| How to Relieve Stress by Stretching Posted: 15 Feb 2021 04:00 PM PST When you're feeling really stressed out, one of the best ways to make yourself feel better quickly is to do a few stretches combined with some deep breathing. Breathing deeply and stretching your muscles can help calm your mind and relax your body. There are also some stretches that can help specifically with stress reduction. Give a few a try and you may feel a whole lot better afterward. [Edit]Neck and Back - Drop your chin and push on the back of your head to stretch your neck. Target the back of your neck, which can often hold a lot of stressful tension, by leaning your head forward, moving your chin toward your chest. Place your hands on the back of your head and gently push down until you feel a slight stretch. Breathe steadily while you hold the stretch for about 20-30 seconds and then slowly release it.[1]
- Take long, slow breaths while you stretch.
- Repeat the stretch 2-5 times.
- Bring your ear to your shoulder to stretch your upper trapezius. Focus on the side of your neck and your upper trapezius (the large upper back muscle located behind your neck and shoulders) by slowly leaning your head to 1 side, bringing your ear toward your shoulder. Hold a gentle stretch for about 30 seconds and then release it and do the stretch on the opposite side so you're balanced.[2]
- A lot of folks carry stress in their shoulders and trapezius, so this stretch may be a helpful solution.
- If you're seated, you can hold onto the chair with 1 hand to stabilize yourself.
- Stretch each side twice for a deep, relaxing stretch.
- For a deeper stretch, interlace your fingers behind your back.[3]
- Round your back and push your hands forward to stretch your upper back. Clasp your hands in front of you and hold your arms parallel to the floor. Keep your head nice and relaxed and round your upper back. Push your hands forward away from your body as far as you can until you feel a deep, tension-relieving stretch in your upper back. Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds and then gently release it.[4]
- You may not even have noticed how much tension you've been holding in your back while you're stressed. Use this movement to help release it.
- Make sure you don't hold your breath during the stretch.
- Repeat this stretch 2-5 times until you feel like your upper back is loosened up and relaxed.
- Lie down and pull your knees to your chest to stretch your lower back. Lay down on the floor or on top of a mat so you're flat on your back. Pull your knees into your chest and focus on breathing and releasing any tension you're holding in your muscles. Hold the position for about 30 seconds and then gently release it.[5]
- Cross 1 foot over the other knee to stretch your glutes. Your glutes can hold a lot of tension if you're stressed, and stretching it out can help release it. Sit with your feet flat on the ground and bring your left foot over your right knee to create a figure four shape. Then, gently press on your left knee to stretch your glute. Hold the stretch for a few seconds, then release it.[6]
- Try out a few reps on each leg to stretch your glutes evenly.
- If you want to deepen the stretch, lay on your back, cross 1 leg over the other, and hug your knee to your chest.[7]
- Extend 1 leg and reach over it to stretch your hamstring. Keep 1 leg bent at the knee and stretch the other leg straight out in front of you. Lean over your extended leg and reach as far as you can to stretch the hamstring of your extended leg. Hold the stretch for 10-15 seconds and then release it. Switch legs and repeat the stretch on the other side.[8]
- If you're tense and stressed, your hamstrings can hold a lot of extra tension. Stretching them out can help you relax and calm your mind.
- Try exhaling slowly as you release the stretch to ease your tension.
- Lie down and use a towel to pull your leg toward your chest. Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Extend 1 leg up toward the ceiling, but keep your knee slightly bent. Place a dish or hand towel behind the back of your extended leg or on the ankle and hold both ends of the towel. Gently pull the towel toward your chest to stretch the entire backside of your leg. Hold the stretch for about 20-30 seconds and then release it. Switch legs and repeat the stretch.[9]
- Don't put the towel behind your knee or you won't stretch your calves.
- Repeat the stretch 2-5 times on each leg.
- Kneel and push your hips forward to stretch your hip flexors. Get into a kneeling position with 1 knee bent in front of your body. Keep your chest up and your back straight and gently push your hips forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your hip. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and then repeat it on the other side.[10]
- Try stretching each side twice to really open up your hips.
[Edit]Stretching Tips - Breathe deeply and evenly while you stretch. Take long, slow breaths through your nose and slowly exhale out of your mouth with control. Avoid holding your breath while you stretch. Breathe deeply and evenly throughout each movement to help improve your flexibility and relax.[11]
- Try breathing exercises to help relax and ease your stress.
- The extra oxygen from deep breathing can help relieve stress and anxiety.
- Keep your stretches smooth and slow. Listen to your muscles as you stretch and try not to push them past their limits. Don't bounce or jerk while you stretch or it could lead to an injury. Instead, stretch slowly and focus on your breathing to improve your flexibility and relieve your stress.[12]
- A painful muscle injury is a surefire way to increase your stress! Take it easy and keep it smooth.
- Avoid stretching to the point of pain or discomfort. You should feel some slight tension and pull on the muscle that you're stretching, but there shouldn't be any pain. Find that tension and hold it to stretch in a healthy way that won't lead to injuries. If you do feel pain when you stretch, slowly back off and avoid stretching that area.[13]
- If the pain is persistent, see your doctor to make sure there isn't an underlying injury.
- Try yoga for a guided stretching and breathing practice. Yoga is an excellent combination of exercise, stretching, and breathing exercises that can be great for relieving stress. Look for a yoga studio in your area and check out a class to see if you like it. You can also use instructional videos or join online classes to try out some yoga at home.[14]
- Many yoga studios will let you check out your first class for free.
- Doing yoga with a licensed practitioner can help make sure you're doing the movements correctly.
- Aim to exercise for at least 15-20 minutes every day to help prevent stress. Exercise is important for staying healthy and reducing your stress. Plus, if you feel good, it may help you feel less anxious and stress out. Aim to walk at least a day or try out 15-20 minutes of vigorous exercise such as running, biking, or swimming.[15]
- Try adding in some strength training 2-3 times a week in addition to your stretching to have a balanced, healthy exercise program.
- Stretch before and after you exercise to keep your muscles healthy.
[Edit]Warnings - If you feel pain or discomfort, don't try to stretch through the pain. It could lead to further injury.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References |
| How to Quote a Book Posted: 15 Feb 2021 08:00 AM PST When you're writing an essay, using a quote can help validate your argument and make your writing stronger. Whether your paper is required to be in MLA or APA format, it's easy to quote and cite a book the right way. [Edit]Incorporating Quotations into Your Text - Be clear why you are using a quotation. A quotation should provide a new point of view, or bolster a point you are trying to make. Elaborate on the quoted text, provide context, and explain why it supports your argument.[1]
- Quotations are often used to support ideas that might be disputed or are not common knowledge. An idea like, "Most people never live to see 100," doesn't need to be backed up by a quotation, but something like, "Many writers have described the power of fiction," should probably be supported with quotations.
- One can sometimes emphasize a particular point by backing it up with a quotation from a particularly impressive author.
- Quotations can also add stylistic flare to your prose. For example, a sentence like, "When Shakespeare "shuffled off this mortal coil," he likely had no idea the impact his work would make on Western culture" is a bit more interesting than if the same sentence started simply, "When Shakespeare died…"
- Work them into your text so they read like normal sentences. To do this, you will usually use a signal phrase like, "According to the author," or something to that effect. Thus, "Nick Caraway describes humans as, "boats against the current,"" works, while "Nick Caraway has a sad view of people, "boats against the current,"" does not.[2]
- If you are having trouble deciding if you've incorporated a quotation correctly, try reading it aloud to yourself. It can be easier to tell if a sentence works when you speak it.
- Some examples of verbs used in signal phrases are claims, adds, writes, argues, asserts, confirms, points out, admits, concludes, observes, and implies.[3]
- Use brackets and ellipses to add or subtract words. Sometimes a quotation will support your argument perfectly, but be impossible to work into your text without making changes. In such cases, you will need to use brackets or ellipses.[4]
- Insert new words into quotations by putting them inside brackets.
- Remove existing words by replacing them with an ellipsis.
- Note that this is only appropriate if you maintain the basic meaning of the quotation. It should not be used to twist an author's words into something other than what she intended.
- As an example, one could change the Nabokov quotation, "…art--not an "escape" (which is only a cleaner cell on a quieter floor), but relief from the itch of being," into the sentence, "…art [is] not an "escape"…but relief from the itch of being."
[Edit]Quoting Books in MLA Format - Insert short quotations into the body of the paragraph. A quotation shorter than four lines of prose or three lines of verse does not need to be its own freestanding block of text. It can simply be incorporated into the paragraph in which you are using it. It should begin and end with double quotation marks.[5]
- Make long quotations into freestanding blocks of text. When quoting an excerpt longer than four lines of prose or three lines of verse, start by writing a signal phrase introducing the quotation, as you would with a shorter one. Begin the quotation on a new line below this.[6]
- Indent the whole quotation one inch from the left.
- Double-space it (in an MLA style research paper, everything should be double spaced).
- Do not use quotation marks.
- Include an in-text citation after the quotation. The author's last name and the page on which the quotation can be found should be included in parenthesis at the end of the quotation, before the next punctuation mark. This is called a parenthetical citation, and will help your reader locate the full citation in your bibliography or works cited page.[7]
- For example: "Maybe the best definition of art is simply "beauty plus pity" (Nabokov 251)."
- If you reference the author's name before the quotation, you don't need to repeat it in the parenthesis following the quote. For example: "Nabokov defined art as "beauty plus pity" (251)."
- Make a Works Cited page. This should begin on a separate page at the end of your research paper or essay. Label it "Works Cited," in centered, non-italic text (without the quotation marks) at the top of the page.[8]
- Double-space the page, but do not skip spaces between citations.
- Do not indent the first line of each citation, but indent all subsequent lines by 0.5 inches from the left.
- Put the full citation in your Works Cited page. Order your citations alphabetically by the authors' last names. The basic format of an MLA style book citation is: Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication.[9]
- There are many variations on this basic format based on factors like how many authors the book has, and whether it is something like anthology, an ebook, or a self-published book. If the book you are quoting does not fit neatly into this formula, consult a resource like The Purdue Online Writing Lab.[10]
[Edit]Quoting Books in APA Format - Insert short quotations into the body of the paragraph. A quotation shorter than forty words does not need to be its own freestanding block of text. It can simply be incorporated into the paragraph in which you are using it. It should begin and end with double quotation marks.[11]
- Make long quotations into freestanding blocks of text. When quoting an excerpt longer than forty words, start by writing a signal phrase introducing the quotation, as you would with a shorter one. Begin the quotation on a new line below this.[12]
- Indent the whole quotation 1/2 inch from the left.
- Double-space it (in an APA style paper, everything should be double spaced).
- Do not use quotation marks.
- Use a parenthetical citation. You need to cite the author, year of publication, and page number (preceded by "p.") The best way to do this is to use a signal phrase with the author's name in it, followed by the date of publication and the page number in parenthesis. For example: "Smith (2011) insists that, "Quoting books is not difficult, but it can take time to get the hang of" (p. 15)."[13]
- If the author's name is not included in the signal phrase, include the author's last name, the year of publication, and the page number (all separated by commas) in the parenthetical citation following the quotation. For example: "He insists that "Quoting books is not difficult, but it can take time to get the hang of" (Smith, 2011, p. 15)."
- Make a reference list. This should begin on a separate page at the end of your research paper or essay. Label it "References," in centered text (it should not be bold, italicized, underlined, or in quotation marks) at the top of the page.[14]
- Double-space the page, like the rest of the paper, but do not skip spaces between citations.
- Do not indent the first line of each citation, but indent all subsequent lines by 0.5 inches from the left.
- Put the full citation in your reference list. Order your citations alphabetically by the authors' last names. The basic format of an APA style book citation is: Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work. Location: Publisher.[15]
- There are many variations on this basic format based on factors like how many authors the book has, and whether it is something like anthology, an ebook, or a self-published book. If the book you are quoting does not fit neatly into this formula, consult a resource like The Purdue Online Writing Lab.[16]
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Play Tambola Posted: 15 Feb 2021 12:00 AM PST Tambola is a popular version of Bingo and Housie which is played widely across India and Pakistan. The caller reads out the numbers that are randomly drawn to the audience. The players cross the number off their ticket if they have it after each number is called out. If you think that you have a winning point, announce it quickly to make sure that you can claim the prize! [Edit]Organizing Tambola - Decide on the winning point for the game. The winning point of the game is the rule that determines how a player can win. The caller will let everyone know before playing the game what the winning point is. A popular winning point for tambola games is full house, which means that the ticket with all of the numbers struck first wins.[1]
- Early 5 is another common winning point option. The player who first strikes 5 numbers in any row wins. This is best if you only want to play a short game.
- First row is another winning point alternative. This means that the player who is first to strike all of the numbers along the top row wins.
- Corners is another winning point option if you want to play a short game. The player who can strike each number in the 4 corners of the ticket first, wins. This means that the first and last numbers of the top and bottom rows will be crossed out.
- There are many variations on what the winning point can be for the game. If you are organizing the game, feel free to make up your own winning point, or explore the many ideas available either online or with other tambola players.
- Designate a tambola caller. Choose a person who is confident and can speak loudly and clearly. They will be responsible for drawing out the numbers and calling them to the audience.[2]
- This person will also be responsible for verifying any potential winning tickets to make sure that the numbers are correct.
- The caller doesn't have to be the caller for all of the rounds. If you are playing multiple rounds of tambola, pick a different caller for each round so that everyone have have a turn to play.
- Give each player a tambola ticket, and a pen or a pencil. Each player will need a new ticket for each round. If you are playing informally with family or friends, hand a ticket out to each person. If you are playing a commercial game, each player will purchase their own ticket before the game begins.[3]
- Tambola tickets have 3 horizontal rows and 9 vertical columns, which makes 27 boxes in total. There are 5 numbers in each horizontal row, with the remaining 4 boxes randomly blocked out. The first column has numbers from 1-9, the second from 10-19, and so on, up to the number 90.[4]
- You can purchase tambola tickets online, or you can make your own using a random number generator.
- Make sure that each person has a pen or pencil before the game begins so that they can cross off the numbers as they are called.[5]
- Set up the box or container that holds the numbers. Place all of the numbers from 1-90 into the container. Make sure that the sides of the box aren't transparent so that the caller can't see what number they are drawing. Fit the lid to the box so that the caller can shake the box before calling each number.[6]
- If you are playing at a big, commercial game, there will usually be a machine that will draw the numbers for the caller.[7]
[Edit]Playing the Game - Draw a number and call it out to the audience if you are the caller. Shake the box containing the numbers, and choose 1 without looking at it. Read the number loudly and clearly to everyone playing, so that they can strike it off their ticket if necessary.[8]
- Some experienced callers like to use nicknames for the numbers that they read out to make the game more fun. However, they will always say the actual name for the number too.[9]
- Some nicknames for the numbers include "Lone ranger" for the number 1, "Colors of the rainbow" for the number 7, and "Valentine's Day" for the number 14.[10]
- If you play tambola regularly with family or friends, come up with your own nickname for each number to make the game more interesting.
- Strike the numbers off as they are called if you are playing the game. As the caller reads out each number, check the appropriate column to see if you can strike a number off. If you don't have the number that has been called out on your ticket, wait for the next number to be called.[11]
- Claim for the winning point if you think you have one. Be ready to stand up and shout if you think that you have won the game! Often you can only win the game if you announce that you have won immediately, rather than waiting until after the next number has been called.
- If you miss your chance to announce that you have won, you will usually miss out on your entitlement to the prize.
- More than 1 person may realize that they have the winning point after a number is called. In this case, the first person to announce it goes to the caller to have their ticket verified.
- Verify the winning point if you are the caller. Check the tambola ticket to see if the winning point has been awarded by the last number called. Announce to the group playing if that particular player has won or not.[12]
- If the player has won, this often ends the game. However you can decide to keep playing if you want to draw for second and third prizes.
- If the player doesn't have a winning point, keep calling numbers and playing the game until someone wins.
- Award the prize to the winner. If there are prizes for the winning ticket or tickets, give these out to the players. The prizes are usually cash.
- For an informal game with family or friends, you can be more creative with the prizes. Try a voucher to a local restaurant, a delicious treat, a flower bouquet, or a certificate with the winners name on it.
- Tambola game kits including tickets, numbers, and the number box can be purchased online.[13]
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
No comments:
Post a Comment