| How to Improve Your Frontal Lobe Function Posted: 22 Mar 2021 01:00 AM PDT Your frontal lobe is always hard at work, even if you don't realize it. Whether you're going for a walk, hanging out with friends, or counting change at the store, your frontal lobe is working hard to get it all done.[1] Additionally, your prefrontal cortex, or the very front of your frontal lobe, plays a big role in this critical-thinking and decision-making.[2] While there's no machine or pill that will instantly give this part of your brain a boost, there are plenty of ways to improve your brain functioning overall. [Edit]Memorize silly sentences and acronyms. - Word play forces your prefrontal cortex to tap into your memory. Give yourself an extra challenge by reading through some brain-twisting riddles, or by committing special jokes, puns, and acronyms to memory. Creating different word associations forces your brain to think a bit more flexibly as it juggles different word associations.[3]
- Here's a sample riddle: What has holes but is full of water?
The answer: A sponge!
[Edit]Solve some puzzles or brain games. - The frontal lobe plays a big role in your memory.[4] Luckily, games and puzzles can help give your memory a nice boost. Try out different word games, like unscrambling 5 letters into a variety of smaller words. Spatial games, like counting squares in a grid or rearranging toothpicks into different shapes, are also great ways to keep your brain sharp.[5]
[Edit]Cook a new recipe. - Cooking is an excellent way to exercise your prefrontal cortex. Unlike other activities, cooking involves using all 5 senses. Search online for easy recipes you can try, before working your way up to something more challenging. Cooking is also a great way to improve your memory as you prepare dishes more than one time.[6]
[Edit]Exercise frequently. - Exercise gives your memory a boost. Studies show that people who exercise regularly have more volume in their prefrontal cortex, as well as other parts of the brain. Consistently exercising for just 6 months can give your prefrontal cortex a boost. To really improve your memory, try to exercise for at least 120 minutes each week.[7]
- This exercise doesn't have to be super intense—just taking regular, brisk walks can help boost your memory.
[Edit]Meditate regularly. - Meditation increases the gray matter in your prefrontal cortex. You don't have to make a big lifestyle change—studies show that 8 weeks of basic meditation can improve your brain.[8] To help you get started, listen to guided meditations, which walk you through the process.[9]
- Guided meditations come in all sizes! You might sit and listen to a 15-minute meditation, or try a 4-minute one instead.
[Edit]Maintain a consistent sleep schedule. - Wake up and go to bed at a consistent time each night. Studies show that your memory actually improves after getting some rest. Think of your brain like an email inbox—when you sleep, your brain has more time to organize the "emails" that flooded the inbox throughout the day.[10]
- Adults need around 7-9 hours of sleep, while people over 65 should get 7-8 hours. Teens function best on 8-10 hours of sleep.[11]
[Edit]Eat beets. - Beet roots have a lot of nitrates, which turn into nitrites after you eat them. Nitrites help widen your blood vessels, and help more blood flow into your frontal lobe area.[12] Spinach, fennel, radishes, and other leafy vegetables are also high in nitrates.[13]
- Studies show that volunteering gives your brain function a boost. If you have some extra free time, look for some volunteering opportunities, like a soup kitchen or litter clean-up. You'll be improving your local community, as well as your own brain![14]
- A specific study showed that older women who were volunteer tutors for 6 months ended up with boosted cognitive skills.[15]
[Edit]Embrace curiosity and new questions. - Try not to process new thoughts and experiences automatically. Instead, ask plenty of questions and challenge your usual ways of thinking—this type of mindset really engages your frontal lobe.[16]
- If you spot a beautiful sunset, you might research why the sky is so colorful instead of simply admiring the view.
[Edit]Say thanks. - Express gratitude whenever you get the chance. When you show your appreciation, you experience more positive emotions. As you develop these positive feelings, your prefrontal cortex gets a boost.[17]
[Edit]References |
| How to Polish Rocks with a Dremel Posted: 21 Mar 2021 05:00 PM PDT Polishing rocks is just one of the many ways you can use a Dremel rotary tool. Clean off the rocks you want to polish with soap and water before you get to work. Select one rock to polish at a time, secure it in a vice clamp, and grind it down with progressively finer sandpaper and a sanding attachment on your Dremel. Finish polishing the rocks with a polishing wheel attachment and a polishing compound before you put them proudly on display in your rock collection! [Edit]Cleaning the Rocks - Fill a container with hot soapy water. Get a container big enough to submerge all the rocks you want to clean in. Put in a few drops of dish detergent in the hot water.[1]
- Any mild dish detergent or other mild liquid soap will work fine to clean the rocks off.
- Place the rocks you want to polish in the container and let them soak. Make sure the rocks are fully submerged. Let them sit for a few minutes to loosen up the dirt before you scrub them clean.[2]
- You can stir the rocks around gently with your hands to help loosen the dirt even more.
- Use a toothbrush to scrub dirt off of the rocks. Get into all the cracks and crevices with the bristles of the brush. Rinse the rocks off in the soapy water as you go until you have removed as much dirt as you can.[3]
- You can use any other kind of bristled brush, or even a scouring pad, if you don't have an old toothbrush to use.
- Pat the rocks dry with a towel and let them air dry completely. Dry off the rocks with a clean towel as much as you can. Let them sit out in the open, on the towel or on a rack, to air dry completely.[4]
- Once the rocks dry, you can see if you missed any dirty spots and give them a second scrub if needed.
[Edit]Sanding the Rocks - Place a rock in a vice clamp to secure it for grinding. Attach a vice clamp to a flat work surface. Put a rock you want to polish in it with the largest area exposed to start sanding there.
- You can get small clamp-on vices that you can attach to any kind of flat surface at a home improvement store or online.[5]
- Put on a face mask, protective glasses, and gloves. Use this protective gear to keep you from breathing in rock dust or getting an injury. Rock dust is very harmful if breathed in, and one slip with the Dremel tool could cause injury to your fingers.[6]
- You can find all the necessary protective gear at a home improvement store.
- Grind the whole rock with low-grit sandpaper and a Dremel sanding attachment. Change the bit on your Dremel tool to a sanding attachment and slide a low-grit, like 600-grit, sandpaper band on it. Grind the first exposed surface of the rock, then rotate it in the vice clamp to expose another side and grind that surface.[7]
- Keep rotating the rock and grinding each new exposed surface until you have gone over it all. This first round of sanding doesn't need to be perfect. You will perfect the finish with increasingly fine sanding attachments.
- Switch to a medium-grit sanding band and grind the whole rock again. Change the sanding band on the Dremel to a medium-grit, such as 800-grit, sanding band. Repeat the process of rotating the rock around in the vice to expose each surface and grind it all over.[8]
- Pay attention to areas with sharp edges or crevices. Spend extra time sanding these areas down before you move on to fine-grit sandpaper. Angle the bit as flat to the surface of the rock as possible to grind down these parts evenly.
- Grind the whole rock a last time with fine-grit sandpaper until it starts to shine. Change the sandpaper on the Dremel tool to a 1000- or 1200-grit sandpaper. Sand all over the rock until it has a completely smooth finish and starts to look shiny.[9]
- Use just the tip of the grinding bit to give the rock a really smooth final finish.
[Edit]Polishing the Rocks - Switch the Dremel bit to a polishing wheel. Choose a polishing wheel that is small enough to reach all areas of the rock you are polishing. Take out the sanding attachment from your Dremel tool and replace it with the polishing wheel.[10]
- Polishing wheel attachments are soft, felt bits that are used to buff different materials and make them shiny. You can get different Dremel bits at a tool store, home improvement center, or online.
- Dip the polishing wheel in rock polishing compound. Turn the Dremel on and dip it gently into some rock polishing compound. Remove it after a few seconds when you have coated the wheel with the polish.[11]
- You can get rock polishing compound online or in a specialty rock shop if there is one in your area.
- Buff the compound into each surface of the rock until it is shiny. Keep the rock in the vice and buff the polish into one exposed surface at a time with the polishing wheel. Rotate the rock when you have made the exposed surface you are working on shiny and work on the next area.[12]
- You should notice the rock starting to reveal its natural luster after a few minutes of buffing. Keep going until you achieve the look you want.
- You can give the rock a final polish by hand with a piece of fabric like denim.
[Edit]Warnings - Always wear protective eyewear, a facemask, and work gloves when you are polishing rocks with a Dremel tool. The rock dust is harmful if you breathe it in or get it in your eyes, and slipping with the Dremel tool could cause injury to your fingers and hands.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Container
- Soap and water
- Towel
- Dremel tool
- Dremel sanding bit
- Various sanding bands
- Dremel polishing wheel
- Rock polishing compound
- Vice clamp
- Rocks
- Protective gear
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Knit a Zig Zag Pattern Posted: 21 Mar 2021 09:00 AM PDT If you'd like to add movement or interest to your knitting projects, incorporate a zig zag or chevron pattern. Zig zags are diagonal lines that are worked across 8 rows to create a back and forth line. If you'd like larger inverted-Vs, make chevrons by alternating purled rows with rows that include increasing and decreasing stitches. Once you've practiced either style, put your skill to use by making a washcloth, scarf, or blanket. [Edit]Forming Zig Zags - Cast on a multiple of 6 stitches. Roughly decide how many stitches you'd like to work and choose a multiple of 6. Keep in mind that fewer stitches will make a narrow swatch of fabric while more stitches will make the fabric wider. Cast a minimum of 12 stitches onto your needle so you can begin working the pattern.[1]
- For example, if you want to work around 20 stitches, cast on 18 since this is a multiple of 6.
- Make a modified rib stitch for row 1. Starting on the right side, knit 3 (k3) stitches. Then, purl 2 (p2), knit 4 (k4) across the rest of the row until you reach the last 3 stitches. Purl 2 and knit 1 to finish row 1.[2]
- The pattern for row 1 looks like:
- Purl 2 and work a rib stitch across row 2. Turn your work so you're on the wrong side and purl 2 stitches. Then, repeat knit 2, purl 4 across the row until you reach the last 4 stitches. Knit 2 and purl 2 to end the row. Remember to turn the work every time you reach the end of the row.[3]
- Knit row 3 with a rib pattern and adjust the rib pattern to make row 4. Knit 1 and repeat a purl 2 knit 4 rib pattern across the row. When you reach the last 5 stitches, purl 2 of them and knit the last 3. To make row 4, p4, k2 across the entire row. At this point, the pattern looks like:[4]
- Row 3: k1, *p2, k4*, p2, k3
- Row 4: *p4, k2*
- Create 2 more modified rib rows to make rows 5 and 6. To knit row 5, k1 and repeat p2, k4 across the row. Once you reach the last 5 stitches, p2 and k3. Then, start row 6 by purling 2 and then repeating k2, p4 until you reach the last 4 stitches. Finish row 6 by k2, p2. The pattern for row 6 looks like:[5]
- Work a zig zag row and finish with another modified rib stitch row. For row 7, k3 and repeat p2, k4 until the last 3 stitches. Then, p2 and k1 before beginning row 8. K2, p4 until you reach the end of the row.[6]
- You've now worked a complete swatch of the zig zag pattern.
- Repeat rows 1 through 8 until the fabric is as long as you like. Once you reach the end of row 8, you can bind off the swatch or repeat the zig zag pattern, starting back at row 1. Make the knitted fabric as long you want.[7]
[Edit]Making the Chevron Stitch - Cast on a multiple of 14 plus 2 additional stitches. To make the chevron stitch, you'll need a specific number of stitches to work, so count the stitches as you cast them on. Cast on a multiple of 14 plus 2 extra stitches at the end. If you'd like a narrow swatch of fabric, just work 16 stitches. To make the swatch wider, cast on more stitches.[8]
- For example, you might cast on 28, a multiple of 14, plus 2 stitches for a total of 30 stitches.
- Purl stitch the first row. To start the chevron stitch pattern, purl each of the stitches that you cast on. Remember that you'll purl stitch every row that's odd-numbered. For example, you'll purl stitch rows 1, 3, 5, 7, etc.[9]
- The odd-numbered rows form the wrong side (ws) of the chevron stitch pattern.
- Work an increasing and decreasing row. When you reach row 2, knit the first stitch. Then, start the repeating pattern. Knit 1 stitch front to back (kf&b), knit 4 (k4), slip 1 knit 1 pass slipped stitch over (sl1k1psso), knit 2 together (k2tog), k4, kf&b. When you reach the last stitch of the increasing and decreasing row, knit it.[10]
- The pattern for the increasing and decreasing row looks like this:
- K1, *kf&b, k4, sl1k1psso, k2tog, k4, kf&b* and end with k1
- Alternate purl rows with chevron rows until your fabric is the size you want. Purl stitch across every odd-numbered row. Follow the increasing and decreasing pattern for all of the even-numbered rows. This creates the chevron direction in the stitches.[11]
- If you're just practicing the chevron stitch, make your sample swatch any size you like.
- Bind off the chevron swatch. For the simplest way to bind off your stitches, purl each stitch as you slip them onto the right needle. Then, lift the stitch that's closest to you over the second stitch to bind it off. Continue binding off each stitch on your row until you reach the end. Tie off the end so the yarn doesn't unravel.
- Binding off is also called casting off.
[Edit]Using a Zig Zag or Chevron Pattern - Create a washcloth with a unique pattern. A washcloth is a great starting project for zig zag or chevron patterns since you're essentially knitting a large swatch. In addition to learning the pattern, your washcloths will have an interesting design.[12]
- For washcloths that wash well over time, use worsted weight all-cotton yarn.
- Knit a scarf using the zig zag or chevron pattern. Make a long strip of knitted zig zag or chevron pattern that you can wrap around your neck like a scarf. For extra movement in the pattern, knit the scarf until it's half as long as you want and bind it off. Make an identical piece and then sew the 2 straight cast off edges together. This makes the scarf point in opposite directions.[13] yarn tail. Then, pull a strand of another color and hold the yarn behind the first stitch on your needles. Work the stitches using the new color of working yarn instead of the yarn tail in the old color. Plan on switching your yarn color every 2 rows to make distinctive zig zags or chevrons.}}
- You can work the zig zag pattern with any type of yarn, but read the label to determine which needles and gauge to try with your specific yarn.
- Make a zig zag or chevron blanket. Once you're comfortable with the pattern, choose some of your favorite yarn to design a blanket that's as large as you like. You can knit it in a single color or make it as colorful as you like. Try adding fringe to the edges of your blanket for even more texture and movement.[14]
- If you're making a baby blanket, choose yarn that's very soft and easy to wash. You might use a bulky yarn with large needles for a blanket that's quick to knit.
- When you see a knitting pattern surrounded by an asterisk (*), it means to repeat the pattern inside. For example, if you see *k2, p2* k3, you'd knit 2, purl 2 until you reach the last 3 stitches, which you'd knit.[15]
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Yarn
- Knitting needles
- Scissors
[Edit]References |
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário