The Village continues a series of content in which experts in various fields give useful advice on what they are very good at. In the new issue, we talked with a cleaner about how to carry out spring cleaning without damaging the furniture and spending a minimum of effort.
Where to begin
The most important thing is to navigate the area and determine the order. If the family is large and there is someone else at home besides you, start cleaning from the living room. Finish in it - all the household will move there and will not disturb you.
It’s best to start cleaning by cleaning accessible surfaces: removing small items from tables, dressers, and cabinets. This will not only make cleaning easier in the future, but will also help you get rid of unnecessary things: feel free to throw away everything you haven’t used for a long time.
It is important to clean from top to bottom. Only after cleaning the mezzanines and cabinets can you begin to clean the tables and upholstered furniture, and only then wash the floors. Approach the bathroom and toilet room last. You will change the water more than once during the process, rinse rags and sponges, and if you do this in a clean sink, you will have to wash it a second time at the very end.
How to make the process easier
To make cleaning go faster, here are a few tips that I recommend following:
Remove unnecessary things from the sides (for example, on the bathroom sink or near the stove), as rearranging them while scrubbing dirt will distract and irritate you.
Rinse cloths and change the water as often as possible during cleaning - this will make the process more efficient and finish faster.
Once you have cleaned the kitchen table, wipe it dry so that there is no water left anywhere: when it dries, the marks will be especially noticeable.
In everyday life, try to wash the dishes immediately after eating, clean the stove or oven after cooking: fresh dirt is removed much easier.
And don't expect cleaning to renew your things: if you don't take care of them properly all the time, unfortunately, nothing can bring them back to their newness.
What tools to use
I have very few rags and a small supply of household chemicals in my arsenal. All that is really needed for high-quality and quick cleaning is four rags (two for glass and for wiping surfaces dry; one microfiber for the kitchen; faux suede for all other surfaces) and two cleaning products (preferably biomarks).
For the kitchen, I choose a product with a pleasant, light scent or without it at all, and for plumbing (from plaque and rust), products with a spray bottle are best suited (they are more economical and foam less). Another product can be used for cleaning floors by adding it to water or shampoo for a vacuum cleaner.
I do not recommend cleaning upholstered furniture from complex stains yourself. Even if you are sure that you bought the right product, carefully read the instructions and did everything you need to do. There is a possibility that you could make the situation worse. It is better to call professionals who clean carpets and furniture.
How to make cleaning more enjoyable
In general, cleaning is not hard work, for which you need to prepare and prepare yourself mentally. Our home is our fortress, and taking care of it is our task. In addition, you can involve the whole family in the cleaning process without putting everything on your shoulders.
Turn the routine into a game in which everyone at home will participate: compete for speed, come up with a point system - only your imagination can limit you.
The ability to negotiate is useful not only to those who occupy leadership positions. A well-structured conversation can help in various areas. But the main thing in this art is not the words you say, but how you behave. This article contains 12 tips on how to conduct a conversation in order to immediately win over your interlocutor.
Step 1: Relax
Tension breeds irritability, and irritability is the main enemy of productive conversation. Research shows that just one minute of relaxation increases brain activity, which is very important for conducting conversations and making quick decisions.
Before starting a conversation, do the following:
2. Breathe slowly for 1.5 minutes: inhale for 5 counts, exhale for 5 counts.
3. Now yawn a couple of times and notice if you are relaxed? Rate your degree of relaxation on a 10-point scale. Write down the result.
4. Now you need to stretch your body muscles. Start with your face: wrinkle and tense all the muscles in your face, then straighten and relax them. Gently tilt your head from side to side and back and forth. Rotate your shoulders. Tighten your arms and legs, count to 10, relax and shake them.
5. Take a few deep breaths. Has your condition improved?
Step 2: Focus on the present moment
When you relax, you are focused on the current moment, not paying attention to what is going on around you. The same should be done during a conversation. Turn on your intuition and you will be able to hear all the shades of the speaker’s speech, which will convey the emotional meaning of his words, and you will be able to understand at what point the conversation will veer off the path you want.
Step 3. Be silent more often
Learning to remain silent will help you pay more attention to what other people say. To develop this skill, try the Bell exercise. On the website, follow the link, click “Ring the bell" and listen carefully to the sound until it fades away. Do this several times. This will help you learn to focus your attention and remain silent when you are listening to someone.
Step 4: Be Positive
Listen to your mood. Are you tired or energized, calm or anxious? Ask yourself: Am I optimistic heading into this conversation? If you have doubts or concerns, it is better to postpone the conversation. If this is impossible to do, then mentally start it, rehearse it, this will help you choose words and arguments that will help you achieve your goal.
Step 5. Think about the other person's intentions
For a conversation to be fair and balanced, everyone needs to be open to it and be clear about their values, intentions and goals. If your intentions do not match the intentions of the person you are trying to do business with, problems are inevitable. Try to find out in advance what your interlocutor would like to get from the transaction. But be careful, your interlocutor may carefully hide his goals and say what you want to hear.
Step 6. Before talking, think about something pleasant
You need to conduct a conversation with an expression of kindness, understanding and interest on your face. But if you don't actually feel those feelings, fake emotions will look terrible. There is a little secret: before talking, think about something pleasant, remember the people you love and respect. These thoughts will give your look softness, cause a slight half-smile, and such a facial expression will subconsciously evoke a feeling of trust in your interlocutor.
Step 7: Watch for Nonverbal Cues
Always look at the person you are talking to. Stay focused and try not to be distracted by other thoughts. If the interlocutor does not say something or wants to deceive you, he, of course, will carefully hide it, but for a split second he may forget himself and give himself away with a facial expression or gesture. Of course, you will only be able to find out that he is deceiving you, but, unfortunately, you will not be able to find out the reason for the deception.
Step 8: Be a nice person
Start the conversation with a compliment that sets a friendly tone, and end with a compliment that expresses your appreciation for the conversation. Of course, compliments should not sound like undisguised flattery. So ask yourself: what do I really value in this person?
Step 9: Add Warmth to Your Voice
Try to speak in a lower voice. The interlocutor will react to such a voice with great confidence. When we are angry, when we are excited or scared, our voice involuntarily sounds higher and sharper, its volume and rate of speech constantly changes. Therefore, a low voice will signal to the interlocutor about your calmness and confidence as a leader.
Step 10: Speak Slower
Speaking a little slower helps people understand you better without having to strain to catch every word, which makes them respect you. It is not so easy to learn to speak slowly, because many of us have been chattering since childhood. But you have to try, because slow speech calms the interlocutor, while fast speech causes irritation.
Step 11. Brevity is the sister of talent
Break your speech into chunks of 30 seconds or less. There is no need to make incredible proposals. Our brain is able to absorb information well only in micro-portions. Say one or two sentences, and then pause, make sure the person understands you. If he is silent and does not ask questions, you can continue, one or two more sentences and a pause.
Step 12. Listen carefully
Focus your attention on the interlocutor; everything is important to you: his words, their emotional coloring, his gestures and facial expressions. When he pauses, respond to what he said. Don’t forget to listen to your intuition during a conversation.
And the last tip: which strengthens the nervous system and helps you relax, this practice will come in handy during boring conversations.
The ability to negotiate is useful not only to those who occupy leadership positions. A well-structured conversation can help in various areas. But the main thing in this art is not the words you say, but how you behave.
This article contains 12 tips on how to conduct a conversation in order to immediately win over your interlocutor.
Step 1. Relax
Tension breeds irritability, and irritability is the main enemy of productive conversation. Research shows that just one minute of relaxation increases brain activity, which is very important for conducting conversations and making quick decisions.
Before starting a conversation, do the following:
1. On a scale of 1 to 10, rate how tense you are (1 - completely relaxed, 10 - you are like a taut string). Write this number down.
2. Breathe slowly for 1.5 minutes: inhale for 5 counts, exhale for 5 counts.
3. Now yawn a couple of times and notice if you are relaxed? Rate your degree of relaxation on a 10-point scale. Write down the result.
4. Now you need to stretch your body muscles. Start with your face: wrinkle and tense all the muscles in your face, then straighten and relax them. Gently tilt your head from side to side and back and forth. Rotate your shoulders. Tighten your arms and legs, count to 10, relax and shake them.
5. Take a few deep breaths. Has your condition improved?
Step 2. Focus on the present moment
When you relax, you are focused on the current moment, not paying attention to what is going on around you. The same should be done during a conversation. Turn on your intuition and you will be able to hear all the shades of the speaker’s speech, which will convey the emotional meaning of his words, and you will be able to understand at what point the conversation will veer off the path you want.
Step 3. Be silent more often
Learning to remain silent will help you pay more attention to what other people say. To develop this skill, try the Bell exercise. On the website, follow the link, click “Ring the bell” and listen carefully to the sound until it fades away. Do this several times. This will help you learn to focus your attention and remain silent when you are listening to someone.
Step 4. Be positive
Listen to your mood. Are you tired or energized, calm or anxious? Ask yourself: Am I optimistic heading into this conversation? If you have doubts or concerns, it is better to postpone the conversation. If this is impossible to do, then mentally start it, rehearse it, this will help you choose words and arguments that will help you achieve your goal.
Step 5. Think about the other person's intentions
For a conversation to be fair and balanced, everyone needs to be open to it and be clear about their values, intentions and goals. If your intentions do not match the intentions of the person you are trying to do business with, problems are inevitable. Try to find out in advance what your interlocutor would like to get from the transaction. But be careful, your interlocutor may carefully hide his goals and say what you want to hear.
Step 6. Before talking, think about something pleasant
You need to conduct a conversation with an expression of kindness, understanding and interest on your face. But if you don't actually feel those feelings, fake emotions will look terrible. There is a little secret: before talking, think about something pleasant, remember the people you love and respect. These thoughts will give your look softness, cause a slight half-smile, and such a facial expression will subconsciously evoke a feeling of trust in your interlocutor.
Step 7 Watch for nonverbal cues
Always look at the person you are talking to. Stay focused and try not to be distracted by other thoughts. If the interlocutor does not say something or wants to deceive you, he, of course, will carefully hide it, but for a split second he may forget himself and give himself away with a facial expression or gesture. Of course, you will only be able to find out that he is deceiving you, but, unfortunately, you will not be able to find out the reason for the deception.
Step 8 Be a friendly person
Start the conversation with a compliment that sets a friendly tone, and end with a compliment that expresses your appreciation for the conversation. Of course, compliments should not sound like undisguised flattery. So ask yourself: what do I really value in this person?
Step 9 Add warmth to your voice
Try to speak in a lower voice. The interlocutor will react to such a voice with great confidence. When we are angry, when we are excited or scared, our voice involuntarily sounds higher and sharper, its volume and rate of speech constantly changes. Therefore, a low voice will signal to the interlocutor about your calmness and confidence as a leader.
Step 10 Speak slowly
Speaking a little slower helps people understand you better without having to strain to catch every word, which makes them respect you. It is not so easy to learn to speak slowly, because many of us have been chattering since childhood. But you have to try, because slow speech calms the interlocutor, while fast speech causes irritation.
Step 11 Brevity is the soul of wit
Break your speech into chunks of 30 seconds or less. There is no need to make incredible proposals. Our brain is able to absorb information well only in micro-portions. Say one or two sentences, and then pause, make sure the person understands you. If he is silent and does not ask questions, you can continue, one or two more sentences and a pause.
Step 12 Listen carefully
Focus your attention on the interlocutor; everything is important to you: his words, their emotional coloring, his gestures and facial expressions. When he pauses, respond to what he said. Don’t forget to listen to your intuition during a conversation.
And the last piece of advice: take up meditation, which strengthens the nervous system and helps you relax; this practice will be useful to you during boring conversations.
TO The Ola Peninsula is not so far from the Central region and has good roads along which you can quickly get to the most beautiful natural places and historical monuments. There are also many impassable roads leading to even more beautiful places and monuments. In general, Kola has everything to become a real Mecca of off-road tourism. Actually, he became one a long time ago, and only the completely lazy did not go in his SUV to the Khibiny Mountains or to the Tersky Coast. And on the Rybachy Peninsula, it’s time to install a turnstile at the entrance, given the number of tourists arriving there every year. What am I talking about? Moreover, today you won’t surprise anyone with stories about the sights of the Kola Peninsula, and I won’t even try to do this. We will talk about something completely different. I was prompted to write this material by comments on social networks, where I recently posted a photo from the Arctic Circle with the simple caption “our friendly company of twenty cars...”. Over the course of several days, many people I knew and didn’t know wrote that it was difficult even in theory to lead such a large group along such a long route without missing deadlines, changing the approved direction and incessant swearing, and in practice it was completely impossible. What made these comments most poignant was the fact that most of them appeared after we had safely completed the entire planned route and returned home on time. But even when I reported that everything generally went smoothly, people did not stop arguing and proving that this was impossible. And since, as it turned out, we were born to make a fairy tale come true, I decided to write about how exactly it is necessary to organize movement in a column and camp life so that the impossible becomes possible.
Let's start with the track. On stretches, a convoy of twenty cars, moving at a speed of 90 km/h and without passing traffic, stretches for about one and a half kilometers. As soon as slow-moving vehicles begin to be overtaken, or active traffic participants within the convoy bypass slower ones, the distance from the leading vehicle to the trailing vehicle increases to several kilometers. But this does not mean at all that the general organization of the group’s movement is disrupted. Because the entire column was initially divided into stars, as in our Soviet-October childhood. And each such star has its own counselor, whose tasks include ensuring that his group does not stretch, inform by radio about the distance to oncoming cars when overtaking, and generally maintain order in a separate team of five cars. In this case, the lead machine conducts constant radio exchange with the trailing machine and, if necessary, with the sprocket drivers. The remaining participants in the column go on air only in case of force majeure. Because if each of the twenty crews continuously chatters on universal topics, then it will be impossible to get on the air with really important information, so you can forget about organizing traffic. The second most important point is the order of movement. It must be constant throughout the route, so that each driver in the convoy clearly knows which car is in front of him and which is behind him. Losing someone during maneuvers and lane changes is unacceptable.
When driving off-road, the same rules apply. Each star is absolutely self-sufficient and overcomes obstacles on its own. And having passed them, it moves on, without waiting for the entire column to pass through the ford or deep ruts. To do this, each group includes both trained off-road vehicles with experienced crews, and standard vehicles with novice pilots. Thus, the former take care of the latter. Needless to say, star commanders must have both off-road experience and leadership abilities in equal measure?
“Well, that’s obvious,” you say, “but what if, for example, someone breaks down?” Sometimes it happens. When we were walking along the Tersky coast, the tensioner roller bearing in one of the SUVs fell apart. At the scene of the breakdown, two more cars remained with him - an experienced mechanic who volunteered to help with the repairs, and the closing one. The rest of the column continued to move, and during a long camp stop on the shores of the White Sea, near the mouth of the Kuzomen River, the group that completed the repairs caught up with the main column, and the vehicles took their places according to the staffing schedule.
“Okay,” you say, “but if the breakdown cannot be fixed on the spot, then what – stop the car?” No, this happened too. In the Revda area, in another SUV, the front crankshaft oil seal broke. The next day, while the group was climbing to the Geologists Pass, two cars (one a tug with a rigid coupling, the second for insurance) dragged the broken one to Murmansk, where the necessary repairs were quickly made. So this situation did not delay movement along the route at all.
The biggest challenge for the group is organizing a camp. This is especially difficult in the conditions of the Kola Peninsula, where rocky terrain and taiga make it very difficult to accommodate so many people and cars in one place. Therefore, every evening when setting up camp, the same ritual took place, which I call “Tetris”. Having chosen a suitable location, I first had to determine where the field kitchen, tent and tables would be located, after which all the free space around was filled with cars. Moreover, sometimes they had to be driven one after another into narrow gaps between the trees. In order for everything to go smoothly, only one thing was required - discipline. And with this we are always in complete order! No one jumped the line, no one tried to choose a place on their own and block the passage of others. Therefore, in ten to fifteen minutes, a long-tailed car snake stretched out on a country road was safely placed around a small clearing with a dining room in the center.
And then the usual camp bustle began, but it also had to be clearly organized. In each crew of two people (and these, as a rule, are the majority), one was responsible for household needs. He went to the person in charge of the entire camp and found out exactly what he needed to do. And he immediately got involved in the work - arranging tables, peeling mushrooms and vegetables, cutting salads, in general, doing what was assigned. The tourist working masses, with competent leadership, are a great force, so no more than half an hour passed after setting up camp, and the team was already sitting at the laid tables, consuming snacks while waiting for hot dishes, merrily sizzling in two large cauldrons on powerful gas burners. At the same time, I want to note that the group did not break up into separate groups and did not sit gloomily and separately at small tables near their cars. All the tables were lined up in a row, and three dozen people were dining and socializing in a single space. And in the morning everything was repeated in the reverse order - first, breakfast was quickly prepared, then the camp was set up, and then cars began to leave the forest one after another to line up, take their place in the column, and continue the planned route. So two weeks and five thousand kilometers passed. Fun, friendly, single file over the horizon. Without quarrels, insults and schedule delays.
Well, my dears, still don’t believe that this is possible?
Useful tips
In the modern world, a person feels like a squirrel in a wheel. Many people live by stereotypes and habits established in society.
However, be that as it may, even the busiest person has a little free time during the day.
Have you ever thought about how many interesting things you could do if you used your free time profitably?
Here 10 great ways to spend your free time.
Don't do anything
This, of course, sounds strange, but why not? Every person is free to decide what to do and how to spend your free time. However, many of us devote too much time to work, which negatively affects our health and rhythm of life in general.
But the human body needs time to restore strength after physical or mental stress. He cannot constantly work for wear and tear.
Therefore, at least sometimes allow yourself the so-called “doing nothing”, enjoy the feeling of complete physical and mental relaxation. Try not to think about anything. Know that a state of complete lightheadedness has a healing effect.
Remember! It's okay to do nothing when you have free time during the day.
Get enough sleep
Healthy and restful sleep- this is the most useful state that a person needs. Therefore, approximately 30% of a person’s entire life is in this state. As numerous studies have shown, it is Most diseases occur due to lack of sleep.
Therefore, for the normal functioning of the body, it is extremely necessary to get a good night's sleep, which is what you need to do in your free time from work. In this case, the duration of night sleep should be at least 8 hours. We should not forget about the healing daytime sleep.
Benefits of sleep:
- Recuperation
- Restoration of nervous system cells
- Prevention of diseases such as apathy, depression, chronic fatigue
- Strengthening the immune system
- Accelerating the healing process.
Meditate
Even short meditation throughout the day, clearing your thoughts and consciousness can make a big difference. After all, it helps to look at the problem from the other side, and, therefore, solve this or that issue more competently.
It is better to indulge in reflection in a calm and relaxing environment, and not, for example, while driving a car, since in such a situation you need to fully concentrate on the process of driving a car (although if you are a passenger, then you have an excellent opportunity immerse yourself in the power of fantasy).
Take a short break from work to focus on some pleasant illusion.
Feel the warmth in your body. Imagine how the oxygen you breathe restores every cell of the body, improving the functioning of the muscular and nervous systems. These thoughts will help restore mental and physical balance.
It should also be noted that positive thoughts attract into our lives favorable events and changes.
Listen to your favorite music
Music is the best way to pass the time and feel a surge of pleasant emotions. Today, electronic technologies make it possible to listen to music almost everywhere and always. If you are one of the passionate music lovers, then do not deprive yourself of pleasure listen to your favorite music.
Such a pastime can inspire and motivate a person to be productive.
Each song or melody carries a certain sign, experience or information. Try listening to the positive vibrations of live music.
By the way, it has long been proven that soft classical music can have great healing effects on the human mind and body.
Read good books
Reading books has always been a smart and rewarding way to spend your free time. The human brain is like a theater, as it is full of numerous thoughts and images. With the help of a book, you can plunge into the world that is described in a story or story. You will be able to feel the atmosphere of the era described in the book.
Besides, Reading is a great way to develop your mind, which all successful people know, in whose lives, despite the lack of time, there is always a place for reading their favorite book. If you still think that reading is an old-fashioned way of self-development, then you are seriously mistaken.
And don’t think that books are too bulky and inconvenient to use, because now almost all phones support applications with which you can read any books, not to mention an e-reader, which is extremely convenient for reading and storing many books in electronic form .
Play sports
There is always a free minute for a few simple exercises. This is the best thing you can do for your body.
There are quite a few types of gymnastics. One day you can set aside time for breathing exercises, in the other - gymnastics for the eyes, this is especially true for office workers who spend the whole day at the computer.
Know that exercise increases blood flow to muscles and organs. Even five minutes of exercise will make you feel better and lift your spirits.
Clean houses
Sometimes very useful to get rid of everything old and unnecessary things, and each of us has a lot of such things.
Putting things in order– an excellent way to combat negative emotions and even depression, as proven by numerous studies. Yes, yes, it is ordinary housework that helps to distract from obsessive thoughts.
Psychologists say that by parting with old things that remind us of some event (even a joyful and bright one), we say goodbye to the past and thereby open the way to a new bright future.
Meet your friends
If you want not only to spend time usefully, but also to receive a charge of positive energy, then be sure to organize meeting with friends. A walk in the park together, a game of volleyball, or just a friendly get-together in a cafe will definitely do you good.
Pay attention to yourself
It just so happens that in the pursuit of wealth and social status, we often forget about ourselves and those little joys that make life more interesting and fulfilling. But in vain!
Ordinary going to the hairdresser or spa– a great option to relax after a hard week of work. Men won't give up visiting a bathhouse or sauna.