BusinessVoice News Network

Tackling a sink full of dirty dishes may be just the thing to boost your creativity. That’s because doing mundane tasks and simple chores like washing dishes can provide time for more deep thinking. The technique has some big proponents including billionaires Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos who have both said that they do the dishes at home. Source Link

Spending more can actually save you money if it’s on the right things. Analyze your buying and look for items you use consistently and stock-up. Then focus on finding the best prices, whether that’s watching for sales, taking advantage of coupons or buying in bulk at a membership store. Source Link 

Some driving habits may be a silent sign of a sleep disorder. Always needing a window open for a blast of cold air, sipping coffee behind the wheel, or cranking up the tunes during morning drive could be efforts to make up for poor sleep or even sleep apnea. It’s estimated that one in five collisions on the road may be caused by fatigue or sleepiness. Source Link

For the most effective way to argue with your spouse or significant other, the eyes have it. Looking eye-to-eye provides the visual cues that add context to what you’re hearing and help avoid misunderstanding what’s being said. It’s only after you each get better at communicating face-to-face that you should consider debating by text message. Source Link

Make laundry day easier on you and your clothes with a shortcut that’s built into many washers. The “express cycle” has a shorter wash time and a high-speed spin cycle for quicker drying. And that shorter wash cycle can lengthen the life of clothes because it means less time that items are rubbing together in the washer. Source Link

Deep breathing may ease anxiety and it’s easier to do when you remember two shapes. Box breathing has you breathe in, hold, breathe out and hold again for four seconds in each step.. Triangle breathing does the same in three steps and visualizing a box or a triangle as you breathe can help set a good rhythm. Source Link

Amazon will help you recycle small consumer electronics for free instead of tossing them in the trash. Any brand of cellphone, e-reader, tablet, chargers, cables, keyboards, mice, and even video game consoles are on the list of accepted items. You provide a box and Amazon gives you a free shipping label for drop-off at any UPS Store. Source Link

Cleaning your glasses isn’t something you should do with a shirt tail or sleeve. Cloth, paper towels, napkins, tissues and toilet paper can scratch lenses. Use a microfiber cloth, but skip the household glass cleaner and your hot breath which can damage lenses or make those smudges worse. Plain water or a lens cleaning spray will do the best job. Source Link

Many people will agree that flying these days can bring you to tears, and it’s not just the stress of it all. The air pressure inside a plane at cruising altitude is similar to when you’re a mile or more above sea level. That reduces the oxygen in your blood and combined with the effects of dry air can heighten emotions and make it more likely you’ll cry during that sad in-flight movie. Source Link

You can avoid home WiFi problems starting with your router. Update the firmware, create a strong WiFi password and change the router’s default administrator password. Turn off remote access, create a guest network to keep visitors and smart home devices away from your personal devices, and consider buying a new router if yours is more than three years old. Source Link

Using an air fryer can save time and make meals with less oil, but is it an economical choice for cooking? The power bill to run an air fryer might be only half of what you’d pay for natural gas or electricity to cook the same dish. And there’s more savings because you don’t have to use energy to preheat an air fryer before cooking. Source Link

Road rage is all too common and you can help yourself from becoming that person who’s always angry at other drivers. Don’t drive if you’re upset and keep the car comfortable with the right air temperature and some soothing music. And give other drivers some grace and the benefit of the doubt if you get cut off. Remember times when you’ve done the same thing without thinking. Source Link

Why is chicken noodle soup a superfood for when you’re sick? The clear warm broth hydrates and can soothe a sore throat, and those noodles provide carbs to fuel your body. Chicken is high in protein, and carrots, celery and onions that are rich in vitamins and minerals can boost immunity and help with digestion. Source Link

Here’s a simple three-step question with an answer that might help you save money. Before you buy something, ask yourself whether you “need it, love it, like it or want it.” Purchase what you need and love, and skip the things you only like or want, because you’re probably just buying them for instant gratification. Source Link

A will isn’t just for distributing physical assets because your digital life also needs to be dealt with after you’re gone. Create a list of all social media, email, cloud photo storage and other online accounts you use and include usernames and passwords. A password manager is an easy way to do this and you can give the manager’s master password to your digital executor. Source Link

How does shoveling snow increase the risk of heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest? Shoveling is mostly arm work and that’s more taxing on the heart and many people hold their breath while lifting heavy snow, which raises your heart rate and blood pressure. When you’re shoveling snow, start gradually and pace yourself, cover your mouth and nose to warm the air you breathe and push or sweep snow rather than lifting and throwing it. Source Link

You can raise kids who are smart about money by starting early. Point out prices on a menu or on sales receipts at the supermarket and explain the costs of living like paying for a house, a car, and utilities. And use that magic word “no” to teach budgeting and demonstrate the difference between wants and needs. Source Link

It might seem at odds with common sense, but it’s better to brush your teeth before you eat first thing in the morning. That’s because the acid in foods can soften tooth enamel and you could damage that enamel by brushing too soon. If you want to eat before you brush, wait at least 30 minutes to do it. Source Link