visual-poetry: »galgenkindes wiegenlied« by christian...

visual-poetry:

»galgenkindes wiegenlied« by christian morgenstern (1905)

gallows child’s lullaby

sleep, baby, sleep,
there’s in the sky a sheep;
the sheep is made of cloud and dew
and fights life’s battle just like you.
sleep, baby, sleep.

sleep, baby, sleep,
the sun eats up the sheep,
he laps it from the azure ground
with tongue extended like a hound.
sleep, baby, sleep.

sleep, baby, sleep.
now it is gone, the sheep.
the moon appears and starts to chide
her mate who runs, the sheep inside.
sleep, baby, sleep.

40-Hour Work Week Is Linked To Cognitive Decline, Study Says

Earlier this summer, a study focusing on the link between 40-hour work weeks and cognitive decline was published, and it’s got a lot of people thinking.

The study, which was first reported by Science Alert and then picked up by various outlets, showed that people over the age of 40 actually suffer from 40-hour work weeks. Cognitive decline was significant in those that worked what we now consider to be the common work week of eight hours a day, five days a week. In fact, working anything more than a 25-hour work week was deemed to be detrimental to the workforce.

But before you ask for a new work schedule, let’s go over the study and find out what it all means.

The Study

The BBC reports that the study was conducted by researchers at the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research in Australia. The study had over 6,500 participants, with over 60% of them being women. All participants were aged 40 and over, held jobs, and had different work schedules. This included people who worked part time and people who worked full time.

How the results were measured came in the form of three separate tests, all of which tested a cognitive ability. The three main tests focused on memory, reading, and perceptive ability.

What remains unclear, however, is exactly how this study was carried out. While it is assumed that the participants were given the tests at specific intervals and during different weeks, the actual method remains a mystery.

The Results

The results, however, were crystal clear — researchers found that participants in the study that worked part time, or around 25 hours a week, showed no signs of cognitive decline when compared to those who worked full time. It is also interesting to note that participants who worked less than 25 hours a week also showed low cognitive scores, which pinpoints 25 hours as the perfect work week for everyone.

This might come as a surprise to you, especially since the common work week is nearly twice as long as the new ideal work week. But it can be explained using a few key factors that I’ll share with you below.

Stress, Lack of Sleep, and How it Affects Cognitive Function

It’ll come as no surprise that stress affects cognitive functioning, especially at work. This is because stress has been known to contribute to neuron loss in the brain. This is an important factor to keep in mind because more studies are needed to understand how stress inflames cognitive decline for people working full time.

A lack of sleep is also considered to be a factor in cognitive decline. As we age, a suitable amount of sleep is needed to keep us at our best. But studies have begun to show that pulling all-nighters or working overtime decreases the white matter in the brain, which leads to cognitive decline.

A Word on White Matter

White matter is a phrase that comes up in a lot of cognitive decline studies, and it came up in this study as well. It refers to the pathways neurons use in our brain for communication, language, memory, perception, and more. It’s a vital factor in cognitive function.

When humans age, white matter decreases as the brain shrinks. But in people who are working overtime and aren’t getting enough sleep, the white matter decreases at a significant rate. This is a preventable problem, so make sure you get as much sleep as you need in order to be your best self at work.

The Takeaway

This study showed that people over the age of 40 are at the risk of cognitive decline when working a 40-hour work week. However, this study only focused on that age group and did not produce results for people aged 18-40, so the results are very specific.

The takeaway is this: As humans, are we willing to risk a decline in cognitive and brain function to work full time?

This is an important question to raise. In many first-world countries, 40-hour work weeks are the norm, and as many governments raise the level for retirement — which is when various social services become available — there are serious questions raised about the workforce’s ability to operate at a high cognitive function.

But it also brings up another point: If 40-year-olds are this affected by the work week, are people under the age of 40 at risk also? Professionals often have families, which gives them extra jobs, extra stress, and could lead to some sort of cognitive decline. We will have to wait and see as new studies are conducted in this area.

As a freelance writer who works full-time, this study was interesting in that it focused on the actual consequences that working has on the brain. It’s also led me to take into serious consideration how France and Sweden are handling the new information, with both countries taking steps to lower the work-week demands for their citizens. Switzerland also has a shorter work week when compared to Western companies.

Most of all, it has caused me to look back on my own work practices. While I can control my own stress and lack of sleep, my work schedule is something else entirely. But since I’m a freelancer, I have a freedom most don’t — I can set my own hours.

For anyone who’s reading this that works 40 hours a week, it might be time to think about making a change when it comes to your career. Learn about flexible work hour options, which many organizations are introducing, and take your vacation days. You’ve earned them.

But most of all, take the time to care for yourself. No job is worth losing cognitive function.

Featured photo credit: Unsplash via unsplash.com

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Attention Coconut Cream Lovers: 15 Dishes You’ll Love

Coconut milk, or coconut cream, adds texture and flavor to each dish it is added to. The rich flavor and creaminess of coconut milk comes from the high oil content — a large component of the milk is saturated fat. This fat is one of the healthy fats that should be part of your diet.

Here are my top 15 dishes I know all coconut devotees will love. They are great recipes that anyone who is new to the world of coconut milk will also enjoy.

1. Fresh Tuna in Coconut Curry Sauce in 30 Minutes

This is a great way to shake up a tuna steak. Potato sides and broccoli florets are added for carbs and color.

2. Mild Chicken Curry

This mild curry is a great way to introduce children to the world of curries.

3. Grilled Turmeric and Lemongrass Chicken Wings

Make sure to make up a big batch of these as they are sure to be a hit with the whole family. They are also delicious and great as leftovers the following day.

4. Banana Cake With Chia Seeds & Coconut Milk

Now this is something different. It’s great treat if you are trying to decrease any sugar cravings with just 1/3 cup of honey for sweetness.

5. Spiced Coconut Squash Breakfast Porridge

This breakfast porridge could be the perfect stand in for traditional oatmeal, while still being free of grains, dairy, nuts, and seeds. It’s warm, comforting, and creamy, and the texture is spot-on.

6. Chocolate Cherry Milkshakes

Naturally sweetened with maple syrup, there’s a hint of cocoa powder and vanilla. These taste as divine as they look! Trust me!

7. Blackberry Avocado Jam Smoothie Bowl

Don’t be overwhelmed by a number of toppings. Feel free to just have one or two on your smoothie bowl.

8. Chocolate Milk Chocolate Pudding

The title is a bit of a tongue twister, but it sure is a chocoholic’s delight. You can substitute potato starch with corn flour if you are unable to source potato starch.

9. Vegan Creamy Curried Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower is the latest vegetable to be brought out of the “granny box” and be re-invented, and this recipe does just that. The great thing about this recipe is that it takes very little time to put together. You simply cook down the onions and garlic with cauliflower, broth, and warm spices, and you’re ready your favorite toppings, such as parsley and toasty cashews.

10. Goan Coconut Cake (Baath)

A hint of rosewater adds sweet, floral aroma to this moist, dense semolina cake, packed with not one, but four types of coconut.

11. Vegan Kale and White Bean Korma

This dish is everything you want it to be: hearty, warming, flavorful, and healthy without feeling too virtuous.

12. Savory Bacon and Potato Pancakes

These pancakes are a marriage of potatoes and bacon and eggs. These pancakes have no added flour in them — in any form. Just mashed up potatoes, coconut milk, eggs, chives, bacon, and a pinch of salt. You can serve this one up for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

13. Seared Salmon Pasta With Coconut Milk Chili Sauce

This is an Asian-inspired pasta dish that’s a changeup from Italian flavors. This is good news for those of you who cannot tolerate cheese; there is no cheese in this recipe, and this dish is still super satisfying and made slightly creamy with coconut milk.

14. Coconut Rice Custard

This might be a great way of using up any leftover rice! Twenty-five minute of prep time are needed, but be ready for the one hour slow-cooking time in the oven. It is well worth the wait though.

15. Simple Coconut Milk Fish Curry

Served with jasmine rice and steamed greens, this is a quick and easy meal you can make in just 30 minutes.

Featured photo credit: Coconut Juice Facts by John Revo Puno via flickr.com

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Bunch of Children’s Drawings Are Turned Into Jewelry, and Results Are Amazing

Calling all parents who love their kids and their drawings: a jewelry company is heeding the call to make your kids’ works of art into jewellery pieces you can wear.

Tasarim Takarim, which translates into I Wear Design, is a Turkish jewellery company created by two artists and mothers, Yasemin Erdin Tavukçu and Özgür Karavit. Together, these two talented women are bringing your kids’ artistic flair closer to your heart, one drawing at a time. And now parents all over the internet are praising the company’s efforts, so much so that this piece on the artists has gone viral.

Each piece is handmade and requires a clear photo of a child’s drawing. From there, Tavucku painstaking recreates the design that Karavit, a goldsmith, will create in a metal of choice.

These jewellery pieces are perfect for two reasons: the first is that it allows you to keep an important piece of your child, and in this case their imagination, with you at all times. This can help you think of your little ones throughout the day and showcases how special your child is to you.

The second is, at least in my opinion, more important: it shows your child that you love their work, which will, in turn, allow them to grow their creativity and imagination.

Artistic freedom is quite important for children, especially as they get older. Many children don’t get the chance to be as creative as they’d like, but art helps fuel their resourcefulness as well as opens their minds to new possibilities. That’s something that should never be taken away from any child, especially yours.

And by wearing a piece of jewellery fashioned from a drawing your little one has done, you are showing them that their creative endeavors have value.

Here are a few examples of what Tavukçu and Karavit have been able to accomplish.

1. What a lovely smile! 

I bet this parent gets the giggles every time they catch a glimpse of this pendant in the mirror.

2. Long hair blowing in the breeze, and is that a tutu? 

What an imaginative drawing!

3. This child is observant. 

They even gave the bird some feathers.

4. Someone loves dolphins! 

Or is that a porpoise? Either way, it’s a charming addition to any jewellery box.

5. This drawing has a beautiful smile to go along with bright eyes.

I bet this pendant will be treasured forever.

6. This drawing links a family together.

And it couldn’t be a better choice to make into a necklace.

7. This drawing of a pig with wings might be my favorite. 

It’s a whimsical addition to any light-hearted style maven’s jewellery cabinet.

If you’d like to learn more about how to get a drawing made into a jewellery piece, you can find Tasarim Takarim on Etsy. They are also on Facebook and Instagram. But don’t wait! Pieces are individually made, so grab a spot on the company’s calendar in order to receive yours just in time for the holidays!

All photos courtesy Tasarim Takarim.

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If You Don’t Want To Live With Regrets, Remember These 8 Things

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