“It’s good people who make good places.”
- Anna Sewell (via justforsmiles)
sábado, abril 02, 2016
5 Powerful Steps To Learn Anything Faster
Put an average Joe next to someone of success and you’ll find that the latter had more knowledge to get to where they are today.
While there’s only so much time in the day to learn new skills, you can accelerate how fast you learn something. Whether you want to learn a new language, understand real estate, or learn how to start a business, the person who can learn faster will always have the upper hand in life.
Here are 5 powerful steps to learn anything faster.
1. Method beats hours
When it comes to learning something new, the method will always beat the number of hours you put into something. This isn’t to say that the number of hours isn’t important, but you should choose which method will give you the best results.
For example, let’s say two people were driving from Boston to New York City. It doesn’t matter how skilled or committed the first driver is. If he’s driving a beat-up pickup truck and the second driver has a Ferrari, the first driver will lose.
Your method is the vehicle that will become the engine of where you want to go. With anything you want to learn, there will be dozens of available methods to follow, and “experts” to learn from. This means that you want to spend a lot of time understanding who you’re learning from, what credibility they have, and how it fits with your learning style.
2. Apply the 80/20 rule
As a reader of Lifehack, you’ve probably heard of Pareto’s Law.
It is a concept developed by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto which explains that 80% of your desired outputs will come from only 20% of your inputs.
While the exact ratio varies from situation to situation, you’ll find that:
- 20% of people in your life will lead to 80% of your happiness
- 20% of your customers will drive 80% of your sales
- 20% of your learning methods will lead to 80% of your results
When it comes to learning, it feels like there’s so much we don’t know, so it’s easy to jump around everywhere. This will only lead to wasted time. What you want to do is focus on the one or two things that will drive the needle for what you want to achieve and double down on them.
For example, if you’re learning Spanish to travel this summer, instead of learning how to write or read, you should learn how to speak Spanish. Or instead of trying to please a dissatisfied customer that’s only paying you $37/month, you should add 10 times more value to a customer that’s paying you $1,000/month.
3. Learn by doing
Immersion is by far the best way to learn anything. And as research shows, it turns out that humans retain:
- 5% of what they learn when they’ve learned from a lecture.
- 10% of what they learn when they’ve learned from reading.
- 20% of what they learn from audio-visual.
- 30% of what they learn when they see a demonstration
- 50% of what they learn when engaged in a group discussion.
- 75% of what they learn when they practice what they learned.
- 90% of what they learn when they use it immediately.
Think back to how you learned to play basketball, ride a bicycle, or swim. Instead of watching tutorial videos or reading a textbook on how to do something, the way to learn faster is to get into the trenches and gain experience through making mistakes.
4. Find a coach
From business titans to professional athletes, the people performing at the highest levels all have one thing in common: they have a coach.
According to best-selling author Seth Godin, there are five reasons you might quit in anything you do:
- You run out of time (and quit)
- You run out of money (and quit)
- You get scared (and quit)
- You’re not serious about it (and quit)
- You lose interest (and quit)
Having a coach allows you to see the blind spots that you couldn’t see before, and guide you through the tough times that inevitably come when you’re learning anything new.
A coach doesn’t have to cost $1 million a year, like what Tony Robbins charges, or even $1,000. If you’re trying to learn a language, you could have a language coach you work with. If you’re trying to learn an instrument, it could be finding a private teacher to help you.
The point is, you’re not going at it alone. And having someone that’s keeping you accountable can take you miles further than doing everything yourself.
5. Process over performance
Doing the work is often the hardest thing for most people. A common mistake people make when they’re learning something new is to focus on performance over process. It’s hard to see any consistent results until you’ve put in a significant amount of work upfront.
For writers, this is sitting down and writing 500 words a day — no matter how bad it may turn out. For athletes, this is waking up every morning and training — no matter how groggy and sore you feel. For language learners, it’s forcing yourself to speak the language every day — no matter how many mistakes you make or how uncomfortable you may feel.
“Seventy percent of success in life is showing up.” — Woody Allen
Taking small steps may not sound sexy, but it has been the proven path to follow for anything you’ll want to achieve in your life and business.
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6 Brilliant Tips for Long, Astonishing Hair
The appeal of long, flowing hair can be difficult to resist. Unfortunately, you might be stuck with hair that just seems to stop growing at a certain length or takes too long to grow out. Thankfully, there are a few tricks you can use to get your hair to grow longer in a short period of time. If you’re sick of dull hair that isn’t growing, check out these tips!
Get Ready For A Lifestyle Change
If you really want a good head of hair, the first thing you really need to do is commit to changing your lifestyle. Now, this decision isn’t as drastic as, say, becoming a vegetarian or deciding to move across the country, but it might be a bigger commitment than you realize. It’s one thing to look at pictures of people with long, natural hair and wish they were you, and it’s another thing to make the changes in your life that are necessary to achieving your goals. So, get ready to make some new, healthy habits and stick to them!
Eat A Balanced, Healthy Diet
Another important thing for nurturing long, healthy hair is having a healthy diet. Rather than eating quick, carb-heavy meals — or worse, fast food — eat nutrient-rich whole foods. Ditch the pasta and instead go for fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. If you’re still not getting the vitamins you need out of your diet, consider taking multivitamins and essential oils every day. You’ll also want to make sure to stay hydrated during the day, drinking the recommended daily dosage for your body mass. As well as making your hair grow longer and at a faster rate, you’ll feel better and notice the effects on other parts of your body, such as your skin.
Brush Your Hair Regularly
You might already brush your hair to straighten it out, but you may not realize the additional benefits of brushing. Not only are you getting rid of those pesky tangles, you’re also distributing essential oils throughout your hair. This means that your hair will be more moisturized, leading to better circulation and a healthier scalp. A healthier scalp is the key to healthier hair. However, be sure not to over-brush – brush your hair only when it’s tangled or you really need it styled. Over-brushing, as you may know, can actually pull out your hair and damage your scalp.
Be Careful With How You Treat Your Hair
In the rush of your day-to-day activities, you may pay some attention to your hair, but usually, it’s one of our lower priorities. Try being more conscious during the day about how you’re treating your hair. Are you putting it into a bun or ponytail? Or maybe you absent-mindedly play with your hair while you work. These habits may put stress on your scalp that causes your hair to grow slower. In addition, your healthy hair habits shouldn’t be limited to the daytime. Switch out your cotton pillowcase for one made of silk or another fine material. Your hair and scalp will thank you and reward you with better hair.
Try Natural Remedies
While natural products aren’t going to make your hair grow longer instantly, the vitamins found in some foods can introduce nutrients to your hair that will help you attain better results. Try using a mask made of egg whites to make your hair softer and give it some shine. While cracking some eggs might not sound that appealing to you, consider the benefits! Other masks you can use that will help your hair include potato water (the leftover water that results from boiling potatoes) or a hot grapeseed oil scalp massage.
Use Hair-Lengthening Shampoos
You should always practice good hygiene, and that includes bathing regularly and using shampoos and conditioners. But, just simply doing all the above may not be enough. You need to be sure that the soaps you’re using in your hair are actually doing your hair good and not drying it out or otherwise damaging it. If it’s longer hair you’re looking for, there are some shampoos that are made specifically for this reason. By choosing the right shampoos and conditioners, you’ll be getting the vitamins, herbs, minerals, and other hair-happy products that will have the greatest effect on your hair and scalp.
Featured photo credit: Silky, Smooth Hair via lifehack.org
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Becoming Your Own Queen Bee
Queen bee. Ruler of the bees. The solo reproductive female in a colony of honeybees. Or, according to online encyclopedias: “A woman or girl in a social circle that dominates or is controlling in her position. The alpha female. The ‘leader of the pack.’ She ascends over her peers, influencing decisions and commanding her rule.”
This is not an uncommon tale, and it most definitely exists in many realms. I know I have had my share of queen bees in my lifetime, throughout my formative years mostly. Perhaps it is a developmental notion, a way for youths to create social structure and find order in their heady, bumbling world.
Dominance and control happens everywhere, and the fact that there is no such name for the queen bee’s male counterpart is interesting, at the very least. The term implies bossiness, maltreatment, corruption. The queen bee idea is imposed by young adult films such as Mean Girls, where she is to be feared, lest you suffer her incomprehensible wrath. You must remain on her good side or she will tear you down. You must do what she says. You must be her minion.
Except you don’t have to.
The term “queen bee” does not have to be a threatening thing. It doesn’t have to mean a reign of terror. A woman ruling is a beautiful and powerful idea — it actually needs as much light as we can give it. Except instead of ruling others, instead of controlling a group or domineering a social structure, how about we are the queen bee, ruling only ourselves? The queen of our own life, the queen of our own parlours, our own choices, our own timeframes. We sit on our thrones not to dominate others, but to shine as leaders of our own fate. We stand tall when others sling harmful words, confident in our power. We shine when we take the podium, the stage, or even the sidewalk. We let pettiness roll off our backs and we rule with kindness and courage. We listen to all people because real queens are wise, and they know that in order for people to hear us, we too must perfect the art of truly listening.
Real queens know that we are never truly powerful by controlling — we are powerful because we never stop learning. We are beautiful because we are real, not because we build a version of ourselves to suit anybody else. We understand that we do not need to dominate in order to be loved. We do not need to instil violence or fear in order to rule sufficiently. We are respected because we respect others, and because we respect ourselves.
Bee inspired.
For want of a less cheesy quote, I have always — since I was a girl young enough to be influenced by my peers — found this quote to be of happy help. It was spoken by Sara Crewe, the brave and adventurous little princess who loved magic and who believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that all girls are beautiful, talented, unstoppable. She knew that being a princess didn’t mean sparkly pink dresses and a prince — it meant having the heart of a warrior. And she knew that girls didn’t need to rule one another at all, because given the platform to unite instead of compete, these girls would someday grow from princesses into queens.
“I am a princess. All girls are! Even if they live in tiny old attics, even if they dress in rags, even if they aren’t pretty, or smart, or young, they’re still princesses — all of us!” — Sara Crewe
Featured photo credit: Flickr via flickr.com
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Dear Stress, Let’s Break Up: 10 Tips To Help You De-Stress
The mind and the body feed one another continuously, so if you are challenged by stress, this can certainly affect your overall wellness. Long-term stress can bring about significant changes in your body, and even bursts of short-term stress can temporarily decrease your overall health.
Getting rid of all the stress completely from your life may be challenging, but in this fast-paced world, it is vital to develop coping skills that can help you avoid the serious health impacts that can arise from unmanaged stress. If your stress levels are overwhelming and debilitating, be brave enough to seek support from stress-management groups and practitioners.
Life is far too short and way too precious to share it with stress. Your wellness is priceless. You deserve to feel calm and at peace every single day.
These 10 tips are not only easy to incorporate into your day, they can help to relieve your stress and bring balance back into your body, mind, and spirit. There is no time like the present to break up with stress.
1. Learn the power of deep breathing
Breathing is something we all do, and yet it is something we rarely pay attention to. Focussing on breathing is one of the most powerful ways to calm and connect the mind, body, and spirit. When we focus on the breath, we can learn to control our stress levels, calm ourselves, and regain clarity of mind.
If you can only remember one piece of information when you are drowning in stress, remember this: Take 3 deep breaths.
Such a simple yet powerful way to help reduce those feelings of anxiety and panic that often accompany stress.
2. Don’t underestimate the value of a good night’s sleep
Chronic stress can really interfere with sleep. Sleep directly affects almost every area of our health, so a restless night tossing and turning can increase our stress levels dramatically.
Pay attention to your sleep environment. Create a restful atmosphere that supports a peaceful sleep. From sprinkling a little lavender oil on your pillow to ensuring there are no televisions, computers, or electrical devices in the room, create a comfortable setting that encourages rest.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and big meals in the evening. Stay away from computers and late night TV and instead, wind down with some relaxing music, some beautiful herbal tea, and empty your mind of any stressful thoughts.
3. Try calming foods
When we are overly stressed, many of us reach for stimulants like coffee, alcohol, and unhealthy food for comfort. Particularly during times of stress, we should be reaching for calming foods — not comfort foods.
The best way to increase your energy levels is to consume delicious healthy food. Whether it is because of the specific nutrients or the steady reliable source of energy that healthy food gives you, eating nutrient-rich foods that promote wellbeing will support your body during stress.
Pay attention to your diet. The food you eat can change your life in more ways than you can ever imagine.
4. A scent can evoke peace
The part of the brain that processes odours is very close to the part that houses emotions as well as memories. When you inhale a scent that you love, like perfume or the scent from a flower, you naturally breathe more deeply, which can help you to relax.
Just by inhaling essential oils, we can minimize our stress, anxiety, or any other emotional trauma instantly.
These scents are particularly helpful for easing stress:
- Lavender – reduces mental stress
- Jasmine – uplifting and relaxing
- Rose – nourishes the heart and evokes feelings of reassurance
- Peppermint – reduces fatigue
5. Meditation, yoga, and prayer
It is possible to reduce your stress levels and improve your mind health by incorporating 20 minutes of either prayer, yoga, or meditation into your day. Relaxation and spiritual support is vital for managing stress. Although it may seem strange, one of the best things we can do during times of high stress is actually not much at all. By that I mean, be still, be quiet, and be observant.
6. Manage your energy
Throughout every minute of every day, you are presented with opportunities that will either deplete or replenish your energy.
Negative relationships, negative environments, gossip, negative thinking. These are all things that will drain your energy.
Healthy relationships, productive environments, positive thinking and participating in activities that will lift you up are all things that will increase your energy.
Learn to say no, to set clear boundaries and make positive choices in all areas of your life to help alleviate stress. Keeping your energetic body healthy is a surefire way to replenish a weary soul.
7. Use positive statements
We all know that there is great power in the spoken word, so when you are faced with stress, acknowledge the benefits of positive affirmations.
I choose to feel calm.
I am clearing my mind of stressful thoughts.
I am releasing stress from every cell in my body.
Positive affirmations can change your body’s energy. They can raise your vibration and release stress.
8. Shake it off
Exercise increases endorphins, the brain’s feel-good transmitters. It improves your mood, energizes you, helps you to relax and sleep better, and when your body feels good, so does your mind.
9. Laughter is the best medicine
Laughing is a fantastic way to release more of those feel-good endorphins throughout your body. Get together with your favourite friends and share some laughs. Watch a hilarious feel-good movie. When you are going through a stressful time, laughter can instantly release some of that negative energy.
10. Make time for simple pleasures
Often, when we are overwhelmed with stress, the simplest of acts can improve our outlook as well as our mood. When you are drowning in stress, make the time for simple pleasures. It is amazing how healing a walk along the beach can be. Witnessing a sunset or sunrise can put life back into perspective. Getting back to nature and walking through a beautiful park or forest can ground us. It is often the simplest of acts that holds the most profound solutions to all life’s stresses.
Unmanaged stress can impact your health, your family, and reduce the quality of your life. When you invest in your wellness, mind, body, and spirit, you show your family and your loved ones an example of positive self-esteem. How well you manage your stress determines the quality of your life.
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5 Ways To Supplement Your Income From Home
Constantly living paycheck to paycheck? Thankfully, we live in a digital world and, thanks to the sharing economy, it’s now easier than ever for people to find creative ways to supplement their income. You can even make money from the comfort of your own home. Here are 5 ideas to consider.
Sell Items Online
Is your house filled with unused or unwanted items, whether it’s an overflowing wardrobe or storage room? Organise a spring clean day and sort out all the items you can potentially sell. Platforms and apps like eBay and Gumtree make the process of online selling super simple and fuss-free. Make sure you take good quality pictures of every item you are planning to sell and write detailed descriptions.
Alternatively, if you don’t have existing items to sell, what about new items? For example, if you’re a craft person and spend your free time making handmade jewellery or prints, you can easily sell these online via the platforms above or even through a virtual shop on Etsy. Think big and think creatively. If you are stuck on picking a category of products to start selling, the best thing you can do is go to a local big box store and pick a row of items. Are these popular? Are there enough different items in this category that they stock? These are usually indicators that the market is big enough to sustain a speciality online store.
Freelancing
Freelancing offers incredible flexibility, allowing you to take on work no matter what your location. Often, you just need a laptop and an Internet connection. Freelance writing is one of the most popular options to consider, especially if you’re great with words or have expertise in a niche topic. Other freelance options include photography, art work, graphic design, web design, and more. Identify your strengths, build up a portfolio of work, and get the word out there about your services. Soon enough, opportunities (and cash) will start flowing your way. My personal freelance site where I offer SEO and Web Design services is PopNet Media. This is a great resource to use if you want to start offering similar types of services in your own area.
Online Surveys
Filling out online surveys is one way many people are making money, either in the form of cash or gift cards, to use at a store or website. One thing you will want to do if you decide to do surveys to supplement your income is to make sure the survey-taking company is really going to pay. There are many out there, but some of them do not pay well. Look for good feedback from people who have experience doing surveys and can offer good reviews of the company you are interested in.
Fix, Repair, Redo
Maybe you are handy with electronics and can fix computers, cell phones, and TVs. Or maybe you have a passion for retro items and love redoing old furniture or decorative items. Why not turn that passion into a way to make money from home? Look into online community marketplaces to browse and accept jobs that are relevant to your skills and schedule.
Forex Trading
If you have a good knowledge about the foreign exchange market, you can consider forex trading as an additional income stream. Forex trading can be a lucrative way to earn extra money — provided you apply sound trading principles and strategies. If you’re new to trading, make sure you familiarize yourself with how the forex market works and opt for a forex trading broker that offers tools, resources, and 24-hour support. Always start with a demo account and, when you switch to live, go for small amounts to test the waters and get a feel for things.
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Every Great Legacy Begins With the Willingness to Be Different
Growing up I didn’t want to be different. I did everything I could to get people not to notice me. But I was born with a talent that made me stand apart not just from the other kids, but from the girls, too.
For as long as I can remember, I was playing a sport of some kind. From soccer, to tennis, to basketball, to softball. For a brief time, I ran the 800 in junior high. I even coached several of those same sports for my boys or a group of high school girls. Unlike many girls today, I never entered a single dance studio or took a tumbling class.
The most nonathletic thing I ever did was play the accordion (don’t laugh) for two years beginning when I was five years old. Oh, yeah, and the flute in 5th grade. That didn’t last long when I was practicing (what else but) my softball swing and part of the flute flew off and hit my dresser—just what you want to tell your parents about your rented musical instrument. I dabbled in the Girl Scouts for a year, but got tired of wearing green, and I never did have very many patches to put on my sash. In 7th grade, I was a “Rainbow Girl” but grew tired of the “properness” of this secret society.
I was (and to some degree still am) most comfortable doing what I do best.
Otherwise, I spent most of my time with a glove, a pair of cleats, or a ball of some kind. Most recesses were spent playing kickball or tether ball. For years, my stepmom would waste time by putting those pink foam curlers in my hair the night before school pictures and encouraging me to wear dresses to school. What she didn’t know is that I secretly took an extra set of clothes to school to change into—you just can’t play kickball wearing a blue corduroy jumper and black dress shoes.
What I didn’t realize in my attempt to hide among all of the other kids in school was that I actually stood out.
Because I was good. Because I was different, without even knowing it.
Regardless of how hard I tried to be invisible, I was unable to hide. People still saw me.
But this article isn’t about the clothes I wore in 5th grade or the number of teams I was on while a kid; it’s really about something bigger.
It’s about the legacy we create because we are different. It’s about the rules we think we need to follow to ensure that any potential we have within remains hidden. It’s about the way we are who we were born to be.
If you were to look at all of the great visionaries of the past century, you will find one common quality among them: they all stood out. They all were unique in their own way. They took risks. They failed. They were criticized. They refused to quit. They tried again. They succeeded. They made history.
We all are born with talents unlike anyone else and only our experiences shape those talents into something we either share with the world or we pretend don’t exist. Either way, the real you will eventually come to the surface. It always does.
Some people set out to change the world at a very early age while others end up doing so almost by accident.
Creating a legacy doesn’t begin with writing history in such a way that we notice it immediately. It isn’t found in some great new invention or a way to feed the hungry. Most often, it begins with something much smaller.
It begins with a single thought. A single idea. A single vision. A single word.
All of those things comes together to start the conversation, to initiate change.
Our willingness to not only notice the world, but react to it in such a way that burying our talents no longer is an option is how we change everything. Our willingness to allow ourselves to be seen and heard is the position we take—not because it is required by others, but because it was bestowed upon us to share.
For far too long, we have permitted ourselves to be hermits and recluses in order to excuse our lack of action and our believed shortcomings. We have done this world and everyone in it a huge injustice and disservice and the only way to rectify it is to be who we were born to be.
Some were born to swing and never share a single note attached to a melody. Some were born to dance and never grace us while they float on stage. Some were born to play and never make a single team. Some were born to create and never put those ideas to paper or disclose them to anyone else. Some were born to lead, yet sit quietly in the shadows. Some were born to design, to write, to build, but never do.
Instead, they remain where no one can see them, ignoring our need to have their talents shared with us.
Greatness is found in the willingness to be different every time. No one remembers the legacy that looks like every other one. Your legacy cannot be written if it is locked away behind everything you were born to be.
We all have something unique about us and until we find it and share it, we cheat the world.
Need help finding your greatness?
Ask yourself these questions:
- What do I LOVE to do?
- Where am I most comfortable?
- How am I different?
- How can I share my gifts with others?
Once you realize and accept you have a gift, no matter how small, you will find moments when it naturally steps out of the shadows as it shows people who you really are. It’s easy to pretend it doesn’t matter and pretend it won’t impact anyone.
Our legacies are created not after we are gone, but in the life we lived along the way. It is told in the stories, pictures and memories that leave imprints on the lives it touched and become something that is impossible to erase.
Be different. Because you are. The sooner we embrace our gifts instead of fighting against them the better we are for the world and the people in it.
True greatness lies there—and it always will.
Featured photo credit: Lindy Baker via unsplash.com
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Top Reasons Why Owning a Pet is Good for Your Health
If you are a pet owner, you probably already know about the joys that come with owning a pet, whether it’s a cat or dog or something more exotic like birds or fish.
But did you know that there are also proven health benefits that come from living with a furry or feathered friend? It’s true — owning a pet can actually make you healthier in many important ways, including the ones below.
You’ll Get — and Stay — in Better Shape
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 30 minutes of exercise is needed to stay in shape and help prevent chronic diseases — but most Americans do not get anywhere near that amount of activity. One of the best things about owning a pet — especially a dog — is that is can help you to get and stay in shape. One study found that dog owners were less likely than non-dog owners to be overweight or obese.
The great thing is that you have a whole array of choices when it comes to exercising with your dog: you can go running, jogging or walking with it before or after work. Hiking with your dog on the weekend is also a good option and it gets you out into the fresh air and sunshine. You can even get creative with classes like Doga (yoga exercises you can do with your dog!).
You’ll Do Your Heart a Huge Favor
Heart disease is still the number one killer in America — but the good news is that there are a lot of healthy lifestyle choices you can make to lower your chances of developing this problem. Apart from eating well and exercising regularly, having a pet in your life can also help your heart health.
According to the National Institute of Health, several clinical trials have been run which show that pet owners have lower blood pressure rates and lower cholesterol levels, both of which are major risk factors for heart attacks. The weight management and physical activity benefits listed above also can help your heart stay strong.
You’ll Help Your Child’s Allergies
Okay, when you think about pet ownership, helping your child’s allergies isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. As a matter of fact, many American families have to go through the heartache of giving up a pet due to their child being allergic to it. However, researchers from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, have done studies that show having a pet in the home can actually reduce a child’s chances of developing allergies to begin with.
In this study, which was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, scientists stated they believe that these benefits stem from the fact that being around a pet on a daily basis can make a child’s immune system stronger. Unfortunately, this study does not apply to children who already have allergies to begin with.
You’ll Reduce Your Depression Risk
Trying to keep the blues away naturally? Having or getting a pet can be an important part of keeping depression at bay. There are a number of reasons why several studies have uncovered a link between pet ownership and reduced levels of depression. Firstly, pets can fill your life with a sense of love and purpose. They can increase your socialization and help you make new friends (for instance, at a dog-walking park or an obedience school) and just by themselves can reduce feelings of loneliness or isolation. They also help to fulfill the human need to be touched. That is why Pet Assisted Therapy or Animal Assisted Therapy has become so popular in places like hospital or nursing homes across the country.
So if you have always suspected that your pet is an important part of your life — you are right! The animals in your life not only bring you a lot of happiness and joy, they can help you live a longer and better life.
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