Oops!! Smart Phones aren't smart after-all!!

Looking down at our phones isn't just making us bump into one another, it's also exerting a damaging amount of weight onto the back of heads and necks, says scientists.

How much weight exactly? Twenty seven kilograms is the most recent estimate according to a study published in the journal Surgical Technology International.

That's about the same weight as four full-size bowling balls or - to use a more relevant comparison - 200 iPhones. All piled up on the back of your head.

Dr Kenneth Hansraj, the spinal and orthopaedic surgeon behind the study, says it's become increasingly common for patients suffering from back and neck pain to report hours spent hunched over smartphones and tablets.

"You can call it an epidemic. Wherever you go, just look around: People are heads down into their phones, especially teenagers," Hansraj told NBC news.

The extra pressures is created by weight of the human head and the angle of the neck and spine. The average head weighs around 5kg and this weight increases massively as people hunch over: a sixty degree bend adds an extra 22kg of strain.

"These stresses may lead to early wear, tear, degeneration, and possible surgeries," writes Hansraj.


What texting does to your neck. (Image credit: Surgical Technology International)

Hansraj's advice is simple: be aware of your movements. You don't necessarily have to bring your gadgets up to eye-level to use them, but don't crane over them all the time.

Similarly, try exercises such as touching your ears to your shoulders or pushing your head against your hands, to bring some flexibility and strength back to your neck.

As computing becomes a mobile activity for more and more of us (and that includes slouching on the sofa with a tablet) neck difficulties seem set to join 'texting thumb' in the technology 'hall of pain'. Bring on those brain implants instead.

Courtesy - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Texting-neck-Using-smartphone-can-be-damaging-to-your-back-expert-claims/articleshow/45323923.cms

The Happy Life!!

I recently came across a quote that read, "It's not our abilities that show us who we truly are; it's our choices". True to the core. You can't change the situation you face, the only thing you can change is how you choose to deal with it. And that's where self conscience takes front and makes you do what you want to. Whenever your heart and mind lock in conflict, just do what you consider right, rather than desirable. You will never live to regret it. 

Focus on what you wish to tell yourself;  it helps you transcend the self and connect to yourself. Learn to forgive others and more importantly, yourself. Neither blame nor pity anyone. We all make mistakes; what is important is not to repeat them. Carve space and time for people close to you - relatives and friends. These are the people who stand by us in good and bad times, those who sustain and cherish our very souls. Do not waste time on parasitic relationships or spending too much time at work. As they say, there is always time for each and everything in life. Be clear about it. Play while you play. Work while you work.  

Life and love are nothing but a stringing together of moments. It is in the smallest things that we find our most beautiful and sometimes most catastrophic moments. Never ignore the small for the larger picture. Take time to appreciate and be grateful for the many little blessings you are surrounded by. It will go a long way in reducing that killer stress and making you a happy person. 

You can never be everything to everyone, so choose your priorities carefully rather than spreading yourself out too thin. This will help you lead a satisfying, happy life.

- DC

Family over work!!!

An old one, read it a number of times before! Even then, I get the same feel everytime, touched!

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.

SON: ‘Daddy, may I ask you a question?’

DAD: ‘Yea...h sure, what it is?’ replied the man.

SON: ‘Daddy, how much do you make an hour?’

DAD: ‘That’s none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?’ the man said angrily.

SON: ‘I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?’

DAD: ‘If you must know, I make $50 an hour.’

SON: ‘Oh,’ the little boy replied, with his head down.

SON: ‘Daddy, may I please borrow $25?’

The father was furious, ‘If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I don’t work hard everyday for such childish frivolities.’

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy’s questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?
After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think:

Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $25.00 and he really didn’t ask for money very often The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door.

‘Are you asleep, son?’ He asked.

‘No daddy, I’m awake,’ replied the boy.

‘I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier’ said the man. ‘It’s been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here’s the $25 you asked for.’

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. ‘Oh, thank you daddy!’ he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.

The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again.

The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.

‘Why do you want more money if you already have some?’ the father grumbled.

‘Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do,’ the little boy replied.

‘Daddy, I have $50 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.’

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness.
It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts.
Do remember to share that worth of your time with someone you love. If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of hours... But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

Courtesy: Facebook