It’s hard to ignore the lockdown, so most of our curated articles feature it in some way. We have exercise to strengthen your forearms, how to limit weight gain and self-care tips.
Also, we have feature new PC tech, indoor plants to grow and the best two-player board games.
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(total reading time: 4 mins)
It’s hard to ignore the lockdown, so most of our curated articles feature it in some way. We have exercise to strengthen your forearms, how to limit weight gain and self-care tips.
Also, we have feature new PC tech, indoor plants to grow and the best two-player board games.
Enjoy!
Bilal
How to Manage Cabin Fever (Outside, 9 min read) Astronauts, Antarctic-based scientists, soldiers and explorers reveal their strategies. These include having a sense of purpose for the greater good (staying in quarantine = helping the world), focusing on interpersonal relationships, using humour, making achievable small targets and having a fixed routine.
To Take Care of Others, Start by Taking Care of Yourself (HBR, 7 min read) Make your mental health a top priority so you can help others. Tips include: self-care (eat healthy, exercise, meditate), don’t hesitate to ask for help, ask others how they are doing and be positive (convey appreciation and praise others).
Making Sense of the Future After Losing a Job You Love (HBR, 8 min read) It’s a three-step process. First, regulate your emotion by allowing yourself to embrace your feelings rather than brushing it off.. Second, ask what it means for the future in a positive way (eg. my skills are transferable to other jobs). Finally, experiment – whether it’s a new hobby, lifestyle change or a new job.
Grip Strength: 5 Ways to Train It at Home (GQ, 4 min read) A stronger grip and stronger forearms are shown to increase life expectancy and makes daily chores easier. Exercise equipment to use include: the Bulgarian bag, crush grippers, training eggs (a bit like a stress ball), pull-up bars and dumbbells.
High-fat diet consequences include mental fatigue, researchers say (EurekAltert, 3 min read) The study on (diet-induced) obese rats finds that extra weight may cause more rapid mental exhaustion.
How to combat weight gain during the pandemic (beyond diet and exercise) (CNN Health, 7 min read) Manage stress – hot baths, a sip of tea or practising mindfulness, whatever helps. Sleep right – have a routine schedule, have a room that is dark with a temperature around 18 degrees and avoid phone usage right before bed. Move more – it could be gardening, playing with your kids, cleaning or merely stretching more often.
Intermittent fasting can help people in high-stress jobs (OUP Blog, 4 min read) “Time-restricted eating has been shown to lower circulating insulin, blood pressure, body fat and overall body weight, inflammation, and oxidative stress”.
Intel Unveils Beastly 5.3GHz Desktop CPU for Content Creators and Gamers (PetaPixel, 2 min read) For all the techies out there – Intel has unveiled its the flagship 10-core Core i9-10900K – a powerful 5.3GHz chip which is acclaimed to be the world’s fastest gaming processor.
Nvidia’s top scientist develops open-source ventilator that can be built with $400 in readily available parts (Tech Crunch, 1 min read) This mechanical ventilator can be assembled in five minutes and it’s portable. It can help curb shortages of traditional ventilators.
How to Give Yourself a Buzz Cut (GQ, 6 min read) Primer on one of the most straightforward DIY hair cut. Tips for a smoother cut includes: wash your hair first, trim slightly longer than you think you would want (you can always make it shorter afterwards), push the hair up as you cut the sides, trim your top of the head last and avoid fading the back yourself (your blind spot).
The Best Indoor Plants That Even You Can’t Kill (GQ, 9 min read) Are you looking for a low maintenance plants? Some of the robust variants include the snake plant, ZZ plant, philodendron, cactus, succulent, Aloe, spider and ponytail palm tree. Article also features tips on watering and potting the plants.
Your iPhone Can’t Recognize You With a Mask On, So Apple Has a New Workaround (GIZMODO 3 min read) Apple is planning an update on its new iOS 13.5 that will help you swipe up to enter your passcode and prevent delays. Meanwhile, one can turn off Face ID or set up Face ID with a mask on to avoid delays in face recognition.
Audio Deepfakes Result in Some Pretty Convincing Mashup Performances (KOTTKE, 14 min listen) If you were ever interested on Jay Z rapping “To Be, Or Not To Be” soliloquy from Hamlet or how Bob Dylan would sound like singing Britney Spears songs, here are some compelling deepfakes created using AI.
The Best Two-Player Board Games For Life In Quarantine (UPROXX, 10 min read) Games are ranging from historical events during the Cold War to strategies on how to topple a medieval castle. Title include Ticket to Ride: Europe, Scrabble, Zombie Dice, Zombie Dice, Carcassone, Elder Sign, Castle Panic, Tiny Towns, Tsuro and Twilight Struggle
The Best Podcasts to Listen to During Self-Isolation (GQ, 13 min read) Comprehensive list of the best podcasts .Themes range from history, true crime, life hacks, sports, comedy, politics to fashion and much more.
(The commentary contained in the above article does not constitute an offer or a solicitation, or a recommendation to implement or liquidate an investment or to carry out any other transaction. It should not be used as a basis for any investment decision or other decision. Any investment decision should be based on appropriate professional advice specific to your needs.)