Jim Paull

2015 might be ebbing away, but a tidal wave of joy has only just slammed into Malaysia’s legion of gadget geeks. Always one to create a splash on the shores of the tech world, Samsung has unveiled yet another device – its latest tablet of the year: the 8 and 9.7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S2. But this isn’t JUST another device – though crammed with impressive features, the Galaxy Tab S2 is slimmer than a tabloid newspaper, and lighter than a can of Coke – making it a ‘tiny titan’ of a tablet.

Size, weight and exterior

Skeletally-thin, at only 5.6mm, and weighing a feathery 272 grams, the Galaxy Tab S2 is immensely portable – I had no difficulty balancing the tablet on the tip of my forefinger. You could carry it around with you and almost forget you had it.

Slickly-designed, the device is free of exterior clutter thanks to its power button, volume rocker, SIM and microSD slots gathered in a cluster along the right edge. It features a physical home key which doubles as a fingerprint scanner, and allows for easy – but secure – unlocking. And the giant F/1.9 aperture of the 8MP rear camera appears only as a slight, circular raise on the Galaxy Tab S2’s sleek back surface.

8-inch Super AMOLED display

I’ve seen more than my fair share of displays, but the Galaxy Tab S2’s 8-inch Super AMOLED is one of the top three I have ever had the pleasure of using. Boasting a staggeringly high resolution of 2048×1536 pixels, the tablet’s display makes hues jump off the screen, delivering 94% of natural tones for true-to-life colours. Its reading optimized-ratio also makes the tablet ideal for scanning text in various media.

Productivity and entertainment

The Galaxy Tab S2 runs Android 5.0 (Lollipop) with the familiar Touch Wiz UI, and it comes preloaded with Microsoft Office Solutions, and free OneDrive 100GB of cloud storage for 2 years.

For work, the tablet offers a Multitasking feature which allows you to run, view and navigate between two apps in pop-up windows simultaneously.

For play, you can enjoy Galaxy Tab S2’s preloaded iFlix (Southeast Asia’s top internet TV service) free for 1 year; and Samsung Milk Music’s 150 customisable, genre-based and curated stations.

Performance and battery life

Powered by Octa-core processor (Quad 1.9GHz + Quad 1.3GHz), 3GB RAM and 32GB internal memory, the Galaxy Tab S2 supports microSD memory cards of up to 128GB.

Most impressively, the tablet’s 4,000 mAh battery allows for an impressive 8 hours and 12 minutes of usage.

Price and colours

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 is priced at RM1,699 (8 inch) and RM1,999 (9.7 inch); and is available in Gold, White and Black.

*Based on an article published by titanic tech talent and bionic blogger Liew FC in the epidemically-popular www.liewcf.com.

For more tech-straordinary tech news, shrewd gadget reviews and whirlwind IT industry event coverage, visit www.LiewCF.com. You can also follow the bold blogger on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @LiewCF.

‘Hooman’ visitors to my home often wag their tails over the fact that my menagerie of cats and dogs get along like BFFs. No torn-out tufts of feline fur, or canine running-with-tail-between-legs incidents are ever stumbled upon. While my lively household also comprises an African savannah-ful of rabbits, birds, sugar gliders and reptiles, it is the detente maintained between the purported age-old nemeses of cats and dogs that elicit the most comment. But the truth is, doggy and kitty love isn’t that hard to kindle.

If you’re toying with the idea of creating a multi-pet species home, here are a few simple tips to get the tennis ball rolling (or the red laser pointer dot darting):

1) If you are starting with a clean slate (i.e. no pets at all), begin with getting a cat. Once it is larger and confident of your love, then introducing a puppy which the cat can dominate (but of course!) is the easiest route to harmony. Also, choose to adopt dogs from fosterers who keep dogs AND cats. These dogs will be accustomed to cats and are unlikely to be aggressive or over-excited.

2) If you already have a dog and want a cat, start by being honest. Is your dog a benign personality, or does it have a high Hannibal Lecter prey drive? Some dogs can never be trusted with cats because the urge to chase and kill is overpowering. If your dog has the right personality, and you have the required influence over its behaviour, then do consider introducing a cat. An adult cat is ideal, as it is less fragile than a kitten.

3) Introductions should be made slowly. When I was a multi-pet newbie, I first walked the dog until it was exhausted, then put it in a crate and fed it. The dog would be tired and content – that’s when I’d bring in the cat, in a crate too. The crates would be positioned closely enough so they could sniff each other. Next, I’d let the cat out (of the bag, so to speak), while making sure my dog received plenty of treats and praise for behaving calmly. When the dog exhibited aggression or over-excitement, I tried again the next day, after walking it and exercising it for even longer.

4) On the big day of face-to-face interaction, be calm. Yes, the owner’s own energy is critical to a smooth introduction. Be ready to step in, but don’t expect the worst. Have your dog on a leash and let both into the same room. Then sit back and watch the magic unfold as the foundations of a beautiful friendship are laid down.

*Based on an article published by crazy cat lady and dog dogmatist, Alicia Horsley, in Malaysia’s first and largest interactive pet and animal welfare portal, PetFinder.my.

Make a difference and adopt a rescue pet today. To view adorable animals seeking fur-ever homes, visit: www.petfinder.my

It’s Warren Beatty. You’re So Vain is about Warren Beatty. Well, at least the second verse is about him. Ever since You’re So Vain was released in 1972, fans have speculated over which of Carly Simon’s romantic entanglements inspired the song. More than 40 years later, the...

PETALING JAYA: The second week of the Star2 Monthly Challenge #Squealmeal saw the Star2 Food desk taking on even more extreme gourmet challenges.

We’ve seen car chargers with more ports and more power, but this one is so small, it’ll look like it’s built into your car. [Aukey Dual-Port Car Charger, $6 with code WZE6JCXG]

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You may not know it, but many airlines require a vet’s note before you fly with your pet. Make sure you get one before booking your holiday travel, or find out if your airline’s pet policy requires one. A few extra minutes double checking can save you a lot of travel hassle.

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So you've been asked to think outside of the box for work, or you really want a creative idea for your new novel? Not to worry! Thinking outside the box, like any skill, is one that can be developed through practice. To get started developing your creative thinking skills, see step 1.

Steps

Coming Up with Creative Solutions

1. Change your space. It's important to get away from all the typical routines in order to foster creativity. The idea of changing it up is a common one amongst successful and creative thinkers. This means that you either create a specific ritual around creativity, or that you simply find a way to take a break.^[1]
   
   • Take a shower. There is something weirdly conducive about showering, as anyone who's had that amazing idea while stuck in the shower (only to forget it when you finally locate a pen and paper). If you're stuck on an idea, hop in the shower, with a pen and some paper handy and see what comes up.
   • Go for a walk. Like showering, something about walking fosters creativity. Whether it's taking a walk as a prelude to getting started with your creative project, or as part of the project itself, taking a walk will help get those creative juices flowing. Steve Jobs used to hold walking meetings to brainstorm ideas. Tchaikovsky took several walks around his village before working on his latest creation.
   • Create psychological distance between your normal routine and the time for creativity. Writer Toni Morrison always watched the sun come up in the morning before she would begin writing. She felt that this enabled her to access her creativity.
2. Brainstorm. Throwing out tons of different ideas, especially ideas that might seem slightly off-the-wall can be a great idea to pick out a few really good ideas. Brainstorming helps to open up your thinking so that you aren't stuck in the same old thought patterns.^[2]
   
   • The brainstorming stage isn't about what is or isn't feasible. Avoid limiting yourself when you're brainstorming. This is the time when all ideas are welcome, no matter how silly or unworkable they sound. If you start limiting yourself during this stage of the thinking game, you aren't going to progress very far.
   • Avoid saying things to yourself during this phase that will shut down creativity rather than encourage it. Catch yourself anytime you say: "That won't work," "We haven't done it that way before," "We can't solve this problem," "We don't have enough time."^[3]
   • For example: say you get stuck while writing your new story. Instead of obsessing over the next stage of the story, start thinking throwing out ideas for what might happen next, or how the story might progress if there were no boundaries on what you could write (even if you needed to change the ending to make the story possible).
3. Re-conceptualize the problem. Part of finding creative solutions and ideas stems from looking at the problem or project in a new way. Looking at something in a new way allows you to look at new possible solutions that you might not otherwise have considered. Fortunately, there are some concrete aids to re-conceptualizing that you can drawn on.^[4][5]
   
   • Turn the problem upside down. This can be done literally or figuratively; turning a picture upside down can actually make it easier to draw, because your brain has to look at it in terms of it's makings rather than what it thinks should be there. This works for more conceptual problems.
   • For example, if you're writing a book and you can't figure out how to get the protagonist to a certain spot in the story, ask yourself "does this character actually need to be the protagonist? how would the story work with a different character as protagonist? or more than one character?").
   • Work backwards. Sometimes what you need is to focus on the solution first, and build backwards from that solution. For example: say you work in the advertising position at a newspaper. The paper is losing money because it hasn't been getting enough ads. Start from the final, best outcome (having lots of the right kind of ads). Work backwards by contacting the types of businesses and groups that can provide the best, most cost-effective ads.
4. Daydream. Daydreaming helps you to make connections and form patterns and recall information. This is key when you're thinking outside the box, because daydreaming can help you make connections that you might not otherwise have considered. So often your best ideas seem to come out of nowhere while you're daydreaming.^[6]
   
   • Give yourself time to daydream. Turn off the computer, t.v., and your phone. If you're constantly plugged into distractions it will be much harder for your brain to rest and make connections.
   • You can daydream while on that walk, or in the shower (this is one reason taking time to go for a walk or shower can be so conducive to creative thinking). Daydream in the morning before you have to get up, or at night before you fall asleep.
5. Set parameters. Sometimes if you're having difficulty thinking outside the box, it's time to give yourself some basic parameters. This may seem like it would hinder creativity, but if you set the right parameters you'll find that it can actually open things up for you.^[7]
   
   • Starting too broad can put too much pressure on you. For example: instead of saying "how can I increase ad sales" ask questions like "how can I encourage ad growth from businesses in the community? what can I do to make ads in our paper seem like a good option?" or "how can I target the businesses most likely to place ads in our paper?" or "what compensations can I use to encourage businesses to advertise?"
   • You're still asking open questions and still considering a wide variety of options, but you're anchoring your ideas to a specific question or task. This will help you come up with more specific ideas.
   • As another example: instead of asking yourself "how can I make my young adult novel different than the others on the market?" you consider more specific parts of the story: "who is the main character? is this main character just like every other main character (white, heterosexual, pretty but doesn't know it?)?" or if it's a fantasy novel "what is the magic system like? is it the vague paganesque, witchy magic that is popping up all over the YA section?"
   • Or you could tell yourself that you have to rewrite a scene in your story only now the character doesn't have access to their magic. How are they going to get out of the situation?
6. Consider the worst case scenario. Fear is what holds back creativity. Fear is what makes you stick the paths that you know the best. When you consider the worst case scenario not only can you plan for it, but you can also convince yourself that the worst case scenario isn't bad enough that you shouldn't try.
   
   • For the ad person example: you might consider what will happen if you try to implement a creative new scheme to offer incentives for long-time advertising partners (like better placement in the layout, a full color ad for a reduced price, etc.). Perhaps the worst that could happen is that no one takes the offer, or that you lose money because of it. Come up with plans for how you might deal with these potential setbacks.
   • For the novel-writing example: your worst case scenario might be that no publisher or agent wants to market your novel because what they actually want is a clone of the latest YA bestseller.

Maintaining Your Creativity Long-Term

1. Eliminate negativity. The thing that will hold you back from thinking outside the box more than anything else is negativity. Consistently telling yourself that you can't think creatively or vetoing every idea as too "out there" is going to severely limit what you come up with.^[8]
   
   • Consider what it is that you tell yourself about your ideas. When you come up with that amazing book idea do you immediately think "I could never write that?" That is a surefire what to ensure that you never do write that.
   • Whenever you find yourself responding negatively to your ideas, replace the negative thought with a positive or neutral thought. For example: if you found yourself thinking "I'm never going to be able to entice advertisers with these incentives" stop yourself and say "I'm going to test out how these incentives work to get us better advertising faithfulness."
2. Keep your creativity sharp. Like any skill, creativity needs to be exercised to keep it going. Even when you don't have a particular problem that needs your creative solution, keep working on your creativity. It will help you when you are suddenly confronted with something that needs thinking outside the box.^[9]
   
   • Alphabetize words. Take a word from a magazine or a billboard and alphabetize its letters. For example: the word NUMBER would be spelled B-E-M-N-R-U. The reason that this exercise boosts your brain functions is that it forces you to use all the information you're given (all the letters) and do something unusual with them. It trains your brain to come up with surprising connections and solutions and look at problems differently.
   • Make a game out of coming up with new or different uses for items in your house. This will teach you to look at items and situations with an eye for the unusual approach. For example: using an old boot as a planter, or building a table out of books.
3. Change up your routine. Creativity thrives when you don't stay stuck in the same old routine. Even the littlest changes can have good consequences for getting you out of a rut and encouraging creative thinking.^[10]
   
   • Get outside your comfort zone. Doing new things, especially things you haven't planned for helps you to cope more easily with new situations. It also helps to open your mind and introduce you to new ideas and situations which can help you come up with new or unusual ideas.
   • Be spontaneous. Do things that you haven't planned for, occasionally. This will force you to adapt to the moment and overcome problems on the fly. You could even tie this in with an ongoing project.
   • Change little things. For example: walk home from work a different way each day. Change up which coffee shop you go to in the mornings.
4. Study another industry. This will help to show you how people outside your chosen field operate and give you ideas you can incorporate into your field. The industry could be completely different from yours, or have some overlap, but it should be different enough to give you a fresh perspective on your own.
   
   • For example: the ad person might take a look at psychology topics or look into how the businesses they're asking for ads from operate.
   • The novelist might read outside their chosen field (YA) looking at nonfiction, mysteries, and the classics for inspiration.
5. Learn new things. The more you broaden your horizons the more connections your brain is going to be able to make. The more information your brain has access to, the more it's able to come up with unusual ideas.
   
   • Take classes outside of your field. This could be anything from cooking classes (provided you aren't a chef) or rock climbing. The novelist might then use what she learned in their cooking class to come up with a system of magic (the people who have a feel for what they're doing and don't use instructions as opposed to those who carefully follow a specific set of instructions).
   • Learn a new language. Not only does this help keep your mind sharp and forming new connections, it can open you up to new ways of thinking. The ad person might use it to start a section of bilingual ads that reach to a different group of people than she had normally been targeting.

Connecting With Other People Creatively

1. Surround yourself with creative people. Humans are social animals. You'll be inspired when other people are inspired. The creativity will remain high when you work or befriend people who inspire that creativity in you and in your work.
   
   • You find it especially helpful if you befriend people who aren't in the same field that you are. These people can give you perspective on your work that you wouldn't get from someone who is saturated in the same ideas that you are.
   • This is another reason why it's so important to do things outside of your comfort zone. That is where you'll meet people who challenge and inspire creativity in you, people who think differently from you.
2. Pay attention to other people’s ideas. Ideas don't exist in a vacuum. Even creative thinkers like Salvador Dali (as an example) started with ideas in his painting that he'd gotten from earlier sources. Paying attention to other people's ideas will help foster your own.
   
   • You’ll see how other people think outside the box. Learning other people's thought patterns and ways of thinking will help you keep from stagnating in your own thinking. You could even say to yourself "How might my creative painter friend view this problem of ads?"
   • You can also look at the ideas of famous innovators. Examine what ideas they had that worked and what ideas didn't work. Look at their practices for encouraging creative thinking (like the examples of Steve Jobs, Tchaikovsky, and Toni Morrison in the first part of the article) and try those practices out.
3. Learn to listen. One way to encourage creative thinking is to stay quiet and listen to what other people are saying. Part of why this is such a good idea is that it helps you really hear what other people are saying so you don't present the same ideas that have already been presented. It also helps you to marshal your thoughts before you speak.
   
   • For example: the ad person tried to sell ads to a business that really hated the newspaper. If they hadn't really listened to the concerns of the business (like they felt their ads weren't given priority, and they didn't like some of the content in the newspaper), they wouldn't have gotten the business to place an ad. This business then became part of their scheme to bring other unsatisfied advertisers back into the fold.
4. Remember, you will be presenting ideas that might be outside of "normal." This is just something to remember when you're engaging with other people, especially in terms of business relations. Sometimes the ideas from outside of the box aren't actually the right way to go.
   
   • It's also good to keep in mind that your ideas aren't always going to work. That's okay! It's a part of the learning process and it's why you consider the worst case scenario when you're coming up with an idea.

Tips

• Be willing to explore things that are out of your comfort zone. It's refreshing and you can find new interests and meet new people.
• Read something that isn't your usual genre. For example, if you think you hate crime fiction, why not try reading one? You might be pleasantly surprised; even if not, you've challenged your thinking processes.

Warnings

• Learning to change your style of thinking is not an easy process, or a quick one. Be patient. Enjoy the journey.

Related wikiHows

• How to Think 'Inside of the Box'
• How to Think Clearly and Logically Under Pressure
• How to Think Before Speaking
• How to Prepare for a Meeting
• How to Prepare a Proposal
• How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci
• How to Jumpstart Your Creativity
• How to Think Laterally

Sources and Citations

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JAKARTA: Indonesia’s health ministry has apologised after a printing error led to posters being put up claiming that HIV can be transmitted through mosquito bites, swimming and sneezing, an official said Wednesday.

Social media was flooded with angry comments after the ministry’s attempt to launch a campaign to debunk myths about HIV backfired badly in a country where people with the virus are much stigmatised.

The plan involved putting up posters on commuter trains in the capital Jakarta stating that HIV cannot be transmitted through mosquito bites, swimming and sneezing, as well as human saliva and sweat.

But the printing company managed to miss out the word “not” from the posters and then failed to get final approval from officials, meaning the banners reinforced the very beliefs they were meant to challenge.

– AFP

 

A large L-shaped desk, propped up by what looks to be a massive tree branch. It’s a perfectly natural, rustic-looking workspace for two.

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SEOUL: Troubled South Korean retail giant Lotte, already struggling with a prolonged founder-family feud, has seen its business woes deepen with the loss of the state licence for one of its biggest duty-free shops ahead of a key IPO.

The country’s fifth-largest business group suffered its latest body-blow at the weekend when South Korea’s customs agency awarded its concession to a rival bidder — the heavy industries giant Doosan Co.

The licence covered a 10,990-square-metre (118,300 square foot) store in South Korea’s tallest skyscraper — the Lotte World Tower and Mall complex in downtown Seoul.

Lotte, which had held the licence for five years, had already invested 300 billion won ($255 million) in the store and the customs agency decision shattered its ambitions to grow it into the world’s largest duty-free outlet over the next decade.

The setback was particularly badly timed given the preparations for an initial public offering of shares in Lotte’s hotel unit, which runs the group’s duty-free business.

The duty-free chain is the largest franchise of its kind in South Korea and the third-largest in the world, racking up sales of 4.2 trillion won last year.

Hotel Lotte vowed Saturday to push ahead with the listing, but analysts said the loss of the licence for the Lotte World store would be felt.

“Investors are concerned it will hurt Hotel Lotte’s overall profits,” said Park Jong-Dae, analyst at Hana Financial Securities.

“As a result, the company’s valuation may fall when it goes public,” he said, noting that duty-free shops accounted for more than 80 percent of Hotel Lotte’s overall sales.

Founded in Tokyo in 1948 by Shin Kyuk-Ho, Lotte has a vast network of businesses including department stores, hotels and amusement parks in South Korea and Japan, with combined assets valued at more than $90 billion.

A very public feud

Many of South Korea’s family-run conglomerates, or “chaebol”, are known for their byzantine structure of shareholdings, but Lotte Group’s cross-holdings dwarf the others in their number and complexity.

The confusion surrounding who controls what, and how, has become the backdrop to a monumental family feud pitting Shin and his first son Shin Dong-Joo in one corner against his second son — the current group chairman Shin Dong-Bin — in the other.

The feud began in July after father and first son sought to dismiss a group of senior Lotte executive board members, including Shin Dong-Bin, questioning their management ability.

But Shin Dong-Bin fought back, getting the board to not only nullify the dismissals but also remove his father as co-CEO.

There followed a bout of highly public mudslinging between the two Shin siblings, with accusations of mismanagement and manipulating their frail, 92-year-old father whose mental faculties had been called into question.

A temporary halt to hostilities came after Shin Dong-Bin won the overwhelming support of board members, labour union members and shareholders in August.

But the battle resumed in court in October after the founder and his eldest son filed lawsuits challenging Shin Dong-Bin’s position and competency.

And then this week the father Shin Kyuk-Ho filed fresh writs against the CEOs of seven Lotte affiliates, accusing them of obstructing business by refusing to report to him.

Shin still holds several co-CEO or senior executive positions in many group subsidiaries.

Shin Dong-Joo also claimed Tuesday his father had issued an ultimatum for Shin Dong-Bin to step down and hand the helm over to his older brother within a week.

In response, Lotte Group issued a statement accusing the first son of being “unable to draw a line between personal family conversation and official corporate affairs”.

The Lotte family drama has renewed public criticism of the elite, uber-wealthy families who run the powerful chaebol.

While credited with spearheading South Korea’s remarkable transformation into Asia’s fourth-largest economy, they have also been denounced for ignoring corporate governance norms and running listed subsidiaries with no apparent concern for their shareholders.

– AFP

Some guys may be surprised to hear this, but bras are a pain in the butt to wash, and many of us put off the chore for as long as possible. (We wash everything else though, we swear.) That’s gross, but is it actually bad for you?

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Let's kick the weekend off with something a little unexpected: savory French toast. All too often we reach for the maple syrup and cinnamon when we make this breakfast treat, but this weekend we're going the feta and thyme route.

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Here are twelve of the best photos that readers added to the Consumerist Flickr Pool in the last week, picked for usability in a Consumerist post or for just plain neatness.

Want to see your pictures on our site? Our Flickr pool is the place where Consumerist readers upload photos for possible use in future Consumerist posts. Just be a registered Flickr user, go here, and click “Join Group?” up on the top right. Choose your best photos, then click “send to group” on the individual images you want to add to the pool.

PETALING JAYA: Pahang mufti Abdul Rahman Osman has rejected the view that the spike in the number of road accidents occurring along the East Coast Expressway (LPT2), is due to supernatural reasons.

Speaking to Malay daily Utusan Malaysia, he instead blamed it on reckless driving and added, “Supernatural beings are everywhere, demons are always present, whispering evil into our ears while we drive.”

He reminded motorists instead that Islam encouraged the practice of reciting prayers besides offering a more practical view on what likely caused the accidents to take place.

“To me the more pertinent factor is safety, such as speeding, and the long, straight stretches of road which make drivers bored and sleepy.”

According to the same report, another accident took place on LPT2 on November 9, the 87th life claimed so far since the highway opened in January this year.

TOKYO: A man in Japan who hid in a drain for five hours, allegedly to snap photos up women’s skirts, was given away when passers-by spotted his hair sticking out of a grate, police and reports said.

Yasuomi Hirai, 28, allegedly squeezed himself in a section of a gutter 28 centimetres (11 inches) wide, with his head under a piece of iron grating, a police spokesman said Wednesday.

“His hair got caught at the edge of the grate, which drew the attention of some pedestrians,” the spokesman with the Hyogo prefectural police in Kobe told AFP.

The alleged offence took place in the port city August, but police said that Hirai’s arrest on Monday came after a lengthy investigation.

Police did not elaborate but the Sports Hochi tabloid reported Tuesday that Hirai kept himself in the small space for about five hours, holding a smart phone to take photos from under the grate.

Local reports said it was not the first time Hirai has been arrested for the same offence, which violated a local ordinance preventing nuisance acts.

He was nabbed two years ago after squeezing himself into a gutter allegedly for the same purpose, Sports Hochi said.

Hirai reportedly told police at the time that he wanted to be reborn as “part of pavement in the next life.”

Peculiar offences involving the harassment of women and girls are frequently reported in Japan.

In 2012, several high school girls from a small neighbourhood reported to police that they were tackled by a sock-stealing thief.

– AFP

SINGAPORE: Oil prices resumed their decline in Asia Wednesday, with global crude oversupply continuing to dampen investors’ sentiment despite occasional rallies.

Prices had risen the previous day after a four-day losing streak, as traders weighed a bearish price outlook from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and a lowered US estimate for crude production.

The oil market has collapsed by more than half since mid-2014 with prices languishing under $50 a barrel, hurt by the supply glut and the decision by the oil exporter grouping OPEC to maintain output to counter booming US shale production.

The Paris-based IEA, in a report Tuesday, forecast that the global oil market would recover to $80 a barrel by 2020.

At around 0300 GMT Wednesday, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in December was trading 47 cents lower at $43.74 and Brent crude for December was down 26 cents at $47.18.

“We continue to think the market will remain in surplus through most of 2016, which is likely to restrict the upside for prices, particularly over the fourth quarter of 2015 and the first quarter of 2016,” British bank Barclays said in a market commentary.

A strong dollar, fuelled by widening expectations that the US Federal Reserve will raise interest rates next month, has also been keeping a lid on prices.

Oil is traded in the US currency and a buoyant dollar would make the commodity more expensive for those holding weaker units, lowering demand and prices.

“We expect the greenback to continue to be supported as we approach the likely lift-off in rates,” Singapore’s United Overseas Bank said, referring to a December 17 meeting of the Fed’s policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee.

– AFP

Most adults need 7-8 hours of sleep in order to function well the next day.^[1] However, mental and physical stress can make it difficult to relax enough before bed to get a good night's rest. Luckily there are steps you can take to help you relax and ensure you regularly get the rest you need.

Steps

Having a Regular Sleep Schedule

1. Have regular bedtimes. Sticking to a schedule is very important if you want to send relaxing signals to your body at the right time. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule works because you follow your body’s circadian rhythms.^[2] It is not just children who need a good bedtime routine; adults also need to relax and unwind before they go to bed. Try to have regular times when you go to bed and wake up every day--even on weekends.^[3]
   
2. Don't use the snooze button. The snooze button might be tempting, but it does not lead to high-quality, restful sleep. Instead, it makes it more likely that you will be overtired in the mornings and overenergized in the evening hours when you should be relaxing. Try to resist the urge to hit "snooze" in the mornings and instead make yourself get out of bed.^[4]
3. Avoid long naps during the day. It's important to avoid long naps during the day as much as possible. If you can restrict your sleeping to night-time only you will likely have a more relaxing bedtime.^[5]
   
   • If you absolutely have to nap, be sure that you nap for less than 30 minutes and that you nap in the mid-afternoon while it is still light outside. Napping for too long or napping in the evening hours can disrupt your ability to relax at bedtime.^[6]
4. Wake up at the same time every morning. It can be difficult, but if you want to stick to your schedule you have to try to avoid sleeping in as much as possible. Set your usual alarm during the weekend as well as during the week. If you go to bed and get up at roughly the same time every day you will program your body to sleep better.^[7]
   
5. Stick to a nightly bedtime routine. Develop a relaxing routine that you perform every night 15-30 minutes before you go to bed.^[8] Take a warm bath. Stretch your body. Read a book. Listen to relaxing music. Doing these things every night will help your body know when bedtime is approaching. Incorporating a relaxing activity into your routine will help you fall asleep (and stay asleep). Eventually these activities will signal your body to begin relaxing and preparing for good sleep at the same time every night.^[9]
   

Relaxing Your Body

1. Breathe deeply. If you regularly struggle with nighttime relaxation, getting ready for bed might itself be a source of stress. This leads to a vicious cycle where your nerves make it even harder to fall asleep. You can counter your nerves by practicing deep breathing techniques. Close your eyes and breathe in deeply through your nose, counting to five. Then slowly breathe out through your mouth, counting to five again. Continue for several minutes, until you feel your heart rate slowing down and your muscles relaxing.^[10]
   
   • Focus solely on your breathing and try and clear your mind of all other thoughts during this time.^[11]
   • Make this part of your regular bedtime routine so that you associate the deep breathing exercise with going to sleep. Soon the deep breathing exercises will signal to your body that it should prepare for bed.
2. Engage in progressive muscle relaxation. Tense and then relax each of the different muscle groups in your body one by one. This can be an effective way to relax you before bed or even while you are lying in bed.^[12] Tense the muscle by flexing and contracting them for around ten seconds. Visualize the muscle being tensed. Release the tension and allow your whole body to go limp before moving on to the next muscle group. Start with your toes, and then work your way up to your calves, thighs, back, arms, and face. You should feel more relaxed throughout your entire body and forget the troubles of the day.^[13]
   
   • Be sure to keep all other muscles relaxed while you tense a particular one.
3. Do some gentle yoga. Gentle yoga can also help your body relax as you prepare to go to bed. A slow and steady yoga routine of five to fifteen minutes can relieve physical and mental tension.^[14] Only use basic poses, no power poses that might energize you. Just do basic twists and stretches. Some examples are:
   
   • Child's pose. For this, you sit on your heels, and with your arms out to the side, lower your body down over your knees, bringing your forehead down towards the floor.
   • Standing bends. Lift your hands up above your head, stretching your spine and gently bend down, keeping your back straight.
   • Jathara Parivrtti. Lie on your back with your arms out away from your body, palms down. Bend your legs and raise them so your hips and perpendicular to the floor. Lower your legs to right, bring them back up to the center, and then lower them to the left.^[15]
4. Take a warm bath. Having a warm bath 15-30 minutes before bed can be a great way to help you relax before sleep. Ensure the bath is warm rather than really hot to get the best possible conditions for relaxation.^[16] Having a regular warm bath before bed can help your body to recognize that it is the end of the day and time to wind down.
   
   • You can couple a warm bath with soothing music and aromatherapy oils to help you relax even more. Use lavender or chamomile to create a relaxing aromatherapy bath.
5. Steer clear of caffeine. Cutting down on stimulants such as caffeine can be very helpful if you are struggling to relax before bed. Avoid tea, coffee, or other caffeinated substances in the late afternoon and evening as they make it harder to fall asleep and can prevent the important deep sleep you need. The effects of caffeine can last up to 24 hours, so it can be an important factor in sleeping problems. Caffeine can also raise your heart rate, making you feel more nervous and jittery.^[17]
   
   • Replace caffeine with warm milk or herbal teas, such as chamomile or peppermint.
   • Other stimulants such as nicotine,sugary foods and beverages, and heavy meals can also make it harder to relax.^[18]
6. Avoid alcohol. While many people experience sleepiness immediately after drinking alcohol, alcohol makes sleep overall less restful and restorative. Alcohol can also increase your chances of experiencing middle insomnia when you wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble falling back asleep. Steer clear of alcoholic beverages if you want to feel fully relaxed overnight.^[19]
7. Be physically active during the day. Keeping your body active during daytime hours can help your body be prepared to relax before bed. Exercise vigorously for 20-30 minutes daily by running, jogging, swimming, or biking. Make sure that you exercise in the morning or early afternoon. Evening exercise tends to energize the body instead of relaxing it.^[20]
   • Having exposure to sunlight during the day will also help your body relax in the evening hours. Consider exercising during daylight hours to get a dose of sunlight.^[21]

Preparing A Relaxing Bedroom

1. Use your bed only for sleep and intimacy. Avoid doing work, making phone calls, or paying bills in bed. Instead, get used to the idea that your bed is for sleeping or romantic activities. You want your bed to be a place of relaxation--not a work desk. Keep your bed free of clutter, and never perform work activities in bed.^[22]
   
2. Create a relaxing atmosphere. Your bedroom should be a relaxing safe haven, one that is free from stress, distractions, or anything nerve-wracking. Try to avoid doing work or anything stressful in your bedroom. Keep your bedroom free from electronic screens or noisy items such as televisions, computers, and phones.^[23]
   • Other ways to have a relaxing bedroom space include painting your room a calming color such as light blue or light gray, using lamps that create soft light, and using calming essential scents such as lavender oils or potpourri. Essential oils can help you sleep better.
3. Keep it dark. Having a dark room is very important for relaxing and sleeping well in bed. The sleep-inducing hormone melatonin is very light-sensitive. Check to see if your room is too light by turning off all the lights at night. Wait for your eyes to adjust: if you can clearly see objects, there is too much light. Now you can look for areas where the light is leaking in.^[24]
   
   • If you are in a city with lots of street lights outside your window, consider getting a blackout lining for your curtains or buying an eye mask.
4. Keep your bedroom cool. A room that is too hot will stop your core temperature from dropping, something which is necessary to switch on your body's sleeping mechanism. Your body drops to its lowest temperature when you are asleep so keeping your room cool can help. You should aim for a temperature of around 18 - 24 degrees Celsius, or 64 - 75 Fahrenheit. Being overheated can make you feel dehydrated, anxious, or restless at bedtime.^[25]
   
   • Keeping a window slightly open, if it is safe to do so, can help by ensuring there is a good circulation of air. An oscillating fan can also help create the proper temperature in a bedroom during the warmer months.
   • Be sure to keep your extremities warm. If it's cold opt for a warmer duvet rather than leaving the heating on, which can dehydrate you.^[26] It is especially important that you keep your feet warm, so you might want to wear socks to bed.^[27]
5. Choose the right mattress for you. A mattress that is made of breathable, hypoallergenic materials will help your body relax more effectively at bedtime. Be sure that your mattress is also your desired firmness and size. Choosing the correct mattress for your body type and sleeping style will contribute to a relaxing environment.^[28]
6. Use a white noise machine to cover up stressful sounds. Noise is one of the great sleep disruptors, and it can make you feel stressed out before bed or overnight. White noise is a calming, ambient sound that can help cover up stressful noises such as voices, cars, snoring, or your neighbors' music.^[29] White noise machines can be specifically purchased, or you can use a fan or dehumidifer as a white noise machine. There are also white noise generators to be found online.

Relaxing Your Mind

1. Schedule time to wind down before bed. Rather than simply hopping into bed and expecting to be relaxed, give yourself at least 15-30 minutes to let your mind unwind after a long and stressful day. There are techniques you can use to let go of taxing or stressful thoughts so that you can relax overnight. For example you can: ^[30]
   
   • Write a list of what you have achieved during the day.
   • Check off your achievements from a to-do list. These can be mundane, everyday tasks which are often the cause of most of our stress.
   • Write down your thoughts in a diary or journal.^[31]
   • Write down your tasks for the next day so that they are not weighing on you in bed.^[32]
   • Meditate for 15-30 minutes to clear your head.
2. Distract yourself instead of stewing. If you find yourself unable to relax in bed, don't let yourself stew for too long. If you cannot relax after 10-15 minutes in bed, get out of bed and do another relaxing activity. Your anxiety will not dissipate on its own. Instead, break the cycle by taking a warm bath, reading a book, or listening to classical music for 15 minutes or so. Then try to go to bed again. Just be sure that your distraction doesn't involve bright light.^[33]
3. Avoid electronic screens at night. Watching television, using a computer, or staring at a smart phone can all have detrimental effects on your ability to relax and go to sleep. In particular, staring at a small bright screen in the dark can disrupt the secretion of melatonin, which regulates our sleep cycle.^[34] Ensure you have a clear break between using technological devices and going to bed.^[35]
   
   • Evidence suggests that playing video games in the early evening is linked to loss of sleep, and teenagers who use their phones in bed are more likely to be drowsy during the day.^[36]
4. Visualize positive images. Visualization exercises can reduce stress and anxiety. If you're feeling tense before bed, try a positive visualization exercise. Imagine a place where you feel happy and relaxed. Imagine the sights, sounds, smells and tastes you want to experience. It could be an imaginary scene or a happy memory.^[37] Images you might visualize include:
   
   • A warm beach.
   • A cool forest.
   • Your childhood backyard.
5. Do mental exercises before bed. If you have trouble letting go of stressful events from your day, try to distract yourself with mental exercises. These could be word or number puzzles, or even something as simple as trying to memorize a poem or a song.^[38] These mental exercises should be simple enough to help you to feel relaxed but distracting enough that you do not have the mental energy to stress out about your day. For example, you might try:
   • Sudokus
   • Crossword puzzles
   • Reciting your favorite song backwards
   • Naming all the authors whose last name begins with B

Tips

• If none of these methods works for you, consider seeing a sleep specialist, who can treat insomnia with cognitive behavior therapy or with medication.^[39]
• Chronic anxiety might not be due to your environment but rather due to a chemical or hormonal imbalance. If your bedtime relaxation routines are in place but you are still having trouble relaxing a bedtime, consider speaking with a doctor or therapist about your options.

Warnings

• It is always a good idea to consult your physician before beginning an exercise routine or changing your diet to make sure that you stay healthy.

Related wikiHows

• How to Relax

Sources and Citations

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