Friday, August 24, 2012

Tips on How to Get Out of a Grouchy Mood

Have you ever felt grouchy and didn't know why? Many of us have gone through this. We aren't able to pinpoint a reason for the grouchiness we just know that we feel grouchy. In this article I would like to give you a few ideas on how to overcome your grouchiness for the day. Instead of just moping around doing nothing and feeling sorry for yourself I am going to give you some fun things to pull you out of your mood. Each of these things does not take too much energy and they will not cost an arm or a leg. The first thing that you can do is to grab a great book to read. If you don't have extra money to purchase one then you can borrow one from a friend. Another thought is to go to the public library and choose a few to read. This might be a  better idea because you will have two to choose from if you don't like one of them. After you have gotten your books you can get into your night clothes and just be lazy. Sometimes we get grouchy just because we are overworked and we need some downtime. Before you start reading your book you might want to pop yourself some popcorn. Now it time to go cuddle up with your blanket and get comfortable. This is a time to spoil yourself so there should be no interruptions. Make sure that your phone is off and that everyone in your household knows that this is your time.

The second idea that I have for you to help you to get out of a grouchy mood is to watch a comedy. Again if you don't have the money to rent one then borrow one from a friend. You can also borrow some from your local library. I'm sure that there are plenty of movies out there that you haven't seen yet. This might be a time to have some friends over so that they can laugh with you. This will take your mind off of whatever is bothering you. Have your friends to bring some treats and you all can spoil yourselves. When your friends are over do not allow yourself to discuss anything of importance. Sometimes we just need to forget about our responsibilities for a while. Too much stress can bring on grouchiness. Watching a movie with your friends is a great stress reliever and it can help you to be in a good mood for a couple of days.

A third idea that I have for you to help you to get out of a grouchy mood is to take a drive somewhere. You can drive to the beach or to the mountains. Go somewhere where you can enjoy nature. Many times when we see the beauty of nature we start to realize that life is beautiful. We start to realize that life does not have to be all about work. There can be play times as well. We can also be encouraged when we look around and realize that there is someone bigger than us that made all of the things around us. This can put life back into perspective and many of the worries and grouchiness will go away.

The last idea that I have for you as a way to help you to get out of your grouchy mood is to go and buy yourself a little something. It does not have to be something expensive. An example of this is if you go and buy yourself some new shampoo or conditioner. You may have wanted to try a different brand and have put it off. Well now is the time to try it. It is a time to give to yourself because you deserve it. This can put you in a great mood. After you get home from your purchase you can take the time to spoil yourself with a nice warm bubble bath and then you can try your new products on your hair.

It does not cost a lot of money to help you to get out of a grouchy mood. There are so many things that you can do for yourself. Some other ideas that I have for you are to have your spouse rub your back with some oil or you can play with your dog, or you can even fix your favorite dinner. All of these things are stress relievers and will help to get you in a better mood very quickly. We all go through the occasional bad mood and I know that these ways are going to help you to get past yours really soon.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Instructions: How to Write Guides for Busy, Grouchy People

People hate reading instructions, and will only glance at them when they are hopelessly lost. By then, they will already be frustrated and behind schedule. For this reason, you should organize your instructions carefully, phrase them clearly, and make them as brief as you possibly can.

This document introduces five basic principles about writing instructions. Any professional writing textbook will have a long section on writing instructions and manuals, but the basics are as follows:


1. Know your audience.

Most college assignments are written for an ideal reader — an expert whose job includes scrutinizing and pondering everything that you write.
Don’t expect your audience to read your document as carefully as you or your English teacher would. People in the real world read instructions when they are impatient, fatigued, or even terrified.
Your writing must be clear enough that readers can understand with minimal effort. This does not mean using baby language or avoiding complex details; it does mean using vocabulary appropriate to your audience, and including details that your readers need to perform the immediate task.

2. Provide a brief introduction.

Help your readers determine, even before opening the brochure or downloading the web page, whether this document will help them do whatever it is they want to do.
State in plain language, what task your document describes: “Installing and Operating the Canon BJ-200ex Bubble Jet Printer.”
In a few sentences, state the purpose of the document; who should read it, and under what circumstances? If it will help your reader, you might also explain what your document does not do.
Practically speaking, most users will skip the introduction and go right to the first numbered step. (Don’t put anything vital in the intro!)
If you wish, you may place extended background information in a subordinate position (a marginal note, a sidebar, or a completely different document) that does not interfere with the user’s access to the list of required actions.
Note: Technical support documents are no place for marketing slogans — the reader has already got the product, and is probably annoyed with it at the moment.

3. Write each step as a command.

Use the the imperative mood — that is, phrase each step as if your reader has just asked, “What should I do next?” Answer by giving a direct command: “Add two cups of flour.”
“Tab A should be inserted into slot B.”

A reader consults a set of instructions in order to find out what actions to perform, but this phrasing De-emphasizes the action.  Who or what is supposed to insert the tab? Is this a value statement, akin to “The world’s precious resources should be conserved”? One might agree with that assertion, but still have no idea how to go about performing the action of conserving. For this reason, commands should employ the active voice.
“Insert tab A into slot B.”

This revision begins with a verb that specifies what action the reader is supposed to perform.
Note: most readers will skip the introduction and start reading at the first numbered step. If your user will have to know a lot of background information before beginning, put the vital information into the form of a checklist, rather than a long, discursive essay.

4. Use numbers for commands, bullets for options.

Since some readers will only need help for one section of a larger operation, divide up your instructions according to discrete subtasks.  If you want your reader to perform tasks in a specific sequence, number the steps. If you want your reader to choose from among a list of options, bullet the options (otherwise the reader won’t know when to stop). Write brief introductions to each section, to clarify whether a list of steps is supposed to be sequential or optional.

Making A Lime and Coconut Drink These instructions describe how to make one serving of the beverage described in the “Lime in the Coconut” song.  It also explains what to do if the drink makes you sick, and suggests ways you might try to get the annoying tune out of your head.  I. Preparing the Drink
You will need one (1) lime and one (1) coconut.
  1. Take lime.
  2. Take coconut.
  3. Put the lime in the coconut.
  4. Drink it right up.
II. If You Get Sick
Drinking the lime and the coconut may result in indigestion. In case of a bellyache, do the following:
  1. Call the doctor.
  2. Wake him up, if necessary.
  3. Say, “Doctor! Is there nothing I can take, I say Doctor! To relieve this belly ache!”
III. Suggestions for Getting the Tune Out of Your Head
You might try any or all of the following.  Repeat as necessary, until the ringing in your ears drowns out the song, or until you lose consciousness.
  • Hit yourself on the head with the coconut, or
  • Listen to a Britney Spears album, or
  • Dwell in misery upon your misguided, sinful life.

5. Plan to Test and Revise.

Instead of investing your resources into polishing your first draft, create a prototype and conduct usability testing on it. You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn.
  1. As closely as is practical, simulate the environment in which you intend your audience to follow your instructions.
  2. Find a volunteer who represents the intended audience, and ask him or her to follow your instructions.
  3. Keep quiet and take careful note of any problems.
  4. Revise your document, and then try again with another volunteer.
  5. Repeat until you are satisfied with the results.