| How to Look People in the Eye Posted: 01 Apr 2017 05:00 PM PDT Making good eye contact is a surprisingly difficult yet essential part of good communication skills. If you want to improve your ability to look people in the eye, you can practice making eye contact on your own and in conversations to give the right impression. Doing so can make you a better listener, make you a more effective speaker, and help you to cultivate a more convincing presence. EditPracticing in Conversation - Try and relax as much as possible. As with anything else, the more you think about what you're doing, the more self-conscious you'll become and the more awkward you'll feel. Your nervousness can then be misinterpreted as dishonesty, and you'll lose ground on the good progress you've made.
- Typically, making eye contact is more difficult as the person you're talking to is more authoritative or intimidating. Unfortunately, these are also typically the times you'll need to show confidence in order to gain the full attention of your audience, making it more important than ever to relax.
- If you're going into an important conference or interview, do some breathing exercises beforehand to get your heart rate to slow and let the oxygen relax you. A few big, full, deep breaths can do a lot to calm you down.
- Focus on one eye. It's actually physically somewhat difficult to keep your eyes locked on both of another person's eyes. It's more common to actually focus on one, or on a spot on the face, rather than trying to look at both eyes at once.
- If it helps, try moving back and forth between the two eyes, rather than staying focused on one. Keep focused on one for 10 seconds or so, then switch to the other.
- Find a nearby spot to fix your gaze. Looking at the bridge of the nose, an eyebrow, or just below the eyes will give the illusion of eye contact, without the intimidation of making actual eye contact. The other person won't be able to tell the difference, and you'll be able to focus on more important listening skills to be a good conversationalist.
- Break your gaze to nod, or make other gestures while listening. You need to break your gaze every now and then, and it helps to be making another gesture when you do, rather than just looking away because you feel uncomfortable. It's good to break eye contact when you're laughing, or to nod and smile. This looks natural and comfortable, as well as providing you a needed break if necessary.
- Try to keep your eyes focused while you talk as well as listen. It's one thing to look while you're listening, but it's much more difficult to keep eye contact while you're also trying to think of things to say. Don't be afraid if you have to break your gaze occasionally, but try to keep your face and eyes forward and up as you're talking.
- Looking up when you're talking is sometimes thought to suggest that you're lying, while looking down is sometimes thought to signify confusion on your part. For this reason, it's usually best to look straight ahead, even if you're feeling uncomfortable and can't keep your eyes making contact. Look at the other person's ear, or chin, or anywhere but up or down.
EditPracticing at Home - Use practice sessions to remind yourself to make eye contact. A big part of making eye-contact is just remembering that you're supposed to. If your natural inclination is to stare down at your shoes, try to practice when you're alone to realign your natural response to gaze down by focusing your eyes on faces. This can be done on television, in the mirror, or in a variety of other ways.
- Practice on the television. One of the most readily available ways of practicing your eye-contact is to do it when you're alone, watching television. Focus on making eye contact with the characters on the screen and practicing the same skills to transfer them to your real-life conversations.
- Obviously eye-contact with faces on television will feel very different than making eye contact with real people. The point of the exercise is to practice the skill, not to approximate the feeling.
- Try watching video blogs. If you don't have a television, try looking up YouTube vlogs and other videos in which people make eye-contact with the screen. This can make the eye-contact feel a lot more real. These videos are widely available and free, and are actually somewhat better at approximating what it's like to make eye contact during a conversation.
- Try video chatting. If you have a close friend who you enjoy talking to, try using Skype or use another type of video chat to practice your eye contact. This is usually somewhat easier than in person, since you've got a computer screen between you.
- Practice looking into your own eyes in the mirror. Again, it won't feel the same as making eye contact with another person, but you can practice training your eyes to drift toward the eyes you see back in the mirror, rather than deflecting them, if you practice looking at your gaze in the mirror. Just taking a few minutes before or after a shower can help you train yourself to make eye-contact, rather than avert your eyes.[1]
- Learn to fake eye contact if you have a disability or condition that makes it hard. Autistic people, people with anxiety disorders, and others may find eye contact frightening or overwhelming. Don't sacrifice your ability to have a pleasant conversation.
- Look at an area near their eyes, such as their nose, mouth, or chin.
- If they notice that you aren't making eye contact (which is unlikely), say something like "Eye contact is difficult for me. I find that I can listen to you better if I don't have to look directly into your eyes."
- Take it slow. You don't have to transition from feeling awkward and as if you've got shifty eye contact to suddenly drilling eye-lasers into the people you're having conversation lists. In fact, this can actually be somewhat disconcerting. You're probably already making some degree of eye-contact, but if it's something that you're trying to work on, take it slowly.
- If you make one extra effort to lock eyes during a conversation each day, call it a success. You don't have to sit through extra-long conversations made up entirely of locked eyes to feel like you're making progress.[2]
EditGiving the Right Impression - Practice other good listening skills. During the conversation, if you focus completely on what that person is saying, you can worry less about making eye contact correctly. Nodding, repeating important bits of information, using open body language, and other active listening skills are just as important to a conversation, if not more so, than good eye contact. To listen actively, it's important that you:
- Sit forward in your chair
- Nod along
- Listen closely and repeat important information
- Process what's being said
- Don't just wait for your turn to speak
- Respond accurately to what is said
- Find a happy medium. When you are listening, you should have eye contact for 80% of the time and the other part should be short breaks and a little head movement to say without saying that you are listening. Be calm and don't over think it to keep things as natural as possible.
- Avoid staring. Eye contact is good, but a dead-eyed, laser-locked gaze is just creepy. Stay relaxed and don't stare. Remind yourself that you are hoping to have a pleasant conversation with this person, and there will be no need to be anxious or worried.
- Show eye magnetism. Try not to look away instantly when something else calls for your attention. If somebody calls you, don't look away as if you just got rescued from a boring conversation. Instead, slightly hesitate before looking at your caller.
- Looking away then quickly looking back is also a good idea. Remember though, important disruptions such as dangerous or priority interruptions warrant instant attention.
- Smile with your eyes. Keep your eyebrows relaxed, or your eye contact can look suspicious or intimidating, even if you're doing a good job remembering it. Try to keep your eyes open as much as possible, avoiding a squint, which can communicate that you dislike what the other person is saying, or a furrowed brow, which can communicate anger..
- Go to the mirror and look at your eyes while you smile, and while you frown, or grimace. See the difference in what your eyes do? Practice keeping your eyes like you're smiling, even if you're not.
- Always make eye contact in job interviews. Eye contact and good listening is especially important when you are at a job interview, but also any time you want to communicate attentiveness and respect. Potential employers might think that you're hiding something or you're not confident if you struggle to make eye contact, which can hurt your chances.
- Make eye contact on dates. Eye contact communicates interest and respect, two things that you want to make sure you establish on any good date. When you're out with someone you're interested in, try making eye contact as much as possible. Windows to the soul.
- Making eye contact can also be a great way of judging your partner's interest, but don't jump to conclusions. If you see your partner struggling to keep eye contact, it might be because they can't wait to go home, or because they're just as nervous as you.
- Make eye contact when you want to prove a point. If you're having an argument or other heated discussion, it can be tempting to want to avert your eyes. This communicates a lack of confidence, or a deferral to the person you're having the conversation with, which is something you hope to avoid. If you're in any kind of disagreement, locking eyes is an assertive gesture that helps you to communicate the confidence that what you say is true.[3]
- If someone is trying to intimidate you, they want you to look away. Frustrate them by refusing. Stare right back.
- You can practice by imagining the person's face while talking on the phone or chatting online.
- If you can't maintain eye contact because you're bored, wait for a pause in the conversation and then change the topic.
- Short but frequent eye contact is least likely to cause offense.
- Use a polite excuse to withdraw from the conversation: "Oh, I didn't realize the time! I'm sorry; I have to dash off to an appointment. It's been so nice talking to you."
- Imagine you are the other person who is already confident in making eye contact. Imagine how important it is for them to make sure who they are talking to, keeps good eye contact with them.
- If you try the look-in-the-eyebrow-or-bridge-of-the-nose, make sure those are the only parts you are looking at. Do not dash your eyes around their face. It looks like you're staring at their blemishes, pimples, blackheads, burns, skin deformities, moles, etc.
- Simply gaze at the other person's eyes; don't stare! Staring intensely will make you look phony, or worse, like an obsessed stalker! And remember, be confident!
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| How to Fix a Rotated Screen Posted: 01 Apr 2017 09:00 AM PDT Most operating systems offer a screen rotation option to help you set up an external monitor. This can go badly wrong when a user accidentally enables it on the main display, flipping the screen upside down or rotating it sideways. Learn how to fix the problem using shortcuts or menu options. EditQuick Fix  - Press ctrl, alt, and a direction key. Some graphics cards assign the hotkey + + to flip the screen upside down. To reverse this, press + + . Use the same key combination with or to reverse a screen flipped right or left.
- Some graphics cards use + + instead.[1]
- You may need to use the Alt key to the right of the spacebar, sometimes labeled .[2]
- Fix rotation manually. Computers running Windows 7 or later have an option to switch between portrait and landscape mode. Fix this as follows:[3]
- Right-click your Desktop.
- In the drop-down menu, select (Windows 10) or (Windows 7 or 8).
(Alternatively, go to → → , then select or .) - Click the Orientation drop-down menu and change it to Portrait or Landscape, depending on your monitor setup.
- Click Apply to rotate your screen back to normal.
- Access your graphics card options. If nothing else works, you may need to access your graphics card settings. Depending on which card you have, you may find this under Graphics Options, Graphics Properties, Nvidia Control Panel, Catalyst Control Center, or Intel Control Center. You can either locate this using the search bar, or (usually) right-click your Desktop and select it from the drop-down menu.
- Change the rotation setting. There is no standard menu arrangement in graphics card menus, so you may need to search a little. On some graphics cards, the "Rotation" or "Orientation" setting is in the Displays Manager menu.
- You may need to select "advanced options" to find this setting.
- If you're not sure why your screen rotated, you may have accidentally pressed a keyboard shortcut. Look for a Hotkeys menu item and disable it.
- Hold down command and option. Press and hold and . Continue holding these keys down for the rest of this process.
- If you are using a Windows keyboard with your Mac, hold down + instead.
- Open System Preferences. Click the apple symbol in the top left corner of your screen. Select from the drop-down menu.
- If System Preferences was already open, you may need to quit and relaunch it while pressing the keys.
- Go to the Display settings. Click . Continue to press both keys.
- If you have multiple displays, select the problem monitor in the list of options before you continue.
- Change the rotation settings. Holding down these keys unlocks the rotation options in the Display settings. Select from the Rotation drop-down menu to return to the default display.[4]
- If no Rotation option appears, your hardware does not support Apple's built-in rotation settings. Check your Applications folder for third-party software that may have rotated your screen.
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| How to Drain Sinuses Posted: 01 Apr 2017 01:00 AM PDT Sinus congestion due to an upper respiratory infection or allergies can be annoying, but it can also affect your ability to get quality sleep and impact your productivity at work. Prolonged sinus congestion can lead to sinus infections. These conditions can cause symptoms such as nasal congestion, thick green or purulent nasal discharge, facial pain, pressure headaches, cough, and a low grade fever. If you are dealing with nasal congestion, there are many ways you can drain your sinuses. EditUsing Home Remedies - Breathe in steam. Steam is one of the best ways to get your sinuses to drain. To produce enough steam to help, go into the bathroom and turn on the hot water in the shower, closing the door to keep the steam inside. Remain in the bathroom with the hot water running for three to five minutes. The nasal secretions should be loose and ready to be blown out of your nose after this time. You can also place your head over a large bowl of just boiled water and cover your head with a towel to hold in the steam. Breathe this for about 10 minutes, or until you feel your nasal congestion get better.
- If you feel dizziness during either method, step into fresh air, have a seat, and breath normally. This will pass. It is not anything to be alarmed about and will resolve in a few minutes.[1]
- You can use essential oils such as lavender, eucalyptus, and peppermint in the bathroom as well. They have shown promise in their natural decongestant properties and may prove beneficial. Eucalyptus oil has been shown to have decongestant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties, which should help to clear your sinuses and aid in prevention of a sinus infection.[2] To use, drop five to 10 drops of the oil in the tub or bowl of water.
- Keep essential oils away from children. They can cause serious problems and possibly death if ingested or used in the wrong way.[3]
- Buy a humidifier. Sometimes, your sinuses may be really dry, which can add to sinus congestion. Humidifiers can help much in the same way as steam. Keep it on while you are around the house or while you sleep in order for it to increase the moisture level in your nose and help loosen nasal secretions.
- You can apply around five drops of essential oils such as eucalyptus or peppermint into your humidifier water to help with your congestion. Eucalyptus oil has antimicrobial, decongestant, and anti-inflammatory properties that can help your condition.[4][5]
- Use a warm compresses. Heat can also help your nasal congestion and drain your sinuses. Take a moist washcloth and place it in the microwave for two to three minutes. The temperature should be hot but tolerable. Place the cloth across your nose and allow it to sit until the heat is gone. Repeat this as needed. It should loosen secretions and permit clearance from your nose with blowing.
- Use care not to burn yourself as you remove the washcloth from the microwave. All microwaves are different and yours may have heated the cloth too hot.[6]
- Make saline spray. Saline spray is beneficial in loosening nasal congestion. To make your own, mix 8oz of warm water with one half teaspoon of salt in a bowl. To administer it, buy a bulb suction device at the store. Place the long end of the bulb suction device in the bowl of solution, push on it to release water, then let the bulb go so the bulb will fill. Next, place the small end in your nose and administer two sprays into each nostril to add the liquid to your nasal secretions, which will facilitate blowing.
- You may also buy saline (non-medicated) nasal sprays and drops at the pharmacy.[7] You can use nasal saline sprays every few hours as there is no medicine in them to worry about. Nasal saline drops are very safe and effective even for babies.
- Use a neti pot. A neti pot is a miniature tea pot shaped device can cleanse your sinus passages by flooding warm water through one nostril and out the other. To use, fill the pot with warm water around 120 degrees. Tilt your head to the left and a little bit back and place the spout of the pot at your right nostril. Raise the pot up and pour water into your right nostril. It will drain out the left nostril.
- Make sure the water is clean and sterile. Boil the water beforehand to warm it and remove all the impurities if you are unsure about the safety of your water supply.[8]
- Drink or eat hot substances. There are drinks and food that can help with your sinus issues. Try hot tea, which will have a similar effect to steam. The heat from the tea will heat up your sinus passages and help them drain. Any type of tea you prefer is fine, though peppermint and lavender may have additional benefits with sinus congestion.
- Also change up the way you eat. Try hot salsa, hot peppers, hot wings, or any food you prefer that has a spicy kick to it. The added heat to your system will help heat up your sinuses and get your secretions running.
- Hot soup or broth can also help loosen the sinuses.[9]
- Exercise. Although you may not feel like exercising when you have sinus congestion, the physical activity can help increase the flow of the mucus in your sinuses, which will help with the clearance of nasal secretions. Try some aerobic exercise for 15 to 20 minutes to help you.
- If you are allergic to pollen or other outside substances, try exercising inside at a gym or at home to avoid increases exposure to irritating allergens.[10]
- Perform a manual massage. Sometimes, you can use your hand to help drain your sinuses. Apply gentle pressure using your index and middle fingers, rotating in a circular motion over the forehead, the bridge of your nose, beside your eyes, and under your eyes. Use an oil such as rosemary oil along your forehead to help open up your sinus passages.
- This manual manipulation can manually or structurally break up secretions as well as warm the area with the action of your hands.[11]
EditSeeking Medical Help - Try medications. There are many medications, both over the counter and prescription, that can help relieve nasal congestion in your sinuses. Flonase and Nasacort are nasal steroid sprays that are available over-the-counter. To use, administer one spray per nostril, once or twice daily. This is especially helpful if you have allergies. You may also try Zyrtec, which is a non-drowsy antihistamine, which can reduce sinus congestion. Take 10 mg once a day. Also try Claritin, another non-drowsy antihistamine that may work well for you. Take 10 mg once a day. Oral decongestants that include pseudoephedrine may also be helpful.
- If the over the counter doses don't work for you, talk to your doctor about stronger version of these medications or other, prescription only decongestants that may work better for your case.[12]
- OTC pain medications for the pain associated with sinus congestion, such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen, may also help.[13]
- Nasal decongestants, such as Afrin, can quickly reduce sinus congestion, but should only be used for three days. If you use them longer, you may get rebound symptoms.[14]
- Pregnant women or people with medical problems such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, or thyroid disease should not use these medications without talking to their doctor. And talk to your child's doctor before giving them to children.
- Ask your doctor about immunotherapy. If you have severe chronic allergies that cause your sinus issues, consider immunotherapy to eliminate your sinus congestion. Immunotherapy is the process by which you are administered small doses of what you are allergic to, such as pollen, mold, or pet dander, either by injections or under the tongue. The first step is to get tested by an allergist, who will figure out exactly what you are allergic to. Once your doctor has confirmed what you are allergic to, he or she will begin to administer the allergen as injections or under your tongue. The doctor gives you doses of the allergen with the idea that your body will learn to adapt to the allergen, no longer see it as an invader, and no longer continue to mount an immune response, such as the sinus congestion or a runny nose.
- The injections or treatments will take place weekly for the first four to six months. Next, you should be at the maintenance level and require treatment every two to four weeks. Gradually you will go longer and longer between treatments until you only need them once a month. After one year, if you have responded to therapy, you will have either no symptoms or be much improved and your treatments can continue for three to five years, when you should be completely immune to the allergen.
- If you haven't responded, the immunotherapy will be terminated.
- This treatment is time consuming and can be expensive, but many people are turning to this therapy because it removes their sinus congestion and improves their quality of life.[15]
- Seek medical attention. There are certain situations when a doctor may be needed. If you have had symptoms of a head cold for more than two weeks, you should see your doctor to check for a larger issue such as a bacterial infection. If there is a change from your usual allergy secretions and symptoms for a week, it is reasonable to seek treatment if you are worsening on day seven instead of improving.
- Occasionally, sinus congestion can lead to a bacterial sinus infection, and your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic at that time. Sinus surgery is rarely needed for chronic sinus congestion or infections.
- If you are bleeding from your sinuses, if your sinus congestion is associated with headaches that are severe or with high fevers, confusion, neck stiffness, or weakness, or if any symptom increases after the use of any home remedy, see your doctor immediately.[16]
- Drainage from sinus congestion can trigger symptoms in people with asthma or other lung problems. See your doctor right away if you have a cough, wheezing, chest pain, or shortness of breath associated with your sinus congestion.
- Drinking plenty of fluids, reducing caffeine and alcohol, and sleeping with your head elevated may also help.
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