Taking a hot bath at this temperature will improve your sleep

Taking a hot bath at this temperature will improve your sleepTaking a hot bath at this temperature will improve your sleepFor a significantly better nights sleep, biomedical engineers at the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University ofTexas at Austin have found that you should take a hot bath (104-109 degrees Fahrenheit) anywhere from one to two hours before bed. This can also speed up falling asleep by an average of 10 minutes.To come to this conclusion, researchers at several universities analyzed thousands of studies that linked the act of bathing or showering with hot or cold water with better sleep.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreBody temperature has long been understood to be part of the regulation of the sleep/wake cycle. Warm baths and showers increase blood circulation from the bodys core to its hands and feet, removing body heat and lowering body temperature. Th is helps the circadian process along, resulting in falling asleep more quickly but also sleeping better.A previous Japanese study found that you may prefer a bath, regardless people who spent two weeks taking daily baths reported improved skin conditions, and decreased stress, fatigue, and pain.

10 ways to make speaking in meetings less scary

10 ways to make speaking in meetings less scary10 ways to make speaking in meetings less scaryIt can be hard to feelconfidentsitting at the meeting table. And, unfortunately, research shows its even tougher for women, who often underestimate their opinions.Whether you are a recent graduate, have years of professional experience, or are a natural introvert, lets put a stop to this lack of confidence and find ways to gain the courage to speak up and be bold. Here are 10 ways to find your voice in meetings, make sure you speak up, and sound strong doing it.1. Speak first.Before the meeting, take the time to prepare your thoughts. When the time comes to discuss the topic, be the first to speak. Doing so gives you the opportunity to create the discussion instead of delaying your insights, or hearing someone else offer the same ideas you had.2. Speak confidently.Yes, even if you are shy. Find the courage to participate, even if your contribution is small. Besides, if youve prepared in adva nce, youll be ready to articulate yourself concisely.3. Practice your delivery.Part of making yourself heard is speaking smoothly. Weve all been guilty of relying on space-fillers like kinda, um, and you know? Qualifiers like these detract from the professional image we seek to convey. It might sound silly, but try to practice what youll say out loud before attending your next meeting.4. Agree with good ideas.Even if you dont have anything new to add, affirm others ideas. Doing so shows youve been paying attention, and your colleague will appreciate the kudos and support.5. Ask questions.This is one of the easiest ways to speak up in a meeting. Show you are engaged and involved by asking questions that will spur the discussion or clarify an idea.6. Take notes.This is especially important in longer meetings or meetings that are introducing a new concept. Jot down notes and be prepared to readdress them when the discussion opens.7. Raise your hand.Yes, its old school, but if you find you can never get a word in edgewise, reverting to this simple method should get the facilitators attention.8. State it clearly.To further emphasize your point, consider starting your thoughts with phrases such as I strongly suggest or I recommend.9. Believe in yourself.Your opinions and ideas or no less valid than anyone else at the table. Be fearless in owning your beliefs and dont allow self-doubt to cloud your convictions.10. Dont censor yourself.Find the courage to voice yourrealopinion. Youll be seen as the valuable professional with expert opinions that you are.In a fast-changing work environment, businesses need everyones best thinking to achieve the best outcomes. Take ownership of your opinions and find the courage to assert your ideas. Youll be glad you did - and it wont go unnoticed by your supervisor and coworkers.Tiffany Couch is the CEO and founder ofAcuity Forensics, a forensic accounting and fraud investigation firm that helps unravel complex financial crimes.This article originally appeared onFairygodboss. As the largest career community for women, Fairygodboss provides millions of women with career connections, community advice, and hard-to-find intel about how companies treat women.

Micro Jobs and How to Make Money Doing Them

Micro Jobs and How to Make Money Doing ThemMicro Jobs and How to Make Money Doing ThemA micro job is, as the word implies, a very small paid task. A better word for micro jobs might actually be gigs because the word jobs might imply employment, and no micro jobs are for employees but only for independent contractors. Defining Micro Jobs The basic concept of a micro jobs, receiving a small fee for a small task, runs across many possible types of micro jobs. These might include zugreifbar tasks These small tasks, or microtasks, can be done entirely online, requiring no real-world interaction. Buyers of these services advertise on micro job websites to find someone willing to do the task. Amazons Mechanical Turk is one of the most popular sites offering this type of micro job. Real-world tasks Similar to online tasks in that buyers of service advertise online for workers, the task is not completed online but in person. Websites promoting these types of micro jobs are basically a mar ketplace for odd jobs. Taskrabbit is one of the more popular real-work task sites. However, Taskrabbit and others like it usually offer online tasks as well. Crowdsourcing projects Using an online crowdsourcing platform, companies hire workers to do one small part of a larger project. Workers generally log on to a companys website and choose from available tasks. Clickworker is a company that makes use crowdsourcing for a variety of tasks. Website usability testing Remote usability testers review websites and mobile apps for a set fee (usually around $10), typically using a screen or voice recorder. Online services marketplace In these micro jobs, workers offer small services (usually for a set fee) and buyers browse the marketplace to find people offering the services they need. The website takes a fee from the the buyer, seller or both. Reward programs Some micro jobs may not offer payment in money but in points or something else. The tasks in these often involve marketing produc ts to the worker. Surveys Completing surveys as a work-at-home job has been around for a while and is, perhaps, the original micro job. How Micro Jobs Are Done Many micro jobs, particularly those of crowdsourced data entry projects, are done completely online from a computer. However, some micro jobs may be done in both in the real world and online and could require a cell phone. For example, a company may want you to go to a store and photograph a schirm of a product or conduct a price check and submit the information online via your cell phone. How Micro Jobs Pay Generally, these jobs pay very small sums, but they should require very little time. Jobs may pay anywhere from 1 cent to $50, and the idea is that the labor required should be in proportion with fee offered. That said, in order to make money, you have to work fast and take on as many tasks as you can. Since these are done on a contract (and not employee) basis, there is no guarantee that these micro jobs pay mini mum wage. Most companies pay cash (usually through a PayPal account) but some pay in something other than cash, i.e. gift cards, reward points, services, bitcoins. Often the pay is calculated in US dollars but can be converted into a different currency when paid into a PayPal account. Related Definitions Crowdsourcing Similar to and sometimes used synonymouslywith micro labor, crowdsourcing often employs volunteer labor.Task Site Online forums that connect buyers and sellers of small services.Microlabor Similar to and sometimes used synonymously with crowdsourcing, micro labor is paid, though usually small amounts.Bid sites Sites like Elance, where workers bid on projects, are examples of bid sites the difference between them and micro labor is the pay scale and the complexity of the projects. Independent contractor Micro laborers are independent contractors but at the lowest end of the pay scale.BPO Business process outsourcing.Data Entry Some data entry companies employ micro labor by breaking up large data entry projects into disparate tasks done by a range of people.Outsourcing Using micro labor is a different type of outsourcing than offshoring or homeshoring.