Robert's blog

Getting a Goodnight’s Sleep

Does the title make you feel sleepy? Good. Is it simple to get a goodnight’s sleep? Probably not.

How can we be able to get a goodnight’s sleep in this 24/7 world we live in?

The Importance of Sleep

As we know, adults need seven to eight hours of sleep in order to function properly the next day. Unfortunately, it is easier said than done. With life getting in the way, it can be a challenge to get the recommended hours of sleep, despite being essential to our health.

Having a lack of sleep will at the very least make us feel cranky, and can also have negative consequences on our health. Sleep deprivation has been associated with negative impacts on our hormones, exercise, and our performance in work and school.

According to Statistics Canada, Canadians averaged a little over seven hours a sleep per night. About one in every three Canadians reported less than seven hours a night while only 3 percent sleep more than nine hours. The report did not explain why Canadians barely get the recommended hours of sleep, but we can assume it could be related to their personal and financial situation.

Why People Aren’t Getting Enough Sleep

Although most people are aware of the benefits of sleep, some just do not have the time to get the recommended hours of beauty rest. People who have more than one jobs or work in the middle of the night are not able to get the sleep they so desperately need. Another factor is when people have different work shifts in their schedule. For example, if one works during the day on Monday and Wednesday, and having to work on Tuesday night and Thursday night, we can see the change in work shifts can affect the sleep schedule as one will have little sleep or will not be sticking to a regular sleep schedule, a must for obtaining a goodnight’s rest.

Tips on Getting a Goodnight’s Sleep

A commitment to a goodnight’s sleep may be difficult for many people. With a few small changes though, it can be done. Here are a few tips which can help get a goodnight’s rest.

1. Read a book before going to bed

Instead of watching TV, it is a good idea to read while laying down in bed. It will help you settle down and relax with very little light.

2. Avoid Using Technological Devices Before Sleeping

Exposure to blue light can reduce hormones such as melatonin, a chemical that helps you relax and fall asleep. Keeping away from technology at least an hour before going to bed will help you reduce blue light exposure.

3. Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol

This may be an obvious one because we usually have our caffeine first thing in the morning to keep us awake. Having caffeine before sleeping may prevent your body from relaxing at night, and therefore you may have trouble falling asleep. Consuming alcohol can also prevent you from sleeping.

4. Avoid taking long Naps During the Day

It is recommended that poeple take no more than 30 minutes a nap a day. While it can be tempting to take a long nap, doing so can cause sleeping probelms at night.

Overall

Getting a good night’s sleep is very important to our well being. It will help us feel much better and more alert throughout the day. If you can make some changes in your life, you can get on track and get the beauty sleep you so rightfully deserve.

Until my next blog post, take care and thanks for reading.

Robert Toto

Blogger

Expressing Your Feelings and Thoughts

It can be a challenge to get our feelings across. We don’t know how others will react. Will people understand or be judged? How can we have the courage to speak out? What is at stake?

Emotions

We are all social creatures. Communicating with others is something we desire. It is human nature to reach out to other people.

Some people hide their feelings because they are worried about receiving negative feedback. When someone opens up and receive a bad response, the experience will make them less confident of opening up and consequently may start to have feelings of anxiety and depression. It also doesn’t help when two or more people are not on the same page of a discussion. Whenever there is a dispute, they must agree to disagree to keep things civil and not let a disagreement sour their relationship.

Introvert vs. Extrovert

Being able to express a thought may be based on their personality. For introverts, it may be difficult for them to let out their feelings as they are more likely to keep their thoughts to themselves compared to extroverts. Introverts may feel safe to keep their opinions to themselves because it keeps them protected from having a conversation. Introverts are also more likely to confide in a small circle of people whom they trust.

Extroverts may have an easier time expressing themselves because they have a better desire to reach out to others. Extroverts are more likely to want to help people feel and are able to understand how people are reacting in a particular situation.

If you are not sure of your personality type, take this free quiz to help discover who you are.

How To Get Over Criticism

The tough part of letting yourself out. The fear of negative feedback is most likely why people keep their feelings to themselves. While the fear of being criticized is normal, it is still important to overcome this obstacle. One way to get over criticism is talking to people who you trust the most. They are the ones that will less likely criticize and will support you no matter what. Another thing is to not worry about what other people think. You are letting out your demons, and doing so should be a reason to celebrate.

Why It’s Important To Express Yourself

Regardless of your personality, it is important to let things out because it will unleash a feeling of greatness out of you. You will feel better and more confident with yourself. With that being said, you may want to start off by confiding with the people you trust the most first.

Until my next blog post, take care and thanks for reading.

Robert Toto

Blogger

Self-Confidence is Key

Having self-confidence can be very difficult for human beings. A lot of people are unable to trust themselves for many reasons. They include but not limited to:

not being good enough
being judged by others
not having the support they need and/or want

It can be difficult to gain the self-trust they deserve. How can one learn to boost their self-esteem?

Keep on trying

Although it sounds very cliche, keeping up with your effort can help boost your confidence. For example, when one starts a sport that one has never played before, he or she will not have the same momentum as someone who had been playing the sport for a long time. The only way to get better is to keep practicing. It takes practice and patience to get better and when that happens, it will help boost your self-confidence.

2. Promote your Idea or Product

Do you have an idea you want to share? Or maybe you have a product you want to sell?

Advertising your product can help boost your self-confidence because you will have people who can support you. They can also spread the word through their contacts. The more people you have helping you, the better the chances are for success. It will also help you carry on with your projects.

3. Keeping a Clean Space

Although it seems kind of small, keeping a clean space can help you feel good and confident. For me personally, having a clean desk helps me with my work as I have the space to feel organized, and to take down notes. When my desk is messy, I feel there are too many things in the way. Grooming yourself can also boost your satisfaction as doing so keeps you nice and fresh.

4. Get to Know Yourself

This may be the most challenging, but also the most rewarding. Getting to know who you are can help determine your strengths and weaknesses. This is an obstacle that many people face. A good tool to which can help you learn more about who you are, is to self-evaluate yourself. Ask yourself what are your likes and dislikes, and please be honest with yourself. Once you learn more about yourself, you can use that to your advantage by looking at what you excel at, and improve on skills that you have trouble with.

Conclusion

On a personal level, making the effort has helped me stay committed to my objectives. Completing a project takes time and sacrifice. It can be daunting when obstacles come into your way of reaching your goals. From personal experience, I have learned that the best way to boost your self-confidence is to keep being productive. What I mean is to keep yourself busy rather it is by reaching a specific goal, completing an assignment or even reading a book, being productive and staying on track has me feel more confident in my own being. So, keep at it. The more effort you put in yourself, the more you will feel better about yourself and you will feel more powerful.

You got this!

Until my next blog post, take care and thanks for reading.

Robert Toto

Blogger

Post-Pandemic Travel

Vaccines are here. The end seems near. We are all eager to travel again.

How will travel look like in a post-pandemic world?

Travelling

Travelling has been a way for people to leave their everyday routine at home, and to experience new cultures. People travel for leisure and/or for work. It can be interesting, and very fun to go to a place that one has never been. With the pandemic though, non-essential travel has been strongly discouraged, and even banned in some countries to help stop the spread of COVID-19. It has been especially though on the travel industry which relies on tourists to help keep their businesses afloat.

Inching to Travel

As the pandemic drags on, so has the eagerness of travelling. According to a recent survey, 65% of Americans are planning to travel this year, and more than half said they will travel the way they did before the pandemic. In Canada, the desire to travel is much the same as their U.S. counterparts. It is not surprising that people want to travel since they have been cooped up on their homes over the past 13 months. 81% of Canadians plan on travelling internationally at some point after the pandemic is over.

Looking into Post-COVID tourism, it appears unlikely tourists will go back to their old ways of travelling (at least for the short term). Some countries may require travellers to get fully vaccinated before arriving which could discourage those who haven’t or do not plan to get vaccinated from travelling to those destinations. The types of travel that could happen after the pandemic are for volunteering in a foreign country, visiting friends and relatives, and peace tourism.

Recap

With the light at the end of the tunnel, we are all eager to go back to life before the pandemic. It won’t be easy getting back to our old ways. It will take quite some time to get used to being out in public without a mask. Travelling will take time to recover. As businesses start to reopen, and with the majority of people getting vaccinated, I believe that more people will be travelling than ever before, especially knowing that it can take something like a virus for travel to come to a screeching halt.

Until my next blog post, take care and thanks for reading

Robert Toto

Blogger

Being Productive and Having Fun

What does it mean to be productive? Does it mean you must work continuously until you burnout?

The answer to this question,

Not necessarily.

Although being productive means having to work, the type of environment you are in can make working a lot of fun.

What it Means to be Creative

In February 2020, this blogger looked at why it’s important to express your creativity. I mentioned that creativity will help you grow as a person. Exploring your creativity can be a lot fun because it means discovering your hidden talents.

As we have busy schedules with work and/or school, it can be difficult to find time to get creative. It is important to find a bit of time in your schedule for yourself. Doing so is critical in exploring creativity. It can be through your personal hobbies such as writing, photography, cooking, among others. Starting from there can be a beginning of something. Make sure to tell a friend about your projects so that you can have their support.

The Human Mindset

As humans, we may not be able to adapt to change very easily. Our brain is met to protect us to help keep us safe. It can be resisting to not pay attention to what your mind is telling you. If that’s you, then you are in the majority. What you can do though is to tell your brain that being productive is not dangerous and there will be plenty of good results in the aftermath. The six key mindsets in creative thinking are great tips on how to strategize your ideas, and make them into something bigger.

Personal Projects

As a content creator and writer, working on personal projects can be fun and scary at the same time. Working on something new is always the hardest part? “Where and how do I get started?” “What does it take to create?”

These are some of the questions you will be asking you are self when you are trying to get your feet going. Once you get started, it becomes easier as you will start to get ideas on what to do. There will be roadblocks along the way, which is ok. We all make mistakes and what’s important is learning from them.

So start by doing something that you enjoy, and keep following your path to success.

Until my next blog post, take care and thanks for reading.

Robert Toto

Blogger

Write A Letter to Yourself

Last year, on his 30th birthday, this blogger wrote three separate letters to himself that were to be opened on his 31st, 35th, and 40th birthdays. The purpose of these letters was to tell his future self on what he had hoped to have accomplished by then.

Although this blogger went on some adventures in the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic had challenged his ability to reach his goals and desires. If this blogger had to write back to himself from one year ago, he would say to enjoy every minute because things could change quickly as we say back in March.

Reasons to Write Yourself a Letter

The goal of this blog is to tell yourself what goals you hope to reach by a certain point in your life.

Write a letter to yourself.

That way, you can look back at the letter you wrote, and think about what you have achieved, as well as goals that you have yet to accomplish, rather it was the ones you made previously, or ones you have created since then. It is to be opened on a specific date that you set yourself for.

Never give up on your dreams through rain, sleet, snow, pandemic…

Keep at it! You got this!

Until my next blog post, take care and thanks for reading.

Robert Toto

Blogger

Los Angeles Trip

Right before the COVID-19 pandemic took over the way we live our lives today, this blogger got to get away from winter, and travel to Los Angeles, California.

This blog will look at the different places visited, and why you should visit Los Angeles when it is safe to do so.

Venice Beach

Located 20 minutes from LAX, this gem is definitely an attraction where you will want to visit on your next trip to Los Angeles. Scrolling down the boardwalk which runs from Marina Del Ray to Santa Monica is an excellent way to enjoy the ocean views, and to explore its thrift shops.

Santa Monica

Just north of Venice Beach lies the city of Santa Monica. It is definitely more upscale than Venice with its restaurants and shops. It also serves as the terminus of the metro A Line which brings passengers to downtown Los Angeles as well as other connecting metro lines. The city is perhaps well known for the Santa Monica Pier. Opened in 1909, the pier is a popular tourist attraction which features restaurants, cafes, and the Pacific Park. Spending sometime at the famous pier will definitely bring you a great time. The pier also serves as the western terminus of Route 66.

Downtown L.A.

Not much to feature here but this blogger explored a couple of museums and a library. With my fascination with the art world, I explored the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). MOCA features different exhibits concerning the art world. If you love and appreciate art, a visit to MOCA is definitely something to consider. Right across from MOCA is another art museum called the Broad. With free admission, The Broad also features different exhibitions that visitors can enjoy.

If you like books, then I would suggest checking out The Last Bookstore. This gem offers new and used books at low prices. You can also sell books that you probably haven’t used in a while as well as CDs and DVDs. It is definitely worth visiting if you like to read.

Hollywood

When one thinks of Hollywood, one envisions celebrates, movies, and anything TV related. This blogger would say that it is not as glamorous as the art world makes it too seem. However, it is still worth visiting if you want to see Hollywoods walk of fame which are embedded on the main streets of Hollywood.

Pacific Coast Highway

The Pacific Coast Highway is an excellent route to take to explore California’s coastal towns. From Malibu to Laguna Beach, it is definitely worth the drive if you like long drives along the beaches.

Getting Around

With Los Angeles being known for its brutal traffic, it can be a pain to get around the city, especially on weekdays. It all really depends what part of the city you are coming from. In my opinion, taking the metro is a good way to get to downtown L.A. if you are not far from a metro line. Costing $1.75 for a one way, the L.A. metro network connects from downtown L.A. to Santa Monica, Hollywood, Long Beach and Pasadena.

For short distance routes, I highly suggest trying out the electric scooter they have in Los Angeles. It is an efficient and fun way to get around town. It helped me get from Venice Beach to Santa Monica very quickly.

Recap

The trip to Los Angeles was an amazing experience. From attending a LAFC match to exploring the nightlife in Hollywood, it was definitely awesome to explore and discover what the city of angels had to offer. It was especially special considering that this all happened right before the world shutted down. With travelling being off for the foreseeable future, I was glad that I got to travel one last time before living with this new (and temporary) new normal.

Until my next blog post, take care and thanks for reading.

Robert Toto

Blogger

Marching the Streets in a Midst of a Global Pandemic

These past few months have been filled with quite a few historical events. First came the COVID-19 pandemic which caused may shutdowns and quarantining us into our homes. Just has restrictions were beginning to be eased, we were reminded of a pandemic that has been ongoing for many centuries. That pandemic is Racism. As most of you are aware, 46 year old African-American, George Floyd was killed after he was arrested and faced-down while the officer arresting Floyd positioned his knee to Floyd’s neck. The killing has sparked major outrage in the United States and elsewhere around the world. Protests have been happening all over the world, demanding justice for Mr. Floyd’s cruel death. It has also sparked renewed discussions about racism, and how it is still alive and well even though it has been decades since the Civil Rights movement. It also sparked riots as people are taking advantage of a fragile situation.

Timing of the Protests

There have been nightly protests in the United States since George Floyd’s murder. The timing of these protests comes as the United States is leading in COVID-19 cases. Concerns abut social distancing has had Health Officials worry about a spike in cases. Yet, despite the COVID-19 threat, thousands of people are marching to the streets demanding justice and an end to racial profiling. This shows the serious of this situation of people marching down the streets despite the risks of getting infected due to large crowds. It is amazing that people of all races are coming together to end a pandemic that has been going on for way too long.

Violence Solves Nothing

Although the protests are largely peaceful, people coming to take advantage of the situation has vandalized businesses. What does businesses have to do with protest? Answer, nothing. They are just criminals willing to make a bad situation much worse. It is important to note that when one wants to go out and express themselves, they must do so peacefully so no one else gets hurt. Looting only hurts business owners that will have to pay for other people’s crimes and in causes that they have nothing to do with.

Why Black Lives Matter

The term Black Lives Matter is a movement to address the racism that blacked-skinned people have to go through every day. Their lives matter because they are people just like everyone else. They should not have to go through the discrimination they face simply because they are black. As a white male living in Canada, I am what is known as white privilege. It means that I do not have to fear about getting arrested based on the color of my skin. Heck, I do not even have to worry about getting shot and killed because of who I am on the outside. However, if I was the same guy but with dark skin, then my privileges would magically disappear and I may become a victim of racial profiling. I am not saying that all police officers are bad, but there are not enough rotten seeds on the force that has made every officer look like they’re bad. We must have a conversation and learn how to get along despite our physical differences.

Conclusion

Right now, we are going to two major crisis piling on top of each other. While this blogger believes that everyone has the right to protest peacefully, it is important to do so safely given the ongoing pandemic. If you are going to go and protest peacefully, you should wear a mask or any face covering, try to keep two meters or six feet from others, and bring a hand sanitizer to wash your hands. Stay safe and stay out of trouble.

Until my next blog post, take care and thanks for reading.

Robert Toto

Blogger

Why it’s OK to be Selfish (Sometimes)

Selfish: Concered about one’s self. Not showing compassion to others.

When an individual is accused of being selfish, it usually means that the individual is only thinking about his or herself. Normally, being selfish is see as being bad because people would usually show no compassion to others in that situation. However, being selfish can be a good thing as one does what is best for themselves. This blog will look at how it is fine to think about yourself, but not being a jerk at the same time.

How Society Defines Selfish

Many people view the term “selfish” has being a bad awful person. Normally it is because when we are told that we are being selfish, we are told in a negative tone (ex. Why are you being so selfish?!, It is not nice to be selfish! Stop being so selfish!). It makes us feel down on ourselves since we are normally yelled at when we act selfish. It does happen that people are selfish to the point that they have no compassion towards others. Being selfish that way is not right as it makes us seem vulgar and cold.

When it is Fine to be Selfish

We often forget that being selfish means self-care. Sometimes we must be selfish in order to take care of ourselves. That can mean taking a vacation, going on a retreat or distancing yourself from people. We need to take care of ourselves in order for us to come back feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the real world. Here are the top reason why being selfish is necessary.

Avoiding Burnout

Work can be overwhelming, and the pressure that may come with the job can lead you too becoming emotionally burnout. It can be due to being over worked, dealing with difficult colleagues, your employer being hard on you, or other external factors that is contributing to your mental health. If you are in that situation, be selfish. Take some time off in order to avoid a burnout.

2. Leaving a Toxic Relationship

Relationships can be complicated, and if you are having issues with your partner that can not be resolved, maybe it is time that you call it quits.

3. Getting Away from the Kids

Having children is definitely one of the greatest things people have in life. While bring a parent does has its rewarding moments, it can also be a challenge keeping up with them. Sometimes you (and your significant other) need a weekend in order to recooperate without the kids hassling around. So find a babysitter or have them spend the weekend at their grandparents’. A few days without the kids will give you a much needed break from all the hassle (and did I mention, peace and quiet?).

4. To Reach Your Objectives

We all have goals that we want to reach.Yet, for one reason or another, we tend to fail to reach them. We often say that “I have no time!” or “I have got a lot things to do!”. Sometimes, we must make sacrifices in order for us to reach our goals. This could mean skipping out on a party or a meetup. It can also mean spending less time with your friends and family. By making those sacrifices, we put ourselves first, and in the long run, it will be worth the sacrifice.

Overall, being selfish does not make you a bad person. It only means that you are taking care of yourself in order to make this better for yourself. So go ahead, be selfish. Just do no do so by showing a lack of compassion towards others.

Until my next blog post, take care and thanks for reading.

Robert Toto

Blogger

Creative Content Matters

In recent years, this blogger has changed his life direction into becoming creative. Exposing creative content has its rewarding moments. This blog will feature why exposing your creative side can help get out of your comfort zone, and lead you to amazing adventures.

What it Means to be Creative

Being creative means to produce ideas and share it to the world. Doing so can lead you to a world of possibilities. It is a great way to get out of your comfort zone, and to unleash your imagination. Creative ideas can include your passions such as travelling, being a part of a community, making a difference in peoples lives or accomplishing a goal that you have always wanted to accomplish but has been derailed for any reason.

Social Media Influence

A great way to unleash your ideas is to tune in to podcasts or watching videos on YouTube. Few examples include the Motivation Podcast, The Happier Podcast, the School of Greatness. These podcasts can help you launch your ideas rather it’s for business or if it is personal.

Ways to get your Content Into the World

Write you Ideas down on a piece of paper

The first thing to do is to write down your ideas on paper (or on a laptop if you prefer). Doing so is a good way to have your creativity written down, and it will feel good to let it out of your chest.

2. Talk About Your Ideas to Someone

Once you have written down your ideas and objectives, it is a good idea to share your ideas with someone. It can be your parents, sibling, cousin, friend or anyone that you know will support your projects.

3. Promote Your Ideas on Social Media

While promoting can be very discomforting, doing so can be a great way of reaching out to other people that may have the same ideas at you. Once you reach to mind like creators, you can collaborate and make your ideas become fruition.

The objective is to turn ideas into reality. Getting your content out into the real world can help give you a sense of purpose in life and who knows? You may one day be the one to help influence people to reach their goals!

Until my next blog post, take care and thanks for reading.

Robert Toto

Blogger