We all need to vent. Here’s how to do it without increasing your stress levels

Although the urge to let off steam when we’re stressed may be universal, it’s not always clear whether doing so actually helps our stress levels or feeds them instead. But, thanks to a series of three studies, we have some new insights on venting.

The main takeaway? Venting may feel cathartic at the moment, but it also risks worsening your mood and spreading it to others — though there is a silver lining that venting constructively can help you move past the negativity instead of getting swept up in the heat of the moment. To vent constructively without increasing your stress levels, consider the following 3 tips.

First, share your frustrations with a challenger-listener. When you’re upset, you’re inclined to turn to a friend who will empathize and affirm that the pain you’re feeling is valid. But this reactive dynamic isn’t very conducive to working through the problem. To keep the conversation productive, engage with a challenger-listener, someone who will gently nudge you out of your own head and self-serving logic to help you see the situation more objectively. In other words, someone who helps you get to the root of the problem.

Secondly, label your feelings. Break down the broad, sweeping emotions you feel into smaller, more specific ones. Research shows anger is a wide cluster of feelings. If you get down to the specifics of that anger, such as I feel “unappreciated” or “betrayed”, it can help you solve the actual problem at hand.

Last tip: Have a solution at the ready. No one likes being on the receiving end of someone who’s wallowing in their own self-pity, so to avoid this perception, pair your complaint with a tangible action you plan on taking. If you can, come prepared with a solution for every complaint, just as you would with your boss, to show your colleague that you’re thinking proactively and aren’t just complaining for the sake of complaining. READ MORE

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How to make your home a zero-waste place

If you want to start living a zero-waste lifestyle, then the best place to start is by turning your home into a waste-free place. Cutting waste from your home doesn’t happen overnight, but with a few adjustments, you’ll be able to make your home into a place where nothing goes to waste.

To start with, find the things you already have in your house that can help you reduce your consumption of single-use plastics, such as mason jars and plastic bags.

Next, you’ll want to find shops where you can buy household items that don’t result in extra waste. For instance, if you need personal care products, look to brands such as Lush where you can buy naked bars of soap, shampoo, and lotions without the extra packaging. Should you live in an area devoid of these types of shops, there are a bunch of online stores that specialize in zero-waste lifestyle items and groceries such as Life Without Plastic and Wild Minimalist.

When it comes to groceries, you can already go zero-waste without going to a fancy store. Even stores like Walmart tend to have bulk bins where you can bring your own containers and stock up on staple foods such as rice, beans, and flour.

Living a zero-waste lifestyle also means cutting food waste from your kitchen. There are two main ways to go about doing this. First, buy carefully and reuse leftover items from one meal to make the next meal. Second, start composting. That way, anything that’s left over can be disposed of properly.

We know that’s already a lot of information, but trust us, there’s a lot more you must do before you can call your home a zero-waste one. Just think about basic things such as laundry detergents and beauty products. For all the guidance you need to cut the waste from your home, take a look at these tips from the people over at GreenMatters. READ MORE

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Here’s how to overcome your fear of being criticized

The fear of being criticized is paralyzing. It can stop you from sharing your honest opinions with loved ones, prevent you from expressing grand ideas you might have at work, and ultimately, keep you from advancing further in life.

Being afraid of criticism boils down to a fear of conflict. People will try to avoid conflict at all costs, but what must be realized is that new ideas and progress can arise from conflict. Just look at Steve Jobs. Had he been afraid of criticism, he would have never expressed his gutsy technologically advanced ideas, and we wouldn’t have all the innovations that Apple has brought us. If you have a tendency to keep quiet out of the fear of criticism, here’s how to deal with that fear.

The first thing you must do is focus on what you believe in and what you did right. Be careful not to take to heart criticism or let it define you. If valid, it’s a learning opportunity. If it isn’t, then it’s a reminder that your ideas hit a nerve and can potentially be polarizing or maybe an opportunity to re-evaluate your approach or message. Stay focused on what’s most important: your views and beliefs.

Next, speak your mind. Don’t be deterred by opposing views or criticism. Doing so is avoidance, and that will make you weaker, not stronger. If you want to overcome criticism, you must also accept the notion that there will be some people who love you and others who don’t. It’s hard to please everyone.

After accepting this notion, work on changing your self-talk. Instead of thinking, “I can’t deal with this” or “Maybe they are right about me”, think, “I am strong and can roll with the punches” or “Others don’t define me, I define me”.

Another good tip when dealing with criticism is to wait before responding. Your initial response to criticism might be emotionally-laden and likely will not help you to handle the situation in a healthy way. Pause, take a deep breath and wait. This will help you have a clearer head when responding.

Lastly, move on. After receiving criticism, thank the person for the feedback, tell them you’ll give it more thought, and move forward. READ MORE

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How old coffee grounds can give your home garden a boost

Whether you make your daily cup of coffee with a french press, a pour-over Chemex, or a classic coffee maker, you probably find yourself with a surplus of coffee grounds pretty often. While tossing them into the compost is a good zero-waste option, the best thing you can do with coffee grounds is use them in your garden. If you’re a home gardener, here are a couple of ways coffee grounds can benefit your garden.

Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and copper. That means that when you add them to your garden, they can help nourish and fertilize the soil with those elements and minerals. Just make sure to rinse your coffee grounds before adding them to the garden instead of taking them directly from the coffee maker. This way, you avoid making your garden too acidic. On top of that, avoid adding coffee grounds at random. Do some research to check which plants can benefit from coffee grounds and which can’t.

Another thing coffee grounds are good for is deterring pests. While gardeners have varying opinions on this, many have found that those animals are not fans of caffeine. So scattering grounds around the plant beds could keep them at bay. On the flip side, another garden “pest” is actually a big fan of coffee grounds — worms. Worms love eating coffee grounds, and their poop, known as vermicastings, actually enriches the soil.

Want to find out more about how coffee grounds can boost your home garden? Just have a look right here. READ MORE

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