10 Ways to Stay Motivated While Working for the Weekend

Who doesn’t look forward to the weekends for some relaxation?

Working for the weekend can be tedious and unpleasant, but you can have it all with the right aims and motivation.

However, did you ever think about how productive your weekend can be? You need an effective working plan and some motivational tips to get started.

Highly Effective Tips to Get your Weekend Work Started

So, how do you go about it? Here are the top 10 pro motivational tips every weekend worker must know.

1) Early to bed, early to rise

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Nowadays, we all are caught up in the bad habit of sleeping late and waking up late. Now, this is the thing that ruins your entire day. Waking up late does not only makes you lazy for the entire day but also decreases your productivity. It also comes with a constant feeling of tiredness for the rest of the day.

Waking up early keeps you fresh throughout the day. It is scientifically proven that the one who rises early is more productive, well organized, and tends to be more successful.

Along with this, you get a good 7 to 8 hours of sleep, which is necessary for a healthy lifestyle and keeping you fresh all day long.

By simply avoiding your not-so-good habit of staying up late using social media, binge-watching shows, and whatever else keeps you up at night, you are halfway done with your task of working for the weekend. This is a golden key motivation for all the work strugglers out there.

2) Create a schedule

After rising in the morning, the foremost important thing is to make a schedule for the entire day. This helps you to achieve your goal easily. Set up your work with all other daily routine work. You will get a lot of time to clear the things up on your plate.

Plan wisely, and consider your work a priority. However, don’t be a complete workaholic. It is a weekend, and you are probably supposed to enjoy your me-time too. This is an essential thing to add to your life.

Adopting this basic rule helps you complete 30% of your stressful work. One gets a better view and idea of the work to be done. Scheduling things will also give you break times in between without impacting your work.

Follow the plan, and you will see everything syncing in together.

3) Create goals and focus on them

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Creating a goal before starting work is as important as knowing the destination before starting your journey. Before starting your work, you must understand what you are supposed to achieve.

You must ask yourself, what are your goals? What is that you tend to do? And these questions will give you the required answers about your actual goal.

Half of the things are sorted when you know what you truly desire and need. You can plan accordingly and act by keeping the goal in your mind. Thus, creating a goal will motivate you during working for the weekend. It also motivates you to do work and encourages you towards it.

Along with creating a goal, focus on the goal made by you. There is no shortage of distractions. Focus and concentrate on what you created and set it as your goal. It may be hard for a little while, but you will get used to it.

Thus it makes your work a little easier and quicker.

4) Keep the end goal in sight

Had something important in mind but messed it up by doing something that you could have done later? Yes, these things happen. To avoid this, always keep the end goal in your mind. Focus on a particular item at a time until you finish it.

If you genuinely want to make your weekends useful by working, be serious about your work. Keep the distractions away and control your brain and heart. You have to concentrate on the result; it will constantly remind you to get your work done.

Keeping the end goal in sight keeps worthless distractions away. It also works as a constant reminder of the work one is supposed to complete.

As a result, your prime focus will be your work. It will motivate you to work more efficiently and encourage you to get things done with the best result.

5) Healthy food breaks are necessary:

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Food is very important to keep you going in the right way. Though you are working on something important, you should never neglect your eating schedule. Food breaks are essential. They act as a short period of refreshment for you that keeps you energetic and provides you the stamina to work with concentration.

No matter what, a healthy gut is very important for every kind of activity, from working efficiently to having a peaceful sleep. A person is what he eats. It is scientifically proven that food affects all aspects of your life. So you should take your food habits seriously.

During working for the weekend, you already have a partial weekend vibe going on, which you must be trying hard to control, and during this, there are 100 percent chances of making a bad food choice. This will lead to laziness and unwanted distractions from your work.

So make sure to take food breaks between your healthy and refreshing work. It will motivate you during working for the weekend. Apart from this, here are some other helpful things to consider.

Sipping on water throughout the day. Aim for nutritious food, which also helps to satiate hunger—for instance, fresh fruit, baby carrots, beetroot,  whole-wheat products, yogurt, smoothies. To make it easy, add some fresh fruit flavor of your choice to it.

Foods like cookies and soda should be avoided. Do not go for unnecessary high-carb-containing snacks.

6) Work according to priorities:

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Most of the time, the workload is greater than the time available leading to confusion and dilemma. This results in wrong decisions and ruins your work plans.

At times like this, make the right choice. A to-do list helps sort things according to the prime to the least significant work.

Make a note of the works you need to do first to last and act accordingly. Work on the prioritized ones first and then move towards the less important ones. It will motivate you while working for the weekend. You will experience less stress and difficulty working for the weekend by planning things properly.

But remember, during this, you should be aware of your remaining works. A common mistake followed by many people is setting wrong priorities. Now, even if you choose to work according to the to-do list, it is all in vain if you are unaware of which work is supposed to be considered more important than the other.

Please keep it going, like understanding your remaining work, setting a pattern from what you understood, and following the same pattern.

7) Avoid heavy lunch:

Everyone loves to eat, and one will surely prefer an extra cheeseburger and fries over simple pulses and wheat bread. But when it comes to working, you need to make some changes. Heavy lunch like high fat and carbohydrates-containing food slows down your working ability and makes you lazy, affecting your work rate.

Fiber-containing food is very healthy compared to fat-containing food. Light lunch with more fiber and proteins is the best during the weekend. It will prevent you from falling asleep or feeling lazy and make you feel energetic during working for the weekend, which keeps you motivated to go on.

You can also have some fresh juices and probiotic yogurt to feel refreshing and energetic during work. All these healthy foods contain all the necessary vitamins and essential minerals required by your body.

They not only benefit your body health but also impacts your work productivity. Do not eat something that involves a lot of metabolic processes like lipids and makes you lazy.

8) Don’t work where you sleep:

Many people complain about their inability to be on time or complete specific work due to their laziness. And when you are working on weekends, things can get out of your hands.

Choose an appropriate place for working which will not make you feel lazy. Never consider your bed or the place you sleep as your workplace. This will hinder your work and add to the regular laziness you think. You will feel distracted and sleepy.

Instead, work by sitting on a chair with your back straight at 90 degrees and using a table as your platform. This is the right and preferable position to work. Sitting n this position helps your mind stay active and keeps you energetic. It also prevents you from feeling lazy or falling asleep. Thus you will be paying good attention to your work. You can get the maximum amount of time without any lazy distractions.

9) Take a power nap:

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Working continuously may create a lot of stress. As much as you need to work hard on your goal, you need to keep your mind at peace and relax. You should not feel angry or stressed while working.

You will feel refreshed after waking up, motivating you to work more efficiently during working for the weekend. For this, add 10 to 15 minutes of power naps in between your long work session to the schedule, and make sure you follow it. This will keep your mind calm and help you relax physically and mentally.

Also, keep a check on your health. Constant work may lead to eye problems and other disorders like muscle inflammation. Listening to some calm, peaceful music that you love while going to sleep can help.

A study by Ficca et al. says daytime naps “as short as 10 minutes can improve alertness and performance for about 2.5h in the face of prior sleep loss and almost 4h if preceded by normal sleep“.

Thus taking power naps between work is a very good and productive idea. One should always keep this easy step of taking power naps for better work and staying motivated in mind.

This entire thing can act as a soothing environment and help you progress.

10) Give yourself a treat at the end:

We all deserve and desire appreciation for what we do. Giving yourself a treat helps you to feel worthy and enjoy your success.

This art of appreciation is a very good habit to keep. It could be anything you adore. It will make you feel relaxed and worthy. Treat yourself with what you appreciate the most, be it a sweet that you like or a day at the salon.

Make sure to let yourself feel important. This is the time when you let all the stress out and enjoy this bit of a moment. This is also a way of patting yourself for all the hard work. When you take care of yourself, you will take better care of your work.

When you complete your work, treat yourself. You can take yourself out to have your favorite food, go out for a walk, stay at home, or watch your beloved shows with your most loved food. It will also keep you open for further challenges and tasks and motivate you.

Just make yourself feel proud, relieved, and happy after working for the weekend. You can even pre-plan your post-work treat so that while working, you can have a hold of something positive waiting for you at the end of the weekend.

At last, apart from these, you can also go for exercises, small meditation practices, and much more.

Which of these motivational tips do you think will help you the most while working for the weekend? Let us know below.

Also, read related: The ultimate guide to getting out of your comfort zone.

The Best Countries for Expats

Living in another country is never an easy thing to do. You would have to comply with innumerable government regulations, papers you would have to file and often in triplicate, and of course, the local culture and the language barrier.

But if you can handle this, these are some of the best countries you can live in as an ex-pat.

Singapore

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Singapore, in our opinion, would be one of the top contenders. Apart from the fact that the island nation is a melting pot of various cultures and ethnicities, the fact remains that Singapore has one of the strongest economies in the world comparable to its size and offers many valuable opportunities.

Apart from having a low tax base, Singapore offers ex-pats various incentives to stay back and settle down there. The cost of living is relatively low, and you have access to premium hospitals and healthcare.

Germany

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The next nation on the list would have to be Germany. With its economy surging past last year’s performance, it is set to grow even further. Backed up with a growing economy, the nation provides ex-pats many valuable opportunities.

On the plus side, Germany offers access to institutionalized programs that help ex-pats settle in and file all relevant paperwork and give them pointers about life in Germany.

On the con side, the incidences of hate crime are on the increase, with more incidents being reported from all over Germany. Despite this, it remains a top choice for many ex-pats.

Bahrain

Bahrain is yet another top choice for ex-pats. Apart from the fact that Bahrain offers extremely good pay packages to its employees, it also provides them with access to various health benefits, including incentives for others to settle there.

Bahrain is still under-populated and desperately needs a skilled workforce to account for various government-backed ex-pat initiatives. It is a warm and friendly nation, with good schooling and access to premium medical services.

If you are an expatriate, these countries should be your top priority to work in.

How to Make More Money: 5 Great Ways

5 Great Ways to Earn Extra Money

What if you could double your income by putting in some extra hours at work? Sounds impossible, right? Fortunately, it’s not.

I am not talking about one of those quick get-rich schemes. There are, in fact, proven methods of making extra bucks using your spare time. Many people who’ve become successful doing this have turned it into a full-time career.

Here are 5 great ways of making some extra cash on the side –

1. Train some, earn some –

If you are a fitness enthusiast, you could get paid to help people get into shape. Look for opportunities in gyms and fitness centers nearby your house, and you might get lucky!

You can even consider starting a boot camp at a local park. Soon, you’ll see the number of attendees growing.

2. Start a YouTube channel –

This is a great idea for those looking for a platform to portray their skills talent and share valuable content according to their interests. Some YouTubers have become famous by making daily vlogs about their personal lives.

YouTube lets you monetize your channel through AdSense. Greater the number of views, the greater the earnings. Make sure that your videos are creative, crisp, and consistent.

3. Set up a subscription box service online –

A few days ago, we were looking for a similar service for gamers.

Product niches range from beauty product samples to organic food to pet supplies. You can refer to – cratejoy.com for detailed guidelines on getting started.

4. Own a mobile food truck –

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This is a brilliant idea for people who love to cook and create. The best part about this business is that it’s inexpensive to start, allows you to move to different locations, and can be carried out as a part-time business.

Consider taking recipes from your grandma or create your own if you’re an expert. It may take up to a couple of years to gain momentum, but once it becomes a success, then the sky’s the limit!

5. Earn money by downloading apps –

This wouldn’t fetch large sums of money, but you can earn extra money by putting in very little effort. Some of the user favorites are listed below:

  • Stash offers $5 to start investing
  • Clink gives $5 to start saving
  • Swagbucks pays you for taking surveys
  • Media Insiders will pay for watching television
  • Ibottaprovidess money in exchange for taking pictures of your receipts.

These are just some ways that could help you earn extra.

Six Ways of Having a Positive Work Culture

A positive work culture improves an employee’s performance, improves the performance of an organization as a whole, and enhances productivity. Here are six ways to have a positive work culture in your organization.

1) Engage your employees

Maintain transparency with your employees and keep them in the loop whenever any decisions are made, which will help them to remain engaged.

2) Recognize achievements

Encourage them and give awards and recognition whenever they achieve something significant. This sort of practice will inspire employees to give their best.

Arrange birthday parties and work anniversary celebrations for your employees. A little appreciation goes a long way.

3) Lunch meetings

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Everyone loves free food! Organize lunch meetings regularly. Discuss company goings-on but don’t make the environment strictly formal.

Allow your employees to relax and socialize. Breaking from a daily grinding schedule will help keep them satisfied and motivated.

4) Plan outings

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Organize picnics and out-of-office gatherings for your employees. It will help them know each other better and create a closer bond. This, in turn, will create good vibes in the environment.

5) Lead by example

Let your leadership leave a positive impact and be a source of inspiration. This will make your employees look forward to come to work every day and will aid in creating a healthy work culture.

6) Care for your employees

Keep in mind the health of your employees and encourage them to take care of themselves. Send health tips through e-mail. Give them leaves at times.

Following these will lead to positive work culture, and both you and your employees will be happy and productive.

Top 4 Tech-Jobs to Choose Now

The IT Sector is fast evolving and offers a lot of dynamic occupations. In an era where everything is computer-oriented- from our screens to our bank accounts to any other aspects of our daily lives- technology has automated simple processes to make our lives easier and modern.

We may think that automation may replace humans with technology and lesser jobs, but the truth is that humans created technology and not the other way round.

Breakthroughs in the tech sector have further increased opportunities for IT professionals’ new and highly lucrative career avenues.

Here are the top 4 IT jobs to try now:

1. Data Scientist

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With more and more people taking their businesses online, the demand for data scientists is surging. A data scientist analyzes user trends and consumer behavior using carefully extrapolated data from the internet.

As a data scientist, you can earn up to $100,000 a year, especially those with expertise in R- the programming language often associated with data mining.

2. Database Administrator

Database administrators are involved in managing, organizing, and archiving data. They are involved in troubleshooting data and making it more organized, increasing its accessibility.

Information is indispensable to any organization, which is what increases its importance. Database administrators often require expertise in Structured Query Language (SQL). Database administrators can earn up to $75,000.

3. Swift Programmer

Swift is a programming language and Objective C, which forms the basic framework of technologies like Apple and operating systems like iOS, OS X, tvOS, and watchOS.

One of the most popular brands today, Apple often requires Swift-based programs. Swift may also be incorporated into Android software due to its high functioning and efficiency.

4. IT Manager

As we still have many businesses not yet updated and automated with technology, IT managers are indispensable to organizations in such a scenario.

IT Managers are responsible for troubleshooting any software and providing solutions to data-based complications for such companies. This field requires extensive knowledge and skills.

So, if you want to pursue your career in the IT sector, you can try out these job profiles.

Top 5 Behind-the-Camera Jobs in the Film Industry You Can Opt For

A lot goes into the making of a film. It is not just the actors but also the people behind the camera who work in unison to make a good film.

The film fraternity is a desirable field to work in as it gets you the limelight and keeps your creative juices flowing.

Here are a few career options behind the camera lens for those passionate about cinema.

1. Director –

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A director is the soul of a film. He brings the script to life by visualizing the scenes and setting. Working closely with the actors, directors use their creativity and prowess to put life into the script.

This is notably the most prestigious off-camera profession.

2. Producer –

The producers manage the actors and decide on the investment for the film. Focusing more on a film’s financial, administrative, and business-related aspects, you would be indispensable to the crew as you call the shots for every major non-artistic aspect.

You will have the expertise to decide what works best for the sellability of a film and provide everything that is needed to pull the film off. You will shuttle between sets and the production company’s offices daily.

3. Editor –

A challenging job, an editor collects the film rolls, reviews the entire film, and adds all the special effects and animations along with lighting effects.

The main job is to cut out irrelevant details from the film after going through every scene to fit the movie into a designated duration.

4. Screenwriter –

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You are one of the film’s creators, and the crew will not function without your initial effort. The film wouldn’t exist without you, as you are the one who prepares the screenplay.

5. Music Composer –

This is a lucrative vocation for the musicians and constitutes an important part of the film. Your job is to create the ideal musical tune for specific scenes.

Attention to detail and an emotional connection with the script are essential for this job profile.

If you want to be involved in the film industry, these career options can really get you into what you are looking for.

Top 5 Career Choices for the Ones Who Excel at Art

Art has attained a whole new level today, and with the reach of social media, growing artists have myriad mediums to showcase their prowess.

Companies are paying more and more attention to visuals which makes this a great time for all the artists out there. They can make the best of their artistic abilities to make it big in the corporate world.

Here are a few lucrative career options for those who excel at art.

1. Video game designers:

More people are going crazy about online, PlayStation, and mobile games in this digital age. So if you’re an art enthusiast who has a penchant for computer programming, this is your thing!

You can be a part of the narration and the layout of the gam and design characters, animations, and elements. It also pays handsomely.

2. Cartooning:

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Dennis the Menace, ‘Calvin and Hobbes’, and ‘Cyanide and Happiness’ are a few of the revolutionary cartoon snippets that are still a loyal component of publications and social media pages.

This is your field if you have a witty eye and can easily replicate your imagination on paper.

3. Architecture:

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This is an ideal career choice for those who love designing buildings and are fixated on geometry and measurements. Being an architect is a  high-paying profession that is indispensable to mankind.

4. Graphic Design:

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In this advertising age, companies look for people who can create visually appealing logos, brochures, flyers, ads, and websites for their company promotion.

Graphic designers work in conjunction with text and images using photo editing software to create these designs, and this goes a long way in brand building.

Firms are looking for such designers, and you are paid handsomely.

5. Comic Book Artist:

You get to work freelance and exhibit your work on social media. Or you can work for a publication and create storylines to give them a pictorial form.

Do not let that talent go unused!

5 Tips For Dealing With Anxiety

Anxiety is a big concern today for most of the population due to our highly competitive work environments and highly demanding, stressful lifestyles.

Anxiety grips you like a demon, and it gets almost impossible to get out of its clutches, and you end up questioning everything in your life.

Here are a few ways to ease that anxiety out so that you don’t have to rely entirely on medications that may have side effects on your body.

1. Get enough sleep

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If you have that feeling like you’re going to burst, take a nap. Resetting yourself helps reprogramme your brain and get rid of unresolved and unhealthy emotions.

Also, make sure that you sleep adequately every day, as most cases of anxiety have been known to be caused due to improper sleep patterns.

2. Try natural alternatives

Immerse yourself into some hot water infused with Epsom salts and lie there for at least half an hour. Just empty your mind and let yourself go.

Epsom salts are known to be great stress-busters, and they are very healthy for your body too. You can also sleep with Himalayan salt lamps that help you retain your circadian rhythm and relieve your anxiety episodes.

3. Talk to a loved one

Talking to someone close helps relieve the inner turmoil in you, and you feel lighter. The reassurance of someone being there with you will go a long way in curing your anxiety.

Pour your heart out, and their comforting words will surely ease your situation.

4. Watch your diet

Foods rich in caffeine and sugar aggravate anxiety, so avoid these foods entirely. Look for healthier food alternatives and check for symptoms of panic attacks, irritability, and nervousness following caffeine use.

Maintaining healthy gut bacteria is also important as any imbalance will trigger anxiety.

5. Indulge in activities that shoot up your endorphin level

Muscle relaxation exercises help release endorphins which are the feel-good hormones in your body. Go for a walk or indulge in a workout regime.

This releases your stress and increases endorphin circulation to manage your anxiety. Cuddling with your pets is also known to release oxytocin which will cheer you up.

It is easier said than done, but you can always try. Never feel like you are alone. There is always someone to hear you out.

It’s okay to feel stressed, suffer from anxiety, happen to the best of people. But you need to find effective ways to deal with it.

The tips we have mentioned above will surely help you deal with anxiety.

4 Tips to Remain Unique in the Competition for a Promotion

We know how much you covet that prized post and a personal cabin. Everyone wants to move ahead at work and fetch a promotion.

But with work pressure, you may also have to sell your soul to the devil a lot of times because everything comes at a price.

So how do you maintain your individuality while you compete for that promotion?

1. Hold yourself together:

Just breathe and calm down. Don’t let the pressure get to your head. The more collected you are, the better decisions you’ll be able to make.

A flustered mind will only cloud your judgment. Try to take it easy.

2. Let your work speak for itself:

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No matter what, never let overconfidence get the better of you. Focus only on your performance because your work will speak for itself.

Nothing is more important than what you contribute to an organization, so do not let anything affect your work ethic.

No matter how many friends you make at work, if your performance is not up to the mark, you will not be considered for the promotion as you have nothing to offer to the company.

3. Keep your personal and professional life separate:

Do not let your personal life affect your performance at work, so keep it under wraps from co-workers. This will help you cope with the work stress, and you won’t have to answer unnecessary questions.

You can compartmentalize your life, maintaining your reputation at the office.

4. Don’t follow the rat race:

Be original. You don’t have to ape your co-workers or do boot-licking to get that promotion. Be original and retain your uniqueness. Have a competitive skill set to support your work. Flattering your boss will only get you so far.

You mustn’t sacrifice your individuality at the cost of promotion because that will negatively affect your future life.

Well, if you think a promotion is your way, keep these tips in mind.

7 Tips For Choosing the Right Career

With increased competition and a plethora of career opportunities, it becomes a herculean task for young people today to choose a career path that helps support their lifestyle and satisfy their souls and not leave them frustrated or disappointed.

So making the right decision is imperative as it will alone decide the future course of your life.
Here are a few tips you need to keep in mind when deciding on your career path.

1. Don’t buy into peer pressure:

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Although getting a few inputs from others is helpful, please do not do something because the rest of the world thinks it is correct.

Choose your career based on what you are capable of and not on how many people choose a particular vocation. You can do something that is not very popular and still excel at it.

2. Draw a line between interest and aptitude:

It is very important to choose something you like doing, but you need to demarcate between hobbies and talents.

You may like singing at parties, but to choose music as a career, you need to be sure you’re talented enough to survive the competition and stand out because if you don’t, you won’t be successful.

3. Get reviews from your adult companions:

You need to constantly take advice from seniors of your chosen career path to assess the prospects and struggles you need to face so that you’re prepared to handle everything that comes your way.

Look for guidance and then decide based on whether the pros and cons work for you or not.

4. Assess the finances:

You need to ascertain if you can afford that dream course because if you can’t cope with your expenses, you’ll end up paying off loans all your life.

Also, your financial priorities post your education need to be examined too. Set your financial goals and choose a vocation that can help fulfill them.

5. Evaluate your work style:

Find out whether you like working freelance, being self-employed, or working under supervision. This goes a long way in making the best career choice.

6. Get first-hand experience:

Indulge in summer jobs and internships to know which field is the most suitable for you. If you get exposed to the work environment early, you can make a decision much more quickly.

7. Analyze your social behavior:

Your interpersonal skills play an essential role in defining your career choices. If you are not social, a marketing job won’t work for you. To analyze your social behavior to choose a career that does justice to your temperament.

Your career is one of the most important choices you will make in your life. So, could you not rush through it?