Get a piece of paper and draw a bunch of non-overlapping circles on it (20 will be a good number). Now set a timer for 2 minutes and start doodling. The goal is to use as many of the circles as you can. For example, you may turn one of the circles into an apple by drawing a stem, or you may turn two adjacent circles into a bicycle by drawing the frame. See if you can use all 20 circles in 2 minutes. It's not as easy as you think! Try to create entirely different pictures every time you try this exercise. If circles get too easy, use triangles or squares.

sar-to-ri-al

adj. :: Of or pertaining to a tailor or his work.

"All of them wore the cast-off clothes of other men and women, were made up of patches and pieces of other people's individuality, and had no sartorial existence of their own proper." -- Dickens, Charles

Previously we talked about how new experiences can create new connections in your mind, which helps retain memories. Active experiences, where you are actually doing the activity, are the stimulus to create these new connections. Watching someone perform an activity is not the same thing as doing it yourself.

In particular, television is usually not a mind-enriching experience. When you watch someone doing something interesting, only your senses of sight and hearing are involved. When you are actually doing the activity, all of your senses are involved. Additionally, each additional hour of TV watched per day has been shown to increase the risk of Alzheimer's Disease. So, don't sit on the sidelines, get out there and experience!

When you are under stress try this short exercise to put things in perspective. It might make your problem seem less stressful.

Mentally rewind your life ten years and remember what you were like at that time. Try to imagine how your current problem would have seemed back then. Would it have been as important? Now fast-forward ten years into the future and imagine how your life might be like. How important is your current problem to your future self? Chances are your current problem may seem insignificant to your future self and this might change your perspective on how you view your problem today.