience? Or, are you promoting an event or new product?

Knowing what your goal is will guide in creating the right content for the right channel at the right time. And, with that out of the way, let’s take a closer look into how you can create a solid social media calendar.

Brainstorm content ideas.

“The first step is to develop content ideas,” wrote Abby Miller in a previous Calendar article. “These should be topics that fits your brands persona, addresses any questions or concerns your audience has, and that establish you as an expert in your industry.”

Some ideas to get the ball rolling would be:

• How-to guides, videos, or webinars.
• Customer success stories.
• Case studies.
• Playoff popular culture, news, holidays, or trends.
• Reading lists.
• Interview with a leader in your industry or business.
• Beyond-the-scenes of your business.
• Business-related infographics, statistics, press releases
• Weekly or monthly themes, such as Motivation Monday or 12 Days of Christmas.

“If you have existing content, go back and see if you can repurpose it,” adds Abby. An example of this would be converting an evergreen blog post into an infographic and sharing it on your social accounts.

“Ideally, you should develop enough ideas to schedule content for as far in advance as possible,” adds Abby. “I prefer to have enough ideas to last me for at least the next six months.”

Know when and where to post.

“Once you have an idea of the types of content you’re going to post, it’s time to create a posting schedule,” writes Sarah Aboulhosn for Sprout Social. “After auditing your past posts or competitors’ posts, you will begin to notice trends.” In particular, you’ll want to take note of “what days and times they were posted and on which platforms.” Pay attention to themes as well.

So, how often should you post onto social media platforms? Research suggests:

• Facebook pages: 1-2 per day
• Twitter: 3-10 times per day
• Instagram: 1-3 times per day
• Instagram Stories: 2-5 times per day
• Pinterest: 3-20 times per day
• LinkedIn: 1-2 times per week

However, this can vary across industries and niches. According to Louise Myers, “At a minimum, you should post to your Facebook Pages 3 times per week.” Things get wild with Twitter as Myers suggests that you tweet between 3-30 times per day.

As for the other channels, here are Myers recommendations:

• “It’s generally recommended to post at least once per day, and no more than 3 times per day, on Instagram,” she wrote.
• For LinkedIn, at least twice per week.
• If you’re on Pinterest, at least once per day. But, 3-5 Pins is optimal.
• As for YouTube, you need to post a new video at least weekly.

I would recommend doing a little more research and experimentation. And, definitely pay attention to your analytics, like Facebook Insights, to see how often you should publish content — this can also let you know which times to post.

However, in my opinion, you can never go wrong with quality over quantity.

Add your campaign content to your calendar.

You know what content to create, where to place it, and how often. Now it’s time to add this information to a calendar.

Again, you can create your own template or use a pre-made option. Whatever you chose, remember to include the following information on your calendar:

• Posting days and time.
• The goal of each piece of content.
• Author.
• Campaign details.
• Sales cycle.
• Image details.
• Tabs for each channel.
• Link to post.

I should also mention that there are different calendar views for you to consider. For example, you may want to plan your calendar out for the next year. While not a bad idea, that can get overwhelming. So, you may want to establish mini-deadlines or break it up into seasons.

Even if you do plan out your calendar for the next 12-months, selecting a monthly view is probably the way to go. “Having a monthly view for your calendar is a really great way to not only be able to visualize your content for the next few weeks but it also helps highlight some of the big events coming up that you might need to focus on,” writes Sandrine Sahakians for Buffer.

“A monthly view can work for busy or light schedules,” adds Sandrine. “For busy schedule, I would recommend maybe using it to highlight the most important posts so that it doesn’t feel too crowded.”

However, the bulk of your work will probably be placed on a weekly or daily view. “The best way to be effective with your social media calendar is to have every single post for each day of the week already written out (or at least every single one you can get to),” says Sandrine.

“I would recommend you do this as early as possible and I think that starting the week with everything already planned out will most likely remove a lot of pressure from you.”

Schedule (or publish) your content.

With everything in place, it’s time to schedule or publish your content. Personally, I like batching my social media content. That means I will set aside a block of time specifically for social media content creation.

For example, on Mondays, I would use batching to develop all my social media content for the next couple of weeks. If I have the availability, I might even go further into the future a generate content for the next month or so.

And, to save time, I would recommend using a calendar that has a scheduling feature. That way you don’t have to worry about manually publishing posts.

Track and evaluate your efforts.

Finally, collect and analyze data to track your social media’s performance. You really want to pay attention to what’s driving traffic and engagement. From there, you can adjust your approach, like adjusting your posting schedule or the type of content you’re sharing.

Even better you can use this information to automate your social media activity. How so? By re-sharing your top-performing content on other sites like LinkedIn and of course, Twitter. Just remember to give correct attribution each time.

Maybe it’s in my blood since my grandparents were exceptional globetrotters. But, I’ve always loved to travel. Getting to take in new sights and sounds, as well as have new experiences, is exhilarating. Additionally, it’s good for you physically and psychologically.

It’s true. According to the American Psychological Association, research has found that vacations gave the following benefits:

• Improved life satisfaction. “A study of over 3,000 Canadian workers found that taking more paid vacation days was positively associated with both overall health and life satisfaction,” note the APA. Why? Because getting away improves work-life balance and decreases pressure associated with work.
• Physical improvements. According to a Framingham Heart study, vacations reduce the risk of heart disease. In fact, those who frequently vacation tend to have longer and healthier lives.
• Mental health benefits. Vacations have also been found to decrease levels of the “stress hormone” cortisol, as well as anxiety. The reason? They take us away from activities and environments associated with stress and anxiety. Even taking a three-day leisure trip will do the job.
• Improved productivity. “A study conducted by the Boston Consulting Group found that professionals who were required to take time off were significantly more productive than those who spent more time working,” explain the APA. That may not far-fetched, but vacations give us a chance to rest and recharge.

But, wait. There’s more!

You can also use vacations to help you get back to a healthy sleep routine or bond with loved ones. Traveling also helps you avoid burnout, enhance creativity, and boost resiliency. You also gain new perspectives. And, well, it’s just fun to get out of Dodge.

While going on vacation usually involves a lot of planning, there are ways to dip out ASAP.

Be flexible.

Beggars, as they say, can’t be choosers. In this case, if you’re looking to go on a last-minute trip, then you can’t be too picky. After all, the destination you may have had in mind may not be an option because it’s too expensive.

There could also be availability issues for flights of lodging. And, logistically might not just not possible — think if you needed to renew your passport or didn’t have time to fly across the world.

With that mind, be open to traveling to new destinations. And, if possible, be flexible with your travel dates. Usually, it’s cheaper to fly on Thursdays and Saturdays. Hotels are typically more affordable during the week as well. Of course, this all depends on where you’re traveling to and from. The idea is to do some research and be malleable with your schedule.

Go against the grain.

Let’s say you decide to get away on the 4th of July weekend and you live in major East Coast metro area, like NYC or Philly, you can bet that everyone will be heading to the shore. And for anyone who doesn’t like the beach, the other options in this area would be mountains like the Poconos, Catskills, or Adirondack.

Knowing this, why would you try to fight with all of these other travelers? Between wasting time precious travel time, like sitting in traffic, and trying to find a place to stay it may not be worth the aggravation. So, you may want to think differently and maybe even go-off-the-grid by visiting a small town nearby or traveling internationally.

Besides the 4th of July example, consider traveling off-season. Personally, I like visiting Europe during the winter or early spring because it’s not as crowded as the summer. The weather may not be ideal. But, at least I don’t have to deal with large crowds.

Search for last-minute package deals.

There are a number of sites dedicated solely to finding last minute travel deals. Examples include Last Minute Travel, Travelzoo, and Travelpirates. You can also use Groupon, Google Flights, and Hotel Tonight to find travel deals. In fact, Airfarewatchdog has an awesome Weekender tool that lets you find flight/hotel packages for, well, the upcoming weekend.

A lot of these deals will bundle flight and hotel deals together. That means you could get a bargain on an amazing trip. I would just read the reviews first to make sure that everything is on the up and up.

Take a road trip.

Don’t overlook the good old fashioned road trip. From my experience, this is one of the best ways to go on a vacation post haste. All you need is a full tank of gas, some tunes, and refreshments. Besides, booking a last-minute flight can get hectic and pricey.

There’s another perk, hotel prices tend to drop drastically as you get closer to check-in. The reason is that they have empty rooms to be filled. So, you could end up finding a room for an incredible price.

Additionally, you don’t have to make it an overnight trip. You could just make your adventure a day trip. For example, if you live in NYC or Philly, you could definitely spend the day at the beach and then come home.

Plan a staycation.

Whether if it’s because of your budget or logistics, you may want to consider a staycation. For example, you could take the day off from work and treat yourself to a DIY spa day or getting outside and taking a hike. If you have kids, you could have a family game night or go camping in your backyard. You could invite friends over and have a film festival or volunteer together. Or, you could sign-up and take a class, either online or in-person, to learn a skill you’ve always wanted to pick-up.

But, just because it’s a staycation doesn’t mean you have to literally stay home. Explore your area by visiting a museum or trying out a new restaurant. If there are any live events going on, like a baseball game or concert, go check them out. Or, better yet, just walk around in a different part of town and see what you run into.

Take a virtual vacation.

Of course, in the times of COVID-19, going on a vacation may not be possible. Even having company over for your staycation may not fly. There is a silver lining though; virtual vacations.

“As with any form of travel, plan your trip in advance by setting up your itinerary,” explains Imani Bashir over at Lifehacker. “You get to decide where you want to go, what you want to see and even what activities you can partake in—all without the hassle of worrying about how you’ll get there.”

“If you can, provide yourself with a space apart from where you sleep or do your work so you can fully immerse yourself into the virtual travel experience,” suggests Bahir. “As much as possible, recreate the ambiance and vibe of your chosen destination.” For example, if you’re going to “the beach” light scented candles that smell like the ocean and put on the sounds of waves. If “visiting a virtual amusement park, try recreating this funnel cake recipe.”

Now, here’s the best part, you can travel anywhere your heart desires. You can talk a walk on Waikiki Beach, explore the Serengeti, or take a guided tour of London. You can even see a Broadway show or rock out to your favorite bands via live stream or virtual concert.