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How can I stop overthinking everything? A clinical psychologist offers solutions

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kirsty-ross-1513078">Kirsty Ross</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/massey-university-806">Massey University</a></em></p> <p>As a clinical psychologist, I often have clients say they are having trouble with thoughts “on a loop” in their head, which they find difficult to manage.</p> <p>While rumination and overthinking are often considered the same thing, they are slightly different (though linked). <a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/nov05/cycle">Rumination</a> is having thoughts on repeat in our minds. This can lead to overthinking – analysing those thoughts without finding solutions or solving the problem.</p> <p>It’s like a vinyl record playing the same part of the song over and over. With a record, this is usually because of a scratch. Why we overthink is a little more complicated.</p> <h2>We’re on the lookout for threats</h2> <p>Our brains are hardwired to look for threats, to make a plan to address those threats and keep us safe. Those perceived threats may be based on past experiences, or may be the “what ifs” we imagine could happen in the future.</p> <p>Our “what ifs” are usually negative outcomes. These are what we call “<a href="https://ccbhc.org/hot-thoughts-what-are-they-and-how-can-you-handle-them/">hot thoughts</a>” – they bring up a lot of emotion (particularly sadness, worry or anger), which means we can easily get stuck on those thoughts and keep going over them.</p> <p>However, because they are about things that have either already happened or might happen in the future (but are not happening now), we cannot fix the problem, so we keep going over the same thoughts.</p> <h2>Who overthinks?</h2> <p>Most people find themselves in situations at one time or another when they overthink.</p> <p>Some people are <a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/nov05/cycle">more likely</a> to ruminate. People who have had prior challenges or experienced trauma may have come to expect threats and look for them more than people who have not had adversities.</p> <p>Deep thinkers, people who are prone to anxiety or low mood, and those who are sensitive or feel emotions deeply are also more likely to ruminate and overthink.</p> <p>Also, when we are stressed, our emotions tend to be stronger and last longer, and our thoughts can be less accurate, which means we can get stuck on thoughts more than we would usually.</p> <p>Being run down or physically unwell can also mean our thoughts are <a href="https://healthify.nz/hauora-wellbeing/m/mental-health-and-your-body/">harder to tackle</a> and manage.</p> <h2>Acknowledge your feelings</h2> <p>When thoughts go on repeat, it is helpful to use both emotion-focused and problem-focused <a href="https://link.springer.com/referencework/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9">strategies</a>.</p> <p>Being emotion-focused means figuring out how we feel about something and addressing those feelings. For example, we might feel regret, anger or sadness about something that has happened, or worry about something that might happen.</p> <p>Acknowledging those emotions, using self-care techniques and accessing social support to talk about and manage your feelings will be helpful.</p> <p>The second part is being problem-focused. Looking at what you would do differently (if the thoughts are about something from your past) and making a plan for dealing with future possibilities your thoughts are raising.</p> <p>But it is difficult to plan for all eventualities, so this strategy has limited usefulness.</p> <p>What is more helpful is to make a plan for one or two of the more likely possibilities and accept there may be things that happen you haven’t thought of.</p> <h2>Think about why these thoughts are showing up</h2> <p>Our feelings and experiences are information; it is important to ask what this information is telling you and why these thoughts are showing up now.</p> <p>For example, university has just started again. Parents of high school leavers might be lying awake at night (which is when rumination and overthinking is common) worrying about their young person.</p> <p>Knowing how you would respond to some more likely possibilities (such as they will need money, they might be lonely or homesick) might be helpful.</p> <p>But overthinking is also a sign of a new stage in both your lives, and needing to accept less control over your child’s choices and lives, while wanting the best for them. Recognising this means you can also talk about those feelings with others.</p> <h2>Let the thoughts go</h2> <p>A useful way to manage rumination or overthinking is “<a href="https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/Options.pdf">change, accept, and let go</a>”.</p> <p>Challenge and change aspects of your thoughts where you can. For example, the chance that your young person will run out of money and have no food and starve (overthinking tends to lead to your brain coming up with catastrophic outcomes!) is not likely.</p> <p>You could plan to check in with your child regularly about how they are coping financially and encourage them to access budgeting support from university services.</p> <p>Your thoughts are just ideas. They are not necessarily true or accurate, but when we overthink and have them on repeat, they can start to feel true because they become familiar. Coming up with a more realistic thought can help stop the loop of the unhelpful thought.</p> <p>Accepting your emotions and finding ways to manage those (good self-care, social support, communication with those close to you) will also be helpful. As will accepting that life inevitably involves a lack of complete control over outcomes and possibilities life may throw at us. What we do have control over is our reactions and behaviours.</p> <p>Remember, you have a 100% success rate of getting through challenges up until this point. You might have wanted to do things differently (and can plan to do that) but nevertheless, you coped and got through.</p> <p>So, the last part is letting go of the need to know exactly how things will turn out, and believing in your ability (and sometimes others’) to cope.</p> <h2>What else can you do?</h2> <p>A stressed out and tired brain will be <a href="https://mentalhealth.org.nz/resources/resource/stress-and-how-to-manage-it">more likely</a> to overthink, leading to more stress and creating a cycle that can affect your wellbeing.</p> <p>So it’s important to manage your stress levels by eating and sleeping well, moving your body, doing things you enjoy, seeing people you care about, and doing things that fuel your soul and spirit.</p> <p>Distraction – with pleasurable activities and people who bring you joy – can also get your thoughts off repeat.</p> <p>If you do find overthinking is affecting your life, and your levels of anxiety are rising or your mood is dropping (your sleep, appetite and enjoyment of life and people is being negatively affected), it might be time to talk to someone and get some strategies to manage.</p> <p>When things become too difficult to manage yourself (or with the help of those close to you), a therapist can provide tools that have been proven to be helpful. Some helpful tools to manage worry and your thoughts can also be found <a href="https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself/Anxiety">here</a>.</p> <p>When you find yourself overthinking, think about why you are having “hot thoughts”, acknowledge your feelings and do some future-focused problem solving. But also accept life can be unpredictable and focus on having faith in your ability to cope. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223973/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kirsty-ross-1513078"><em>Kirsty Ross</em></a><em>, Associate Professor and Senior Clinical Psychologist, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/massey-university-806">Massey University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-can-i-stop-overthinking-everything-a-clinical-psychologist-offers-solutions-223973">original article</a>.</em></p>

Mind

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Bride sparks fury over outrageous catering solution

<p dir="ltr">A bride-to-be has caused outrage online after sharing her unusual catering solution for her wedding day, after admitting she has invited more people to her big day than she can afford to feed. </p> <p dir="ltr">The American bride, who is planning her wedding for October, shared that she has invited 250 of her closest friends and family to her nuptial celebrations, while only being able to afford to cater for 150 people. </p> <p dir="ltr">Posting her predicament in a wedding page on Facebook, she wrote, “Bride here. Seems the most expensive thing is catering.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“To save a little bit of money, we are inviting 250 people, expecting about 200 (to RSVP), and telling the caterers to prepare for 150.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She said that in order to cater for the extra people, she was planning to order fast food from Raising Cane’s: a popular chain of chicken shops across the US. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I suggested maybe getting a tray of chicken to supplement the missing food,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Is this a terrible idea? Would I get the caterers to serve that chicken also, or just put it to the side and let the people serve the chicken themselves?”</p> <p dir="ltr">Many were stunned by the bride’s catering idea, with one person joking, “Oh, it’s a Hunger Games-themed wedding. Literally.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Another suggested, “If you can’t afford to feed 250 people, move your wedding date to save up enough for your guestlist or invite fewer people — the most reasonable option.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Do not bring in fast food. The caterer will not, cannot, and should not serve your fast food.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Another person added, “Sucks for the guests, but also real sh***y for the caterer who will get blamed when there’s not enough food for everyone.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“If I come as an invited guest to your wedding and there’s not a plate for me, I am taking my gift back and self-serving all the chicken I can carry.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Relationships

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8 places you should never keep your phone

<p><strong>In your pocket</strong></p> <p>Keeping your phone in your pocket seems logical, but you could be doing more harm than good. According to Dr Lilly Friedman, this is actually the worst place to store your phone. “When phones are on, connected to a wireless network, and placed in a pocket, the radiation is two to seven times higher than if it were placed in a purse or holster,” she says. </p> <p>There is a correlation between radiation from a mobile phone and tumour growth, she adds. Plus, radiation can change the structure of DNA and affect male fertility, according to Dr Friedman. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer also found that mobile phone radiation is additionally carcinogenic to humans. Merely sitting on your phone could cause health issues such as sciatica or back problems.</p> <p><strong>In your bra</strong></p> <p>Some research and case studies show that keeping your phone in your bra could be linked to breast cancer due to the radiations and vibrations from the phone. That said, there is not enough evidence to establish a definite relationship between the two. Still, keeping your phone in your bra, especially a sports bra, is a bad idea due to the skin-irritating bacteria it could harbour, Muscle &amp; Fitness reports.</p> <p><strong>In your bed or under your pillow</strong></p> <p>Sleeping with your phone is a bad idea for a few reasons. First, keeping your phone under your pillow could build up heat and present a potential fire hazard, especially if your phone is charging or has a defect. It’s also known that the LED light from phone screens can disrupt melatonin production and circadian rhythms, hurting your sleep quality, according to the National Sleep Foundation.</p> <p>And, of course, there’s also radiation to consider. The amounts of radio frequency radiation mobile phones give off are the same ones emitted from microwaves. There is also concern about the safety of mobile phone use with respect to cancer and brain tumours, per the American Cancer Society.</p> <p><strong>Plugged in</strong></p> <p>Keeping your phone plugged in when it has a full battery causes damage to the battery itself, according to pcmag.com. It’s not that your phone ‘overloads’ with power, but heat build-ups from stacking things on top of your phone or keeping it under your pillow, making your phone hotter and damaging your battery.</p> <p><strong>Close to your face</strong></p> <p>Keeping your phone close to your face means bacteria transfers to and from your phone, making your skin and phone dirtier. This combination leads to more acne, skin irritation and even wrinkles, according to Allure. Try using ear pods instead to keep the surface of your phone at a distance from your face.</p> <p><strong>In your glovebox</strong></p> <p>Extreme temperatures are the worst conditions for your phone. So keeping your device in your car’s glovebox during the extremely hot or cold months of the year could lead to problems. According to Time, excess heat can cause everything from data loss or corruption to battery leakage. The cold weather presents just as many issues for your device. In cold temperatures, many smartphones shut off, have display problems, shortened battery life and in rare cases screen shattering.</p> <p><strong>On your beach towel </strong></p> <p>Notice a theme here? The extreme sun and heat at the beach is a recipe for phone disaster. Protect your device after you finish taking beautiful beach pictures. Hot and sunny conditions could, again, cause your phone to overheat – and getting sand in your phone won’t help either.</p> <p><strong>Anywhere in the bathroom</strong></p> <p>Although phones could arguably be the new newspaper, it’s not a good idea to take yours into the bathroom. Even if you keep your device on a counter or away from the toilet, anything within a metre of a flushing toilet could mean bacteria or viruses in the air end up on your phone, according to a study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. </p> <p>“The detection of bacteria and viruses falling out onto surfaces in bathrooms after flushing indicated that they remain airborne long enough to settle on surfaces throughout the bathroom,” wrote the study authors.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/healthsmart/8-places-you-should-never-keep-your-phone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

Technology

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How to get rid of sciatica pain: solutions from back experts

<p><strong>The scoop on sciatica pain</strong></p> <p>Fun fact: The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the human body. It runs from the lower back down each side of your body, along the back of the hips, butt cheeks, and knees, down the back of the calf, and into the foot. It provides both sensory and motor nerve function to the legs and feet.</p> <p>Not-so-fun fact: Sometimes this nerve can get compressed in the spine at one of the roots – where it branches off the spinal cord – and cause pain that radiates down the length of the nerve. This is a dreaded condition known as sciatica. It is estimated that between 10 and 40 percent of people will experience sciatica in their lifetime.</p> <p>“Sciatica is the body telling you the sciatic nerve is unhappy,” says E. Quinn Regan, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon. “When the nerve is compressed at the root, it becomes inflamed, causing symptoms,” Dr Regan says. These symptoms can range from mild to debilitating.</p> <p>While sciatica can often resolve on its own, easing symptoms and feeling better usually requires some attention and careful behaviour modifications. Rarely, you may need more medical intervention to recover fully.</p> <p>Here’s everything you need to know about sciatica, including symptoms, how it’s diagnosed, how it’s treated, and what you can do to prevent it from recurring.</p> <p><strong>Symptoms of sciatica</strong></p> <p>Sciatica is quite literally a pain in the butt. The telltale symptom of sciatica is pain that radiates along the nerve, usually on the outside of the butt cheek and down the back of the leg. It usually only happens on one side of the body at a time. Sciatica doesn’t necessarily cause lower back pain, though it can.</p> <p>Dr Regan says that people with sciatica describe the pain as electric, burning, or stabbing, and in more severe cases, it can also be associated with numbness or weakness in the leg. If sciatica causes significant muscle weakness, to the point of losing function, and/or the pain is so bad you can’t function, it’s time to get immediate help, Dr Regan says.</p> <p>Another symptom that warrants a trip to the ER and immediate medical intervention: bowel or bladder incontinence. “That means there’s a massive compression, and the pressure is so severe it’s harming the nerves that go to the bowel and bladder,” says orthopaedic surgeon Dr Brian A. Cole. This is rare, but when it happens, it’s imperative to decompress the nerve immediately, he says.</p> <p><strong>The main causes of sciatica</strong></p> <p>The most common cause of sciatica is a herniated or slipped disc. A herniated or slipped disc happens when pressure forces one of the discs that cushion each vertebra in the spine to move out of place or rupture. Usually it’s caused when you lift something heavy and hurt your back, or after repetitive bending or twisting of the lower back from a sport or a physically demanding job.</p> <p>Sciatica also can be caused by:</p> <ul> <li>a bone spur (osteophyte), which can form as a result of osteoarthritis</li> <li>narrowing of the spinal canal (spinal stenosis), which happens with normal wear-and-tear of the spine and is more common in people over 60</li> <li>spondylolisthesis, a condition where one of your vertebrae slips out of place</li> <li>a lower back or pelvic muscle spasm or any sort of inflammation that presses on the nerve root</li> </ul> <p>Some people are born with back problems that lead to spinal stenosis at an earlier age. Other potential, yet rare, causes of sciatic nerve compression include tumours and abscesses.</p> <p><strong>Could it be piriformis syndrome?</strong></p> <p>Something known as piriformis syndrome can also cause sciatica-like symptoms, though it is not considered true sciatica. The piriformis is a muscle that runs along the outside of the hip and butt and plays an important role in hip extension and leg rotation.</p> <p>Piriformis syndrome is an overuse injury that’s common in runners, who repetitively strain this muscle, leading to inflammation and irritation. Because the muscle is so close to the sciatic nerve, piriformis syndrome can compress the nerve and cause a similar tingling, radiating pain as sciatica. The difference is that this pain is not caused by compression at the nerve root, but rather, irritation or pressure at some point along the length of the nerve.</p> <p><strong>Sciatica risk factors </strong></p> <p>Anyone can end up with a herniated disc and ultimately sciatica, but some people are more at risk than others. The biggest risk factor is age. “The discs begin to age at about age 30, and when this happens they can develop defects,” Dr Regan says. These defects slowly increase the risk of a disc slipping or rupturing.</p> <p>Men are three times more likely than women to have a herniated disc, Dr Regan says. Being overweight or obese also increases your chance of injuring a disc. A physically demanding job, regular strenuous exercise, osteoarthritis in the spine, and a history of back injury can also increase your risk. Sitting all day doesn’t help either, Dr Cole says. “You put more stress on your back biomechanically sitting than anything else you do.”</p> <p>Certain muscle weaknesses and imbalances can also make you more prone to disc injury and, consequently, sciatica. “People with weak core muscles and instability around the spine might be more prone to this since the muscles need to stabilise the joints of the vertebrae in which the nerves exit,” says Theresa Marko, an orthopaedic physical therapist.</p> <p><strong>How sciatica is diagnosed</strong></p> <p>If your symptoms suggest sciatica, your doctor will do a physical exam to check your strength, reflexes and sensation. A test called a straight leg raise can also test for sciatica, Dr Regan says. How it’s done: Patients lie face up on the floor, legs extended, and the clinician slowly lifts one leg up. At a certain point, it may trigger sciatica symptoms. (The test can also be done sitting down.)</p> <p>Depending on how severe the pain is and how long you’ve had symptoms, doctors may also do some scans (MRI or CT) on your spine to figure out what’s causing the sciatica and how many nerve roots are impacted.</p> <p>Scans can also confirm there isn’t something else mimicking the symptoms of sciatica. Muscle spasms, abscesses, hematomas (a collection of blood outside a blood vessel), tumours and Potts disease (spinal tuberculosis) can all cause similar symptoms.</p> <p><strong>Managing mild to moderate sciatica </strong></p> <p>Resting, avoiding anything that strains your back, icing the area that hurts, and taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and naproxen, are the first-line treatment options for sciatica, Dr Regan says. If you have a physically demanding job that requires you to lift heavy things, taking some time off, if at all possible, will help.</p> <p>While it’s important to avoid activities that might make things worse, you do want to keep moving, says Marko. “Research now advises against bed rest. You want to move without overdoing it.”</p> <p>A physical therapist can help you figure out what movements are safe and beneficial to do. For example, certain motions – squatting, performing a deadlift, or doing anything that involves bending forward at the waist – can be really aggravating. Light spine and hamstring stretching, low-impact activities like biking and swimming, and core work can help. “In general, we need the nerve to calm down a bit and to strengthen the muscles of your spine, pelvis and hips,” Marko says.</p> <p>“Within a week to 10 days, about 80 percent of patients with mild to moderate sciatica are going to be doing much better,” Dr Regan says. Within four to six weeks, you should be able to return to your regular activities – with the caveat that you’ll need to be careful about straining your back to avoid triggering sciatica again.</p> <p><strong>Treating severe sciatica</strong></p> <p>If you’re trying the treatment options for mild to moderate sciatica and your symptoms worsen or just don’t get better, you may need a higher level of treatment.</p> <p>If OTC pain relievers aren’t cutting it, your doctor may prescribe a muscle relaxant like cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril).</p> <p>An epidural steroid injection near the nerve root can reduce inflammation and provide a huge relief for some people with sciatica. The results are varied, and some people may need more than one injection to really feel relief.</p> <p>Surgery is usually a last resort, only considered once all of the conservative and minimally invasive options have been exhausted. Dr Regan notes that a small percentage of people with sciatica end up needing surgery – these are usually patients who have severe enough sciatica that their primary care doctors have referred them to spinal specialists. And only about a third of patients who see spinal specialists may end up having surgery, he says.</p> <p>Surgeries to relieve disc compression are typically quick and done on an outpatient basis, according to Dr Cole.</p> <p><strong>Preventing sciatica in the future</strong></p> <p>“Once you have a back issue, you have a higher chance of having a back issue in the future,” Dr Regan says. Which means that your first bout of sciatica isn’t likely to be your last. It’s important to adopt a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of sciatica striking again.</p> <p>Building core strength is key. “Think of your midsection as a box, and you need to target all sides,” Marko says. “By this, I mean abdominals, obliques, diaphragm, pelvic floor, glutes and lateral hip muscles.” These muscles all support the spine, so the stronger they are, the better the spine can handle whatever is thrown its way.</p> <p>If there’s an activity you enjoy that aggravates your back, ditch it for an alternative. For example, running can trigger back pain and sciatica in some people, Dr Regan says. If you’re prone to it, try a new form of cardio that’s gentler on your back, like swimming, biking, or using the elliptical. Even just logging fewer kilometres per week can help reduce your risk.</p> <p>Dr Regan also recommends making sure you learn how to weight train properly. Lifting with the best form possible, learning your limits, and reducing weight when you need to will help keep your back safe from disc injuries.</p> <p>Making small changes to your daily life and workouts can help keep your back healthy and minimise the time you have to waste dealing with sciatica in the future.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/backtips-advice/how-to-get-rid-of-sciatica-pain-solutions-from-back-experts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

Body

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The rental housing crisis is hurting our most vulnerable and demands a range of solutions (but capping rents isn’t one of them)

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-beer-111469">Andrew Beer</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emma-baker-172081">Emma Baker</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-adelaide-1119">University of Adelaide</a></em></p> <p>Roughly <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/housing/housing-occupancy-and-costs/2019-20">one in three Australians</a> rent their homes. It’s Australia’s fastest-growing tenure, but renting is increasingly unaffordable. From 2020 to 2022, our <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4253168">research</a> found a large increase in the proportion of renters who said their housing was unaffordable.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542737/original/file-20230815-25187-p7vxqo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542737/original/file-20230815-25187-p7vxqo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542737/original/file-20230815-25187-p7vxqo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=217&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542737/original/file-20230815-25187-p7vxqo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=217&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542737/original/file-20230815-25187-p7vxqo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=217&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542737/original/file-20230815-25187-p7vxqo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=273&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542737/original/file-20230815-25187-p7vxqo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=273&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542737/original/file-20230815-25187-p7vxqo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=273&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="horizontal bar chart showing changes in Australian renters' assessments of affordability form 2020 to 2022" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Change in Australian renters’ assessments of affordability from 2020 to 2022.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Baker, Daniel, Beer, et al, forthcoming, The Australian Housing Conditions Dataset, doi:10.26193/SLCU9J, ADA Dataverse</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p>Australians are concerned about the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jul/05/rents-rise-again-across-australia-with-sydney-seeing-fastest-rise-in-20-years">pace</a> of <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/how-much-has-rent-increased-around-australia/8ljlnf0zm">rent rises</a>. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/national-cabinet-meeting">says</a> increasing housing supply and affordability is the “key priority” for tomorrow’s national cabinet meeting.</p> <p>The crisis has impacts well beyond affordability. The rental sector is where the worst housing accommodates the poorest Australians with the worst health.</p> <h2>The unhealthy state of rental housing</h2> <p>Forthcoming data from the <a href="https://dataverse.ada.edu.au/dataverse/ahcdi">Australian Housing Conditions Dataset</a> highlight some of these parallel challenges:</p> <ul> <li> <p>it’s often insecure – the average lease is less than 12 months, and less than a third of formal rental agreements extend beyond 12 months</p> </li> <li> <p>rental housing quality is often very poor – 45% of renters rate the condition of their dwelling as “average, poor, or very poor”</p> </li> <li> <p>poor housing conditions put the health of renters at risk – 43% report problems with damp or mould, and 35% have difficulty keeping their homes warm in winter or cool in summer</p> </li> <li> <p>compounding these health risks, people with poorer health are over-represented in the rental sector. Renters are almost twice as likely as mortgage holders to have poorer general health.</p> </li> </ul> <p>Measures that potentially restrict the supply of lower-cost rental housing – such as rent caps – will <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4253168">worsen these impacts</a>. More households will be left searching in a shrinking pool of affordable housing.</p> <h2>It’s all about supply</h2> <p>Fixing the rental crisis needs more than a single focus on private rental housing. The movement between households over time between renting and buying homes means the best solutions are those that boost the supply of affordable housing generally. No one policy can provide all the answers.</p> <p>Governments should be looking at multiple actions, including:</p> <ul> <li> <p>requiring local councils to adopt affordable housing strategies as well as mandating <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/analysis/brief/understanding-inclusionary-zoning">inclusionary zoning</a>, which requires developments to include a proportion of affordable homes</p> </li> <li> <p>improving land supply through better forecasting at the national, state and local levels</p> </li> <li> <p>giving housing and planning ministers the power to deliver affordable housing targets by providing support for demonstration projects, subsidised land to social housing providers and access to surplus land</p> </li> <li> <p>boosting the recruitment and retention of skilled construction workers from both domestic and international sources.</p> </li> </ul> <h2>The biggest landlord subsidy isn’t helping</h2> <p>More than <a href="https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/taxation-statistics-2020-21/resource/ebbd32e3-4556-41e1-a8b9-33387457d518">1 million Australians</a> claim a net rent loss (negative gearing) each year. Even though negative gearing is focused on rental investment losses, it is not strictly a housing policy as it applies to many types of investment.</p> <p>The impact of negative gearing on the housing system is untargeted and largely uncontrolled. As a result, it’s driving outcomes that are sometimes at odds with the need to supply well-located affordable housing.</p> <p>The most impactful action the Australian government could take to deliver more affordable rental housing nationwide would involve refining negative-gearing arrangements to boost the supply of low-income rentals. These measures may involve</p> <ul> <li>limiting negative gearing to dwellings less than ten years old</li> <li>introducing a low-income tax credit scheme similar to the one in the United States.</li> </ul> <p>We can learn much from the US, where the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (<a href="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/lihtc.html">LIHTC</a>) scheme subsidises the acquisition, construction and renovation of affordable rental housing for tenants on low to moderate incomes. Since the mid-1990s, the program has supported the construction or renovation of about 110,000 affordable rental units each year. That adds up to over <a href="https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/what-low-income-housing-tax-credit-and-how-does-it-work">2 million units</a> at an estimated annual cost of US$9billion (A$13.8billion).</p> <p>This scheme is much less expensive per unit of affordable housing delivered than Australia’s system of negative gearing.</p> <p>Closer to home, the previous National Rental Affordability Scheme showed the value of targeted financial incentives in encouraging affordable housing. This scheme, available to private and disproved investors, generated positive outcomes for tenants. The benefits included better health for low-income tenants who were able to moved into quality new housing.</p> <p>A <a href="https://cityfutures.ada.unsw.edu.au/documents/81/Next_moves_report.pdf">raft</a> of <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/260431">evaluations</a> have <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/267">demonstrated</a> the achievements of this scheme.</p> <h2>Crisis calls for lasting solutions</h2> <p>Short-term measures such as rent caps or eviction bans will not provide a solution in the near future or even the medium or long term. Instead, these are likely to worsen both the housing costs and health of low-income tenants.</p> <p>Reform focused on ongoing needs is called for. Solutions that can be implemented quickly include the tighter targeting of negative gearing and the introduction of a low-income housing tax credit.</p> <p>Talking about change, as the national cabinet is doing, will begin that process of transformation, but it must be backed up by a range of measures to boost the supply of affordable housing. This, in turn, will improve the housing market overall as affordable options become more widely available.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211275/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-beer-111469">Andrew Beer</a>, Executive Dean, UniSA Business, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emma-baker-172081">Emma Baker</a>, Professor of Housing Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-adelaide-1119">University of Adelaide</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-rental-housing-crisis-is-hurting-our-most-vulnerable-and-demands-a-range-of-solutions-but-capping-rents-isnt-one-of-them-211275">original article</a>.</em></p>

Real Estate

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Solutions to common cruising problems

<p>Have you ever encountered any of these problems while you were out at sea? Here’s how to solve the most common problems encountered on a cruise.</p> <p><strong>1. You haven’t received your luggage</strong></p> <p>Most cruise lines ask passengers to be patient for the first few hours of the cruise after sailing. If you haven’t received your luggage after a few hours then you need to talk to someone at the purser’s desk. If your luggage was lost in transit then the cruise line will begin to trace their location and try to have them delivered to the ship at the next cruise port. If your luggage was loaded by a porter then it is possible that it is missing because there is a contraband item (like candles or alcohol) in your bag or it has been delivered to the wrong cabin.</p> <p>It’s helpful to carry on a bag with an outfit for your first day on the cruise along with toiletry essentials and medication.</p> <p><strong>2. Something in your cabin doesn’t work</strong></p> <p>The first step is to check with a cabin steward that there is a legitimate problem with the object and that it doesn’t just require a change of batteries. If the object still doesn’t work then call the front desk and notify them of the issue. If the problem can’t be fixed they may offer you a cabin upgrade or a gift like onboard credit. If they don’t offer you anything, be sure to ask!</p> <p><strong>3. You are unhappy with your dinner arrangements</strong></p> <p>If you are unhappy with your assigned dining time then you can request a switch in time slots or swap assigned dining for flexible dining. All dining requests cannot be accommodated, however, due to the high demand, but the staff will do their best to cater to your preferences.</p> <p>If you are not getting along with your tablemates then be upfront with the dinning staff when you request a new table. Often, the other party will also request for other arrangements.</p> <p><strong>4. Your ship had an itinerary change</strong></p> <p>All cruise contracts note that ports calls are not guaranteed and may be bypassed or changed. Usually, passengers will be refunded the port tax in the form of onboard credit, however, it is only a small amount of money. If you book excursions through the cruise line then you will be refunded your money but if you booked an excursion through a different company, you will need to contact them to find out about cancellation policies and refunds. It is always best to do your research in advance when booking a tour so if you do miss a port you won’t be short changed.</p> <p><strong>5. Your ship’s medical facility won’t accept your insurance</strong></p> <p>Cruise ships do not accept regular health insurance but keep your receipts as some insurance companies will reimburse you for medical expenses you incurred while travelling. A safe bet is purchasing a travel insurance policy that will cover any healthcare expenses.</p> <p><strong>6. Your onboard account is inaccurate</strong></p> <p>Incorrect account information can be fixed if you go to the purser’s office or call and explain the discrepancy. It’s best to keep an eye on your account throughout the cruise so you are not hit with any surprises at the end. It is helpful to save your receipts from onboard purchases if you need to contest anything.</p> <p><em>Images: Shutterstock</em></p>

Cruising

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Transgress to impress: why do people tag buildings – and are there any solutions?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/flavia-marcello-403040">Flavia Marcello</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em></p> <p>In 1985 photographer Rennie Ellis <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8707788">defined graffiti</a> as “the result of someone’s urge to say something – to comment, inform, entertain, persuade, offend or simply to confirm his or her own existence here on earth”. Since the mid-1980s, graffiti has crossed from vandalism to an accepted form of art practice through large murals or “pieces” and stencil art aimed at informing, entertaining and persuading us.</p> <p>But these are outnumbered by the tags you see everywhere. These stylised icon-type signatures define a hand style and confirm their author’s existence on Earth. These, for many of us, remain an eyesore. If you walk through an urban environment filled with tags, you may feel less safe. Heavily tagged areas can suggest the area is not cared for or surveilled.</p> <p>So why are Australian cities so full of tags? The problem is, the main solution proven to work is expensive. When tags go up, paint over them – and keep doing it. While anti-graffiti paint exists, it’s not widely used at present.</p> <h2>Why do people tag?</h2> <p>Graffiti in urban centres is often tied to the world-wide proliferation of hip-hop culture. Along with DJing, rapping and breakdancing, “Graf” or “writing” is considered one of its <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/hip-hop">four pillars</a>.</p> <p>Posturing (or showing off) is a big part of tagging. When you see a tag on a freeway overpass or seemingly inaccessible building parapet, it’s not only confirming the tagger’s existence, it’s bragging. See how high I climbed! See what crazy risks I took!</p> <p>As one tagger in Sydney’s outer south-western suburb of Campbelltown <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/vandalism-graffiti-state-rail-authority-nsw.pdf">told researchers</a> in the 1980s:</p> <blockquote> <p>If you get on a train and see your name and know you’ve been here before that’s real good. Like, I was here. Or you see your mate’s name and you can say, hey, I know him […] It’s really good if you can get your name up in a difficult place where nobody else has. Other kids look at that and think, great!</p> </blockquote> <p>So why do people tag?</p> <ul> <li> <p>it boosts self-esteem and a sense of belonging to a social network, particularly for teens experiencing alienation at school</p> </li> <li> <p>it demonstrates bravado. Risky places have the added advantages of being both highly visible and harder to remove</p> </li> <li> <p>it gives graf artists practice for bigger pieces. You have to work quickly and accurately, especially in precarious positions where you could get caught at any moment.</p> </li> </ul> <p>While cities like Melbourne <a href="https://www.timeout.com/melbourne/art/where-to-find-the-best-street-art-in-melbourne">have embraced</a> larger murals and pieces as street art – even making them a tourist attraction – tagging isn’t regarded the same way.</p> <p>So why do non-taggers hate it? On a broader level, tagging can signify a sense of social degradation which makes people feel less safe.</p> <p>There’s no clear link between <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/rip/rip6">more graffiti and more crime</a>. Even so, the public perception is that tagging is a sign warning of the presence of <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/vandalism-graffiti-state-rail-authority-nsw.pdf">disaffected and potentially violent</a> people in gangs.</p> <p>Asked to picture a tagger and you will most likely come up with a stock photo stereotype: a male teenager in a hoodie from a seedy area. But you would not be completely right. It is true just under half (46%) of graffiti damage and related offences are committed by 14 to 16 year old males, but the largest percentage of offenders actually come from <a href="https://www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au/Schools/Facts-for-Students/Who-are-the-most-likely-offenders-of-graffiti">middle- to high-income families</a>.</p> <p>So what tools do we have to manage it?</p> <h2>Punishment</h2> <p>It’s perfectly legal to commission a graf artist to paint a wall of a building you own. Many people do this to avoid a street-facing wall being tagged. For it to be illegal, tagging or graffiti has to be done without the owner’s permission.</p> <p>Since the majority of taggers are under 18, if they’re caught, punishment will usually include a caution, fines (presumably paid by bemused but cashed up parents) and cleaning off tags.</p> <p>But punitive measures only go so far because the appeal of graffiti is the transgression. Other measures include keeping spray paint locked away or not for sale to under 18s as well as zero-tolerance rapid removal. This can work for a while, but taggers know their tags are temporary. It’s a constant game of cat and mouse a committed tagger will eventually win.</p> <h2>Technical solutions</h2> <p>If you’ve walked past workers scrubbing or pressure washing tags off walls, you may have wondered why there are no coatings which don’t let paint stick.</p> <p>These actually <a href="https://www.ipcm.it/en/article/anti-graffiti-paints-what-are-they-and-how-they-work.aspx">do exist</a>, and can work well. When in place, you can remove graffiti with a solvent rather than having to repaint. But they’re not widely used.</p> <p>Unless paints such as <a href="https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/7-inventions-from-mexico-that-would-go-on-to-change-the-world">Deletum 3000</a> are used everywhere this approach is unlikely to be effective.</p> <h2>Prevention</h2> <p>The problem with punitive and technical measures is the limited reach. The vast majority of unwanted graffiti <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/rip/rip6">goes unreported</a>. That’s why prevention is becoming more popular.</p> <p>How do you prevent tagging? By making it easier to report. By setting aside areas for taggers and graf artists. By commissioning pieces to deter graffers from illegal modes. And by talking directly to taggers about strategies. But these behaviour change efforts take time.</p> <p>People who hate tagging often believe taggers are motivated by negative emotions such as <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/rip/rip6">boredom and rebelliousness</a>. For them it’s vandalism, a criminal act associated with gangs, petty crime, broken windows and a less attractive environment to live in.</p> <p>But the truth is, taggers are often motivated by positive emotions. Tagging, for them, brings pride, pleasure, enjoyment and community. That’s why behaviour change approaches can be hard.</p> <h2>So what’s the best way forward?</h2> <p>In the 1990s, many cities declared war on skateboarders, using punishment and installing metal stoppers on well-skated urban areas. But the real solution was simpler: create skate parks.</p> <p>For taggers, the answer may be similar. Give them spaces such as little-used alleyways to practise their art. And for the rest of us, the solution may be to look at tags with different eyes. Not as a sign of crime and the collapse of civilisation, but as a need for validation, for transgression, for community and all the other things you probably wanted when you were a teenager.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205492/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/flavia-marcello-403040">Flavia Marcello</a>, Professor of Design History, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/transgress-to-impress-why-do-people-tag-buildings-and-are-there-any-solutions-205492">original article</a>.</em></p>

Art

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Why quick health fixes are never the solution

<p>When it comes to diet and exercise, there are no shortcuts. Weight loss, muscle gain, addressing nutritional deficiencies, lowering of things like cholesterol... none of these things can be done quickly. All efforts must have a cumulative effect to work.</p> <p>We love a "quick fix" because we don't like hard work. When a study breaks the news that, for example, a glass of red wine a day is equivalent to going to the gym, people change their approach to their health without understanding what was actually a very flawed, limited study.</p> <p>But the messages from quick fixes are catchy. "I don't have to go to the gym!", "If I eat this, I'll lose weight in three weeks!", "I can get a six-pack without doing crunches!", and so the beliefs go.</p> <p>Knowledge, hard work and discipline is the only secret to achieving health goals. But that doesn't stop people trying to seek out an easier way.</p> <p>Quick fixes are appealing for many reasons. The world of health is complex and often unclear (and even contradictory). Quick fixes are clear cut. They give you explicit instructions that are easily followed, and they're usually one-dimensional, e.g. "don't eat anything except chicken and broccoli".</p> <p>They also often give you a hint of success early on, which gives you confidence. If you dramatically drop your regular diet for a juice cleanse that is only 25 per cent of your regular calorie intake, of course you're going to lose weight. Until you don't.</p> <p>The unsustainable – and usually unhealthy – nature of quick fixes is that they normally come with a yo-yo effect. You'll lose weight dramatically in the first few weeks but then you'll plateau, and then that weight will pile back on with a vengeance.</p> <p>The yo-yo effect is actually called "weight cycling", and is largely psychological. You embark on a reduced calorie diet and/or energy-intensive exercise regimen that is extreme from the outset, and initially you experience pride and elation over your efforts. The effects of fatigue soon set in and force you back to old ways (and often, backwards) in your health-related endeavours.</p> <p>Any kind of quick fix diet will also slow your metabolism down, because when you cut calories you're also cutting macronutrients. The result? Muscle loss instead of fat loss.</p> <p>This unhelpful quick fix mentality applies to "superfoods" and any kind of "ground-breaking" ingredients (think chia seeds, kale, blackcurrants, nut oils and the like) too. No single food can speed up your progress when it comes to your health goals.</p> <p>We're obsessed with quick fixes because they have a cult value to them. They're based around creating a fear of something – whether it's going to the gym or sugary foods – and telling you that if you follow a certain, easily-prescribed doctrine, you can be free of that fear.</p> <p>As a consumer, scepticism is your greatest tool when thinking about supposedly revolutionary health studies and claims made by so-called experts. When reading about a scientific study that claims a quick fix concerning the miraculous benefits of one type of food, specific exercise activity, or diet, there are a few important things to know.</p> <p>Firstly, that study might be taken from a minute group of subjects (e.g. only 10 people), which doesn't provide reliable evidence. Studies also can use unnaturally high concentrations of a "miracle" ingredient, enabling researchers to produce a desirable result that will get published in journals and mainstream media. A great example in recent times of this has been goji berries, and their purported effect on heart disease prevention.</p> <p>It's also vital to know what many studies are funded by corporations that stand to benefit from those desirable results. You, as a consumer, should be wary of any quick fix backed up by a single scientific source, because that research might have solely been conducted with a view to use it to sell a product.</p> <p>When it comes to health fixes, if it's easy and revolutionary, it's too good to be true. Take to Google with a sceptical eye, and you'll find it's easy to discover how misleading any quick fix can be.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>Written by Lee Suckling. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz.</span></strong></a></em></p>

Body

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21 more organising tips you'll wish you knew all along

<p><strong>Give in to the piles</strong></p> <p>“For people who chronically pile papers instead of filing them, ditch your filing cabinet. Instead, keep your piles but make them a little more structured by putting them into clear bins and then labelling them by category. It’s best if bins are transparent—either wire or acrylic—because if you’re a piler then you also probably have a visual memory. Labelling helps other people interact with your piling system.” —Kelly McMenamin and Katie McMenamin, co-authors of Organise Your Way: Simple Strategies for Every Personality</p> <p><strong>Hang everything</strong></p> <p>“Consider hanging almost all of your clothes. (You can use a double hanger to increase hanging space.) This helps you see everything you have so you know exactly what’s there and what you need. Drawers should be reserved for socks and underwear only.” —Kelly McMenamin and Katie McMenamin</p> <p><strong>Don’t underestimate how draining clutter can be</strong></p> <p>“Being surrounded by a lot of stuff can wear you down, physically and emotionally. Your home should be a reflection of items that truly hold meaning for you – either because you really like them or because there’s a special memory attached to them. Don’t hang onto unused picture frames, knick-knacks, plates, bowls, vases and other items you don’t have out on display or use. And remember, just because it’s hidden in a closet doesn’t mean it won’t add to that overwhelmed feeling you have as you still have to take care of it.” —Jeffrey Welder</p> <p><strong>Note how your taste changes</strong></p> <p>“Just because you loved something once doesn’t mean you still have to love it ten years later. Times change, people change, and trends change, and there’s nothing wrong with letting things go that no longer make you happy.” —Jeffrey Welder</p> <p><strong>Over-the-door shoe organisers aren’t just for shoes</strong></p> <p>“Hanging shoe organisers are a handy tool to keep clutter off floors and shelves, with uses for every room of your house. Try hanging one in your laundry room to organise all of your cleaning supplies. Or put one on your pantry door as the pouches are the perfect size to organise small boxes and gravy packets. Hang one in your bathroom to organise makeup and other toiletries. Use one in the playroom to keep Legos, matchbox cars, stuffed animals, and other small toys off the floor and in plain sight. Or try one in your workroom to keep all of your craft and wrapping supplies together.” —Jeffrey Welder</p> <p><strong>Use the empty spaces above too</strong></p> <p>“Under cabinets often end up packed to the gills (and hard to use) or half full of dead space. A simple solution is to use half shelves or stackable containers to use as much of the vertical area as you can.” —Schae Lewis and Bahar Partow</p> <p><strong>Make it a game</strong></p> <p>“Our clients love the ‘12-12-12 challenge.’ Each week, set a time to find 12 items to throw away, 12 items to donate, and 12 items to be returned to their proper home. It takes just a few minutes and is a fun, easy way to quickly organise 36 things in your house.” —Alison Bradley of the London Cleaning Team</p> <p><strong>Throw a swap party</strong></p> <p>“If you want to declutter without being wasteful, throw a party and invite friends to bring unused or unwanted items to swap. Everyone gets to go home with something new, and if you end up with leftovers, donate them to a local charity.” —Alison Bradley</p> <p><strong>Shop your wardrobe</strong></p> <p>“An easy way to declutter your wardrobe is to hold up each item and ask yourself, ‘Would I buy this again right now?’ If the answer is no, no matter what the reason is, out it goes.” —Hazel Thornton, professional organiser and author of Go with the Flow! The Clutter-Clearing Tool Kit for an Organised Life</p> <p><strong>Question your stuff</strong></p> <p>“For each item you consider bringing into the house, ask yourself three questions: Where is this going to live? Who will take care of it? Can I afford the money, time and energy it will require? If you don’t have a ready answer for any of these, then put it back.” —Hazel Thornton</p> <p><strong>Start at the bottom of the pile and work up</strong></p> <p>“For overwhelming paper piles, take a sheet from the bottom of the pile. The paper at the bottom is likely to be outdated, unneeded, even forgotten about, and no longer useful. That makes it easy to get rid of.” —Claire Tompkins, clutter coach and author of Five Minutes to a Relaxing Bedroom</p> <p><strong>Can you handle the truth?</strong></p> <p>"It’s hard to figure out what’s clutter in your own space because you’re so used to it. You take it for granted. Sometimes you can’t even see it. So pretend you’re showing a nosy visitor around. When she picks up that decorative box and asks you why you have it and if you like it, you may find yourself answering that it was left over from a white elephant sale and actually, no, you don’t even want it. The results can be surprising and liberating.” —Claire Tompkins</p> <p><strong>Keep things where you actually need them</strong></p> <p>“Put garbage or recycling bins where they’ll be used. If rubbish or recycling collect in the bedroom or living room, save yourself a trip and put the bins there, so you don’t have to go searching for them when you need them. Keep your shredder and recycling bin near where you process incoming mail. This allows you to take care of the paper right away rather than letting it pile up.” —Sarah Krivel, owner of Simpler Surroundings, a professional organising and productivity consulting company</p> <p><strong>Cherish the memory with a photo</strong></p> <p>“If you’re keeping something purely for sentimental reasons, take a picture and then give the item away. Recognise it’s the memory you cherish, not the actual item.” —Sarah Krivel</p> <p><strong>Set a limit for decluttering</strong></p> <p>“To avoid getting overwhelmed, I suggest to my clients to set the timer on their phones for a half hour. When the buzzer goes off they can stop! This can also be done by saying you’ll fill one bag to give away and then take a break. Often, just seeing their progress is motivation enough to keep going.” —Felice Cohen, professional organiser</p> <p><strong>Get creative with repurposing old items</strong></p> <p>“Sometimes something doesn’t need to be thrown out; sometimes it just needs to be used in a different way. For instance, use an empty tissue box to hold extra plastic grocery bags inside a kitchen pantry, cabinet, or closet. Or repurpose a bathroom towel rod by placing it on a garage wall to hold skateboards or longboards.” —Nancy Haworth, professional organiser, On Task Organising</p> <p><strong>If you don’t love it or use it, lose it</strong></p> <p>“This seems like a no-brainer, but it’s amazing what we can talk ourselves into keeping. For instance, gifts that we received and now feel obligated to keep forever, clothing that collects dust in our wardrobe but was too expensive to just get rid of, or childhood mementos that are taking over your storage space even though you’ve never taken the time to actually look back on them. If there is something that you are holding on to, be honest with yourself. Do you love it? Do you use it? Your home is a representation of yourself, and it should only be filled with items that you enjoy and use.” —Rachel Rosenthal, professional organiser and owner of Rachel and Company</p> <p><strong>Don’t forget why libraries exist</strong></p> <p>“If you have a large book collection, gather all your books from around the house so you can sort through them all together. Keep the ones you will still read, still reference, or have a particular love of. The rest can be donated. Remember, you can download many books now, and libraries still exist. Once you’ve whittled down your collection, decide how you would like to display your books: by topic, by author, by size, or by colour. Shelve the keepers accordingly. Create sections like a library or bookstore would have (thriller, reference, biography, comedy) or alphabetical by author.” —Amy Trager, certified professional organiser.</p> <p><strong>Organise spices alphabetically</strong></p> <p>“This allows you to quickly find what your recipe calls for, as well as figure out which spices your cabinet is missing. Whether in a drawer, laying flat, or in a cabinet on tiered shelves, alphabetizing will make grabbing spices quick and putting them away just as fast. If you enjoy cooking a lot and a variety of cuisines, you can also organise spices by cuisine type: Indian, Asian, Mediterranean, baking, etc.” —Amy Trager</p> <p><strong>The bye-bye box</strong></p> <p>“Take all supplies off of the top of your desk – pens, sticky notes, paper clips, etc – and put them in a box to the side. As you work, take out only the things you need to use. After two weeks, you’ll know what you actually use, and whatever hasn’t been taken out of the box can be discarded or donated.” —Sara Skillen</p> <p><strong>Save the instructions</strong></p> <p>“It makes sense that the manual for something like a printer, television, or computer should be kept next to or under the item it goes with. Sure, you could file them away, but chances are when you need the manual you will be standing next to the malfunctioning item. So simply slip the instructions underneath, taped to the back, or next to the equipment.” —Lee Silber, author of Organising from the Right Side of the Brain</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/food-home-garden/home-tips/42-organising-tips-youll-wish-you-knew-all-along" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

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“100 is just a number”: Centenarian’s sweet solution for a long and happy life

<p>When Shirley Goodman reached the milestone age of 100 years old, the last thing on her mind was slowing down. </p> <p>And the centenarian, who lives in Florida, has shared her advice for living a long and happy life - though what she had to say has taken many by surprise.</p> <p>Rather than stressing the importance of getting enough rest and following a strict diet, as we so often hear, Shirley believes her passion for having fun, doing what she enjoys, and eating her share of well-deserved treats to be the secret of her success. </p> <p>As Shirley told <em>Today</em>, “I feel great. 100 is just a number to me.”</p> <p>This is despite the two open-heart surgeries she has undergone - including a bypass, and the installation of a pacemaker and a stent. Shirley also experiences difficulties with her vision and her hearing, but nothing will keep her from embracing life and doing what she loves: dancing.</p> <p>“My legs are still working,” she said. “I’m an optimist. I try to do positive thinking all the time. That’s very important. I have a bracelet that says ‘Positivity’ on it. </p> <p>“I wear it every day and I try to stay positive.”</p> <p>She started dancing when she was just eight years old, even opening up her own dance school at 17. And while she did close down her business after marrying, she never gave it up, following her heart - and her dancing feet - in her free time instead. </p> <p>And in recent years, Shirley has taken that same passion to a whole new realm, establishing herself on the internet as ‘The Dancing Nana’. On Instagram, her family regularly share clips of Shirley dancing, and even participating in some viral internet trends, from doing ‘the floss dance’ to ‘the Tush Push’. </p> <p>It was the latter that propelled her to viral heights in 2019, when a clip surfaced of a then-96-year-old Shirley enjoying herself at her nephew’s wedding reception, outshining the younger guests on the dance floor with her spectacular footwork and twirls. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BwLLINgB2uX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BwLLINgB2uX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Dancing Nana (@the.dancing.nana)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“I would advise people,” she told <em>Today</em>, “if they like music at all, to keep it in their lives and don’t just sit home in a rocking chair.”</p> <p>“I attribute [my long life] mostly to two things. One is my family,” she later added, “I have a wonderful, devoted family. </p> <p>“And the jazz, the music down here in Sarasota, and my tap dancing. That’s what keeps me going.”</p> <p>And while Shirley has dabbled in other pursuits, dancing still holds the key to her heart, as nothing else quite took with her, with the 100-year-old confessing that she “wasn’t crazy” about golf, and played tennis until she was 90. </p> <p>“I only walk as far as my mailbox,” she added, “which is about five minutes.” </p> <p>She does, however, enjoy her share of yoga. Every morning, she FaceTimes her daughter for a session, and the two spend some mindful time together from their respective homes in Florida and New York.</p> <p>Another thing Shirley very much enjoys is a sweet treat. And as some longevity experts admitted to <em>Today</em>, many who reach impressive ages like Shirley don’t often focus on their recommended share of vitamins and other ‘healthy’ snacks.</p> <p>“I don’t eat healthy food,” Shirley admitted. “My kids would holler at me … but when I hit 90, they stopped bothering me.”</p> <p>As Shirley’s 71-year-old daughter Joan added, they all just assumed Shirley was going to outlive them, but that “you would not want to write a cookbook based on her nutritional recommendations. I think the secret is to enjoy what you’re eating.”</p> <p>Top of Shirley’s most loved menu is “anything that’s cooked in batter”, or some chocolate and other sweets of the like. She enjoys a piece of chocolate after each of her meals, and views breakfast as the perfect opportunity for a chocolate chip cookie - however, you won’t catch her nibbling on any dark varieties, as milk chocolate with some nuts is what she prefers to reach for. </p> <p>And when it comes to home cooked meals with some vegetables, Shirley isn’t a fan. </p> <p>“I say ‘cook’ is a four letter word, so I don’t cook very much,” said. “I eat very small portions, but I eat everything and anything I like.”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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Creative ways to store more in your tiny bathroom

<p dir="ltr">Having a small bathroom doesn’t necessarily have to mean you don’t have enough space, you just have to think outside the box! Getting creative with storage can make the smallest of bathrooms look stylish. </p> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>1. Towel racks</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Using vertical space will help to clear out storage spaces built into your bathroom. Invest in a wall-mounted rack for towels, using bright-coloured towels can add a pop of colour to the room as well. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>2. Basket Shelves</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Mount a set of baskets on your bathroom wall, you can keep cosmetics here or some candles and an indoor plant for decoration.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>3. Adhesive hooks</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Make use of the space behind your bathroom door. Attach adhesive hooks to the inside of the door to store hair dryers, brushes and accessories.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>4. Roll-away cart</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">If you’ve got a really cluttered bathroom, use a wheeled cart to store your soaps, lotions, shampoo and conditioner. It saves a cluttered sink and you can roll it in and out for convenience.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>5. Dual purpose mirror</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">A two-in-one mirror can be a lifesaver for small spaces. Store your cosmetics, health care products and toothbrushes behind a stylish mirror. </p> <p dir="ltr">Don't think you can't have it all in a tiny space! With a creative mindset, you can fit all of your goodies into your bathroom. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

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7 deadly sins that lead to hoarding

<p>If you’ve watched <em>Enough Already!</em> on <em>Oprah</em> with equal parts sympathy and fear, thinking to yourself “That better not be me one day”, then you’ll want to read on. Non-hoarders tend to picture hoarders as people who have rooms brimming with old newspapers piled to the roof and hallway cupboards that they can not open for fear of the contents swallowing them up. The word hoarder just sounds dirty. While researchers are still trying to understand the disorder, here are some clues that could signal you need to enlist some help. </p> <p><strong>Every room has a “storage area”</strong> – If your dedicated storage area is so full that you need to keep the extra microwave in the living room, you may have a problem. When your storage overflows into the rest of the home and continues to grow – check yourself.
</p> <p><strong>Keeping old magazines and newspapers</strong> – Do you hold on magazines and newspapers thinking, “I might like to reread that one day…” Stop it! Just get rid of them. Apart from coffee table-worthy magazines, everything should be thrown out. Besides a lot of stuff is now online.
</p> <p><strong>Storing clothes you don’t wear</strong> – While it’s ok to hold onto your favourite band T-shirt from your younger years, holding onto old clothes – especially those that don’t fit or have holes in them – it just plain silly. Donate all items that fall into this category to charity immediately!</p> <p><strong>Stowing away broken electronics and appliances</strong> – Don’t kid yourself, you’re never go to get around to fixing that printer or TV! Recycle or donate used electronic items that you no longer use.</p> <p><strong>Storing free loot (aka junk)</strong> – Yes, yes we’ve all fallen victim to being giddy with excitement over a free key ring or pen we pocketed at a show or the RTA. But just because you got a free mug doesn’t mean it should be stashed in your drawer or kitchen never to see the light of day again. Chuck it!</p> <p><strong>Your car becomes “extra” storage</strong> – If you keep more than just spare tire and pair of shoes in your car boot, then you are hoarder territory. If you need to keep DVDs and camping gear in the car because they wont fit in the house, it’s time for drop-off to the Salvos. </p> <p><strong>Daily life becomes musical chairs</strong> – If there is no where to sit and eat dinner because every chair is piled high with papers and you can’t sleep comfortably because the bed is covered in clothes, seek help immediately!</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

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Plant enthusiast’s simple solution to get rid of pests

<p dir="ltr">A plant enthusiast has come up with an easy way of getting rid of gnats and fruit flies around houseplants for good.</p> <p dir="ltr">Graphic designer Brad Canning created his own bug “trap” using three products, dishwashing liquid, apple cider vinegar and honey.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 29-year-old man, who owns more than 60 indoor plants, mixed the three ingredients in a small bowl and placed it near his houseplants. </p> <p dir="ltr">The method works because fungus gnats and fruit flies are attracted to the sweet smell and taste of apple cider vinegar and honey, once they try to drink it, the sticky dish soap would trap them. </p> <p dir="ltr">“How annoying are these tiny little bugs? They’re flying around because you’ve got a couple of houseplants. Lets get rid of them. It’s pretty straight forward,” Brad said in his <a href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/%20bradcanning">TikTok video</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">He made his DIY solution by combining a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a dollop of honey and a splash of dishwashing liquid. Braid said white vinegar will work in lieu of apple cider vinegar. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Give it a little bit of mix," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The gnats will be completely attracted to it. They’ll fly in there and will die,” Brad said, adding: “So this will only help to get rid of adult gnats.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The video went viral with many saying they can’t wait to give the method a go at home while those who tried it said it did in fact work. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I did this and it 100 per cent worked for gnats - took a day or two so be patient,” one said. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: TikTok</em></p>

Home & Garden

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5 foods you shouldn’t store in the fridge

<p>There are some foods that simply cannot stand the cold and if stored in the fridge will lose their flavour, texture and freshness. These five items are best stored in your pantry rather than the refrigerator.</p> <p><strong>1. Cucumbers</strong></p> <p>They’re often stored in the fridge but according to researchers at the University of California, storing the vegetable under 10°C actually causes “chilling injuries” to the cucumber. At low temperatures, the skin shrivels and pits, and the pulp turns mushy.</p> <p>If you like your cucumbers chilled, pop them in the fridge an hour before you want to eat so the cold won’t do damage.</p> <p><strong>2. Garlic</strong></p> <p>Garlic bulbs are prone to developing shoots if stored in the fridge as the cold environment is similar to their growing conditions. It’s best to store garlic in place where it’s cool and with low humidity, like an airy pantry.</p> <p><strong>3. Chocolate</strong></p> <p>The fridge may seem like the obvious place to put a melting bar of chocolate, but unfortunately it’s not. Chocolate is sensitive to sudden temperature changes and can develop a white “bloom” that spoils the smooth texture of chocolate if stored in the fridge. Store well-wrapped chocolate at room-temperature, away from strong-smelling foods. </p> <p><strong>4. Basil</strong></p> <p>Do you store the herb in the fridge to extend in shelf life? As delicate Mediterranean herbs such as basil come from warm, sunny climates, the chilled fridge temperature speeds up oxidisation, turning the leaves black and ruining the herb's scent and flavour. Store fresh basil at room temperature in a jar with water. This will lengthen its shelf life and prevent premature discolouration.</p> <p><strong>5. Bread</strong></p> <p>This may come as a shock to many but refrigerating bread doesn’t actually prolong its shelf life. While it may stop bread going mouldy, the cool, drying environment dehydrates the bread and speeds up the process of staling. Instead, store your bread in the freezer, which does extend the life of bread. </p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/05/how-to-stop-crying-when-chopping-onions/"><em>How to stop crying when chopping onions</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/05/kitchen-tricks-foodies-will-love/"><em>16 kitchen tricks foodies will love</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/06/5-foods-you-should-never-reheat/"><em>5 foods you should never reheat</em></a></strong></span></p>

Home & Garden

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5 ways to save space at home

<p>Although many of us enjoy a good de-cluttering, a more pressing problem can be finding somewhere to put the items that you decide to keep.</p> <p>Many homes lack the space for things that use to come standard such as linen cupboards and storage cupboards. In a lot of homes, built in wardrobes are seen as an optional extra rather than a must-have. Which means a lot of your treasure doesn’t have a permanent place to reside.</p> <p>Try some of our space saving ideas today, which can help you tidy away the bits and pieces that need a home.</p> <p><strong>Utilise space under the bed</strong></p> <p>Instead of letting dust set up house under there, invest in some plastic tubs that fit under your bed. Fill them with anything from sheets and blankets to shoes and hats.</p> <p><strong>Install a low bookshelf underneath windows</strong></p> <p>The area under a window is often wasted space. A small bookshelf there can hold books, games, photo albums, or even a stereo. Visit a home hardware store and look for DIY shelves.</p> <p><strong>Make your bathroom mirror into a cupboard</strong></p> <p>If you just have a standard mirror fitted, you could be missing out on a great spot to store your toiletries. A bathroom cabinet is not too expensive and means your basin is free of clutter.</p> <p><strong>Use space saver bags to store off-season clothes</strong></p> <p>These nifty little bags shrink clothes right down simply by using a vacuum cleaner to remove the air that takes up valuable space. Available from most discount stores, you can also use them for things like doonas and blankets that can take up lots of room in your linen cupboard.</p> <p><strong>Add a shelf above doorways</strong></p> <p>Another underutilised spot, the area above doors (especially hallways) is perfect for storing things like books or CDs. Check first that the wall is able to support a shelf before you start drilling.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

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11 things you shouldn’t store in your bathroom

<p><strong>Medicine</strong></p> <p>Don’t keep your medicine in your medicine cabinet. We’re not just saying that to be ironic. Medicines and vitamins should be stored at a room temperature, below 25°C. </p> <p>Keeping them in a moisture-filled room, like your bathroom, can make them less potent or cause them to go bad before their expiration date.</p> <p><strong>Towels</strong></p> <p>Bathrooms are the perfect breeding ground for mould and mildew, and your towels are easily susceptible to these gross fungi. </p> <p>It’s fine to keep one towel hung up in the bathroom, as long as you swap it out once a week. Turning on an exhaust fan can help dry out the room and your damp towel faster.</p> <p><strong>Bathrobe</strong></p> <p>Another bit of ironic advice: keep bathrobes out of the bathroom. Just like towels, damp robes could harbour bacteria, and humidity can give them a musty odour. </p> <p>Let them dry in your wardrobe instead of on a hook in your bathroom.</p> <p><strong>Books</strong></p> <p>We get it – it can be nice to have some reading material available while you’re doing your business. </p> <p>But the books and magazines that are kept in the bathroom will absorb moisture, leaving you with wrinkled pages and deteriorating binding.</p> <p><strong>Jewellery</strong></p> <p>Jewellery boxes are generally kept on dressers and vanities for good reason. The humidity from your bathroom can make jewellery tarnish more quickly than normal, especially when it comes to sterling silver. </p> <p>Store your jewellery in a cool, dry place. Keeping it in an airtight bag is another effective method.</p> <p><strong>Toothbrush</strong></p> <p>Yes, all the rumours you’ve heard are true. A 2012 study from Manchester University in England found that your toothbrush may house more than 10 million bacteria, and a portion of that comes from faecal matter that’s sprayed around the room every time you flush the toilet. </p> <p>To keep your brush as germ-free as possible, rinse and air-dry it after each use, and, if you still choose to store it in the bathroom, close the toilet lid before you flush – and definitely, don’t store in next to the toilet.</p> <p><strong>Makeup</strong></p> <p>Leaving your prized makeup products in the bathroom exposes them to a lot of unwanted heat and moisture, which allows mould and other bacteria to spread and make your makeup go bad faster. </p> <p>And like toothbrushes, makeup brushes are also bound to get contaminated with faecal matter from sprayed toilet water. That’s something you definitely don’t want touching your face.</p> <p><strong>Perfume</strong></p> <p>Heat and perfume just don’t mix. The experts at perfume.org say that fluctuations in temperature (the kind that can occur when you take steamy showers) can destroy the molecular integrity of your fragrance and cause it to sour.</p> <p><strong>Nail polish</strong></p> <p>Most nail polishes will last about two years, but leaving those bottles in the bathroom can make them go bad – toss nail polish that doesn’t blend, is too thick, or looks crumbly – much faster. </p> <p>Again, heat and humidity are the culprits.</p> <p><strong>Razor blades</strong></p> <p>It’s fine to keep your current razor in the shower, but extra razor blades should be left outside of the bathroom. </p> <p>Otherwise, the humidity may rust or dull them before you even start to use them, <em>Good Housekeeping</em> reports. Drying razors after each shave can help keep them more effective longer.</p> <p><strong>Non-waterproof electronics</strong></p> <p>We love to sing in the shower as much as anyone, but humidity can do serious damage to your phone. </p> <p>If you need your tunes or morning news while you shower, invest in a shower radio (yes, they still exist) or a waterproof speaker.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/food-home-garden/11-things-you-shouldnt-store-in-your-bathroom?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

Home & Garden

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Some of the worst things that can happen while travelling

<p dir="ltr">You’re all packed, at the terminal, checked in and ready to board the plane… life doesn’t get any better than this. </p> <p dir="ltr">But life has something else in store for you. </p> <p dir="ltr">If your luck is anything like ours, every worst possible thing you can imagine happening while on holiday WILL happen to you.</p> <p dir="ltr">Below are the top five awful scenarios that could occur when all you want is to get away. </p> <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Getting sick</strong></p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">No matter who you are, no one wants to waste their holiday sick but it’s not exactly something you can control.</p> <p dir="ltr">Stock up on Vitamin C and make sure your travel insurance covers you if you go to the doctor and require medication. </p> <ol start="2"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Being scammed</strong></p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">You’ve finally arrived at your destination and all you need is to get to the hotel or holiday home but you’re shocked to find that the places doesn’t exist or a family actually lives there. </p> <p dir="ltr">To avoid being scammed, research in advance and read your guidebook for tips on common tourist scams for the country you’re traveling to.  </p> <ol start="3"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Bad weather</strong></p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">Yeah look, this one is out of everyone’s hands. </p> <ol start="4"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong> Losing your luggage</strong></p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">Look, these things happen but doesn’t this mean you can go shop for something exciting and new?</p> <p dir="ltr">If you’re not looking to waste your time shopping, contact your airline and organise a way for them to get in contact when/if your luggage is found.</p> <ol start="5"> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>Trouble with the law</strong></p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">Remember, what’s okay in Australia may not be acceptable elsewhere. </p> <p dir="ltr">If you're arrested or jailed overseas, you have the right to contact the Australian Government for help. </p> <p dir="ltr">They however, can’t get you out of trouble or out of jail, but will do what they can to assist. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

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Technology has made buildings less climate-friendly: but we can look back in time for solutions

<p>It’s been <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/10/04/new-technology-answer-climate-change-not-targets/">claimed</a> that technology is the answer to the climate crisis. By eventually separating economic growth from its effects on the environment through improving energy efficiency, the argument runs, better technology promises to prevent <a href="https://theconversation.com/theres-no-end-to-the-damage-humans-can-wreak-on-the-climate-this-is-how-bad-its-likely-to-get-166031">catastrophic</a> global warming.</p> <p>But among the many things that this argument fails to consider is the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13563467.2019.1598964">reality</a> that new technology has often encouraged extravagant forms of consumption: from private cars and planes to kitchens full of appliances and air conditioning in countries with mild climates.</p> <p>Technology has also caused what’s called the “<a href="https://esrc.ukri.org/about-us/50-years-of-esrc/50-achievements/the-rebound-effect/">rebound effect</a>”: where improving energy efficiency leads to cheaper energy and therefore higher rates of energy consumption. For example, buying a more fuel-efficient car will reduce your average fuel cost per trip and thus is likely to lead to more trips, taking away at least some of your anticipated energy savings.</p> <p>A similar trend appears in architecture, where advances in artificial cooling, heating and computer-aided design have – rather than creating more efficient designs – actually introduced <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/667480/from-waste-to-resource-productivity-evidence-case-studies.pdf">wasteful</a> building styles.</p> <p>In <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2093761X.2016.1237397">my work</a>, I call this phenomenon the “architectural rebound effect”. This effect becomes especially clear when we look at how <a href="https://www.dezeen.com/tag/facades/">building façades</a> (the “skin” that covers buildings) have evolved over the past 100 years.</p> <h2>Façade failures</h2> <p>The <a href="https://cris.brighton.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/379433/CdR+Final+Diaz+%26+Southall+Published+Version.pdf">Cité de Refuge</a> residential building in Paris, designed by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier in 1933, boasts one of the earliest examples of a façade made entirely out of glass. But with no windows or air conditioning, its summer indoor temperatures reached up to <a href="https://lmdvlugtdml.wordpress.com/home/lmd-words/miscellaneous-writings-and-publications/le-corbusiers-cite-de-refuge-historical-technological-performance-of-the-air-exacte/">33°C</a> – making it a “<a href="https://cris.brighton.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/379433/CdR+Final+Diaz+%26+Southall+Published+Version.pdf">notable failure</a>” in architecture.</p> <p>To fix this, the façade was fitted with external shading devices and about a third of its glass was made opaque. This strategy was mostly effective: computer simulations have shown that the upgraded design reduced indoor summer temperatures to <a href="https://cris.brighton.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/379433/CdR+Final+Diaz+%26+Southall+Published+Version.pdf">below 25°C</a>.</p> <p>From the 1950s, fully glazed façades without shading devices began to dominate city skylines thanks to increasingly efficient and cheap <a href="https://archive.curbed.com/2017/5/9/15583550/air-conditioning-architecture-skyscraper-wright-lever-house">air-conditioning systems</a> that allowed temperatures inside these buildings to be regulated.</p> <p>But these new glass boxes came with their own set of environmental problems. For instance, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13602360903119405">research</a> has shown that office buildings built in the Manhattan borough of New York between 1965 and 1969 consumed twice as much energy per unit floor area than buildings erected between 1950 and 1954.</p> <p>One reason for this is probably the difference in the window-to-wall ratio between these groups of buildings. While the later buildings had a ratio between 53% and 72%, the earlier buildings’ ratio sat between 23% to 32%. This means that more heat was allowed into and out of the former group of buildings during summer and winter, increasing their need for artificial cooling and heating.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437794/original/file-20211215-21-f60i8n.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="An apartment building with red, yellow and blue external features" /> <span class="caption">The Cité de Refuge after its refurbishment, with external shades and opaque glass.</span> <span class="attribution"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cit%C3%A9_de_Refuge.jpg" class="source">IanTomFerry/Wikimedia</a></span></p> <p>Another problem with fully glazed façades is the excessive glare they cause inside buildings, which means that indoor blinds must be pulled down most of the time. This blocks occupants’ views to the outside and increases reliance on artificial lighting, increasing energy consumption even further.</p> <p>These problems with fully glazed façades still plague buildings today. Now, parametrically designed shading devices are often used as a solution. Unfortunately, these tend to block outdoor views for those working inside, while keeping the need for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0038092X12002046">artificial light</a>.</p> <h2>Limiting freedoms</h2> <p>Should we prevent architects from exercising their aesthetic freedom in designing these extravagant buildings that harm our planet? One solution could be to set a maximum limit on the amount of energy a building is allowed to consume. This would require architects to use <a href="https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/sustainable-architecture/a3992-what-are-passive-design-strategies/">passive design strategies</a> – techniques that enable humans to live in challenging climates without expending unnecessary energy.</p> <p>For example, by the year 400 BC, Persians had devised an ingenious way to <a href="http://jfa.arch.metu.edu.tr/archive/0258-5316/2012/cilt29/sayi_2/223-234.pdf">store ice</a> during hot summer months using ice pits called “yakhchals”. These were vaulted reservoirs with a height of up to 15 metres and a depth of approximately six metres.</p> <p>By allowing hot air to exit through an opening at the top of the reservoir and burying ice deep in the earth, the base of the yakhchal – and the ice inside – would <a href="https://www.maxfordham.com/research-innovation/the-physics-of-freezing-at-the-iranian-yakhchal/">remain cold</a> throughout the summer.</p> <p>An example from the modern era is the <a href="http://thegreentreefoundation.org/energy_concious_building/case_studies.pdf">Inspector General of Police Complex</a> building in Gulbarga, India, which uses a wind tower fitted with water sprays to create a comfortable environment in a hot and humid climate. Droplets from the sprays absorb heat from incoming air, reducing the air’s temperature by up to 13°C before it enters the building.</p> <p>It’s vital to first decide how best to measure buildings’ maximum energy limit. In current building energy rating schemes, “<a href="https://aiacalifornia.org/energy-use-intensity-eui/">energy use intensity</a>” is often used, which refers to the amount of energy consumed per unit of floor area.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437800/original/file-20211215-25-1v88ihf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="A brick building in the desert" /> <span class="caption">This yakhchal in Iran was used to keep ice cool.</span> <span class="attribution"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iran_desert,_yakh-chal_(%D9%89%D8%AE_%DA%86%D8%A7%D9%84_en_persan)_,_goat_herd_-_glaci%C3%A8re,_troupeau_de_ch%C3%A8vres_(9261276542).jpg" class="source">Jeanne Menj/Wikimedia</a></span></p> <p>But a flaw of this metric is that it allows overly large, grandiose buildings to be certified as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUuVoMCVwQo&amp;ab_channel=InternationalPassiveHouseAssociation">low energy</a>. A more appropriate metric could focus on energy consumed in relation to the number of people using a building – in other words, a building’s energy use per person.</p> <h2>Making masterpieces</h2> <p>A possible objection is that this could result in “boring” buildings with no aesthetic appeal. In this case, we could encourage architects to express their creativity through building structures not designed to house people and therefore require little to no operational energy to run.</p> <p>This would considerably reduce the environmental impact of such architectural masterpieces. On average, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378778810001696">80% to 90%</a> of a building’s carbon emissions arise from operating it, not building it.</p> <p>What’s more, many iconic buildings have failed to function as they were designed to. Mies von der Rohe’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/aug/30/curse-mies-van-der-rohe-puddle-strewn-gallery-david-chipperfield-berlin-national">New National Gallery</a> in Berlin suffered from cracking windows and heavy condensation, while Frank Gehry’s MIT-based <a href="https://www.wired.com/2007/11/mit-sues-frank/">Stata Centre</a> in Massachusetts has leaky roofs and excessive mould. These buildings have not been demolished, however, but left standing as examples of top-quality design.</p> <p>Perhaps if architects channelled their desire for daring aesthetic into sculpture-like structures rather than buildings designed for habitation, they could continue to keep pushing the limits of design without making the planet pay.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/169551/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bashar-al-shawa-1263266">Bashar Al Shawa</a>, PhD Student in Architecture, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-bath-1325">University of Bath</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/technology-has-made-buildings-less-climate-friendly-but-we-can-look-back-in-time-for-solutions-169551">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Micuradu/Flickr</em></p>

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Why are homes still being built along rivers? Flooded residents disagree on the solution

<p>Like many residents living near Calgary’s rivers, Irene’s house flooded in June 2013 when heavy rainfall melted the snowpack in the Rocky Mountains, inundating much of southern Alberta in what was, at the time, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/2810070/top-10-most-costly-disasters-in-canadian-history-for-insurers/">the costliest disaster in Canadian history</a>.</p> <p>Irene watched as her belongings floated down the street. Everything in her basement and the first level of her home had to be discarded into a trash pile in her front yard.</p> <p>Reflecting on this trauma and her home’s devastation, she said: “Developers get away with a lot of shit they shouldn’t get away with.” She recalled arguing years earlier with the developer about how close to the river it planned to build the houses, and wondered if it might have been worse had her home been built as close to the river as initially planned.</p> <p>I was part of a team <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/15356841211046265">studying housing, environmental views and hazards</a> who interviewed residents of Calgary’s flood-affected neighbourhoods. Remarks like Irene’s were common.</p> <p>Calgary and many other cities, including <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/housing-development-in-ste-marthe-sur-le-lac-was-mainly-in-flood-zone">Montréal</a>, <a href="https://www.mapleridgenews.com/news/maple-ridge-council-proceeds-with-riverfront-subdivision/">Vancouver</a>, <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2019-10-08/commentary-the-danger-of-development-in-flood-prone-areas">Myrtle Beach</a> and <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Even-after-Harvey-Houston-keeps-adding-new-homes-13285865.php">Houston</a>, continue to build houses in areas that hydrologists and engineers have designated as being high-risk for flooding.</p> <p>In most jurisdictions, home-builders are not financially liable for flooding for very long. In <a href="https://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Acts/n03p2.pdf">Alberta, the window of liability is one year</a>, at which point the risk is transferred to homeowners. Following floods and other disasters, research shows that the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1353/sof.0.0047">development of new housing does not slow</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/sox054">but intensifies</a>, as flooded properties lose value, are bought by developers and, as memory of flooding fades, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/calgary-home-built-after-alberta-floods-11604521775">become lucrative investments</a>.</p> <h2>The residents’ point of view</h2> <p>The residents I spoke with viewed developers as myopic capitalists who choose profit over safety. Scott told me that while developers are responsible for driving the hazard risk, “You can’t blame the developers, they are … there to make bucks, right? And if the city says you can build there then, bingo!… They make a pile.”</p> <p>Surprisingly, even though their homes had been flooded, residents were not angry at developers for situating the houses close to a hazard. Rather, they were resigned to it.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434534/original/file-20211129-19-1bqnj0l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="A man wearing a mask and work gloves throws muddy debris into a pile next to a house." /> <span class="caption">Yahya Abougoush helps clean up his parents’ house in High River, Alta., on July 3, 2013.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh</span></span></p> <p>When asked what they thought should be done to keep people safe from floods, residents had two very different suggestions.</p> <h2>Better regulations</h2> <p>A sizeable group of Calgarians favoured new government regulations limiting development in flood-prone areas to rein in developers.</p> <p>Rachel said, “They can’t build where the city says they can’t…. It has to be government who says it can’t be done.”</p> <p>Gary said he believes Calgary’s municipal government “lacks the balls” to stand up to developers and regulate floodplain development. When asked why that was, he said, “It’s about money” and the political influence that developers wield over city council. Residents viewed the municipal government as weak, ineffectual and unwilling to stand up to developers.</p> <p>Quite often, the same people who argued for better government regulations on floodplain development also insisted that government should provide home buyers with a disclosure of a home’s location in a flood-prone area, a move that the real estate industry has dubbed “idiotic” and one that would “<a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jeff-goodell/the-water-will-come/9780316260206/">kill the market</a>.”</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431443/original/file-20211111-27-1w1jkn7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="A gravel path and some strips of grass separate a row of homes from a river." /> <span class="caption">New homes in Riverstone, with Bow River visible on the left.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Timothy Haney)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></p> <p>Tasha wished she had been informed of the risk prior to buying her home, and told us, “I have lived here for 42 years and I have never heard of ‘flood fringe’ … maybe realtors should be more upfront about that.”</p> <p>The flood fringe is the area adjacent to the river with measurable flood risk — usually greater than one per cent annual probability of flooding. Angela said any declaration must go beyond a simple disclosure and “explain what it means.” Many preferred this type of new regulation.</p> <h2>Buyer beware</h2> <p>As one might expect in Alberta, a place known for <a href="https://press.ucalgary.ca/books/9781773850252/">right-wing populism</a>, other participants pushed back against new regulations and said individuals must bear responsibility. They deferred to the sanctity of private property rights and their distaste for government overreach. They felt that buyers must beware, often mentioning the need for “common sense.”</p> <p>Caleb said, “I think people can live wherever they want, but I think they have to carry that risk.” Others called it “instinctual.”</p> <p>Sociologists, like me, are often critical of “common sense,” looking at how such taken-for-granted knowledge is a culturally dependent and contextually specific <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/678271">product of socialization</a>. Still, many Calgarians did not see it this way and did not believe that the government should infringe on private property rights.</p> <h2>Precaution over profits</h2> <p>Calgary, like many cities, continues to develop <a href="https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/development-dispute-chaparral-residents-say-proposed-community-would-put-their-homes-at-risk-1.5326215">new housing close to rivers</a>. New neighbourhoods like Riverstone and Quarry Park offer housing marketed for their picturesque living and river access.</p> <p>In other areas, older homes near the river are being <a href="https://calgaryherald.com/life/homes/condos/white-the-evolution-of-calgarys-infill-housing">razed to make room for infills</a> — usually two or more homes on an existing lot. These infill developments increase the density in river-adjacent communities, putting more residents at risk.</p> <p>The lack of consensus among the study participants was also noteworthy. Citizen activism tends to get mixed results in influencing government decision-making on development <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13604813.2019.1690337">even when</a> there is <a href="https://uwapress.uw.edu/book/9780295748696/pushed-out/">relative consensus</a>. But in the case of restricting development near rivers, there is no such consensus, which may make it difficult for residents to mobilize.</p> <p>My own view is that municipal governments must stand up to moneyed development and home-building interests by restricting growth near rivers, which should instead be preserved as green space.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434535/original/file-20211129-59784-d6hlez.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="aerial view of a bend in a river with some elongated islands, several bridges and homes and business developments on each bank." /> <span class="caption">After floods in 1993 and 1995, and facing future flooding due to climate change, the Dutch city of Nijmegen gave more room to the Waal River during periods of high water by relocating a dike and dredging a new channel.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(DaMatriX/Wikimedia)</span>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/" class="license">CC BY-SA</a></span></p> <p>This approach is often called “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15715124.2020.1723604">room for the river</a>,” and is particularly popular in northern and western Europe. With this approach, areas immediately adjacent to waterways are preserved, providing esthetic and recreational value, and people are moved away via buyouts when necessary. New development is restricted. It has been imported and applied in North American cities such as <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/cities-around-globe-eagerly-importing-dutch-speciality-flood-prevention-180973679/">Norfolk, Va.</a>, though with varying degrees of consistency and success.</p> <p>The more volatile climate we are experiencing as a result of climate change will undoubtedly bring new flood events near rivers and mounting flood losses. Society must work harder to keep people and property away from the water, starting with halting new developments near these hazards. The first step in getting out of a hole, of course, is to stop digging.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/171660/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/timothy-j-haney-1032153">Timothy J. Haney</a>, Professor of Sociology and Board of Governors Research Chair in Resilience &amp; Sustainability, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/mount-royal-university-966">Mount Royal University</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-homes-still-being-built-along-rivers-flooded-residents-disagree-on-the-solution-171660">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh</span></span></em></p>

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How to ripen avocados in just 2 minutes

<p>All you need is plastic wrap and a microwave. And an avocado.</p> <p>Avocados are the internet’s favourite fruit. Everywhere you click, there’s a discussion about how healthy it is, how expensive it is, and whether it’s considered a fruit or a vegetable. But whether or not you eat enough avocado toast to fill your Instagram feed, that fruit is still worth keeping in your life – for nutritional benefits and <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/13-must-follow-recipes-for-the-perfect-homemade-face-mask">beauty hacks</a>.</p> <p>The problem is finding the best avocado. Once ripe, it only stays good for two or three days before it’s too late. Your best bet is buying an unripe avocado and helping the process along, which saves you time and money (did we mention avocados are expensive?). Luckily, you can ripen avocados at home with some easy tricks.</p> <p><strong><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/8cc2df06d88a40458efb69e4343fa64f" /><img style="width: 500px; height: 280.88235294117646px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844184/avocados-2-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/8cc2df06d88a40458efb69e4343fa64f" /></strong></p> <p><strong>How to tell if an avocado is ripe</strong></p> <p>First things first, how would you even know if an avocado is ripe? It’s not like you can slice it open quickly to check. It all comes down to the colour and the texture. Let’s begin with colour.</p> <p><strong>Bright green:</strong> If your avocado has a bright green colour, this means that it is still around four to seven days from being ripe. Avocados this colour will typically be hard to the touch and will need to rest on the benchtop for a few days – maybe even a week – before you can eat them. Underripe avocados tend to lack flavour.</p> <p><strong>Very dark green:</strong> While browsing the avocado bins at the grocery store, check for the darkest green if you think you’re going to want to eat this avocado within a day or so. You want it to be firm, but with a slight give (not too mushy). If you find this, you may have the perfect avocado on your hands.</p> <p><strong>Black:</strong> Avocados that are too dark, almost black, are past ripeness. They may look a bit more wrinkled and are very soft to the touch. If you feel as if you could bruise the fruit just by holding it, the avocado is overripe. The inside will often have some brown spots and won’t taste as fresh.</p> <p>Sometimes colours can vary, so step two of the avocado ripeness test is touch. Gently press into the avocado to feel how hard it is. You want to make sure that the fruit is soft with a little give, but not too soft that you feel like you could morph the shape with your hands. You can also pluck off the tiny stem and see if it’s green underneath. The green colour means that the fruit is ready to eat. If you need to pull really hard to get the stem off or it won’t budge, that means it isn’t ripe yet.</p> <p><strong><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/72ac4d94e2d04154bdfb5fabd7a64c6f" /><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844185/avocados-5-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/72ac4d94e2d04154bdfb5fabd7a64c6f" /></strong></p> <p><strong>How to ripen avocados quickly</strong></p> <p>How much of a time crunch are you in? Do you need the avocado ready for dinner in a few minutes? Do you want to have it with tomorrow’s lunch? Or maybe you want it for your weekend guacamole. Whatever the case, there are tricks for all time frames.</p> <p>A ripe avocado in just two minutes?! Yes, it is possible, thanks to this Taste of Home hack for how to ripen avocados. Cut it in half vertically and remove the pit. Wrap each half in microwave-safe plastic wrap. Microwave on high for two minutes. When they’re cool enough to hold, run the wrapped avocados under cold water so they stop cooking.</p> <p>Here’s another trick: Wrap the uncut fruit in tinfoil and bake on a baking sheet at 95˚C for ten minutes. (Disclaimer: If your avocado is too hard, it could take up to an hour for it to soften. Check every five minutes if it’s not ripe in ten.) Then remove your newly softened avocado. Leave it in the fridge for a few minutes to cool down.</p> <p>A note of warning though: this method can slightly affect the taste of the avocado, so it’s best to use only when necessary, and preferably where the avocado is only one component of a dish.</p> <p>If you need the avocado ready in one to two days, try placing it into a bowl or a paper bag with an apple or banana. Poke holes in the bag with a toothpick and leave it at room temperature. All of these fruits produce something called ethylene gas, which softens fruit by breaking down the internal cell walls and turning starch into sugar.</p> <p>The obvious and simplest way to ripen an avocado is to just allow it to happen naturally by letting it sit on the counter for a few days until it’s ready.</p> <p><strong><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c9fbe55a15e142a6a0243db326195221" /><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.4327485380117px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844186/avocados-6-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c9fbe55a15e142a6a0243db326195221" /></strong></p> <p><strong>How to store avocados</strong></p> <p>Make sure you don’t just throw your avocados in the fridge (along with these <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/20-foods-you-shouldnt-put-in-the-fridge">other foods that shouldn’t go in your refrigerator</a>), because they’re best kept at room temperature. But on the contrary, if your avocado has reached perfect ripeness, you can throw it in the fridge to slow down the ripening process, making it last approximately one to three days.</p> <p>Now that you know how to ripen avocados at home, brush up on these other <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/how-to-store-fresh-food-so-it-lasts-longer">food storage guidelines that’ll help keep your food for longer.</a></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on </em><em><a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/how-to-ripen-avocados-in-just-2-minutes">Reader’s Digest</a></em></p> <p><em>Images: Reader’s Digest</em></p>

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