Why Prioritizing Tasks Can Help You Be More Productive (And How You Can Start)

Nov 26

Being organized and more productive is a choice in itself, and it’s always the first steps that are the most difficult to do. However, this can be done through a process known as compartmentalization – the act of blocking out certain thoughts or distractions so that nothing can get between you and the object of your focus.

While it’s often frowned upon as a poor coping mechanism in response to traumatic events, compartmentalization can be used in a good way to focus on tasks and get them done within your projected schedule.

The Benefits of Compartmentalization
To be able to compartmentalize tasks means that you can shut out everything distracting you and focusing solely on the task you have at hand. For others, this is called “deep work”, and for others, this state of super focus on any given task is called “flow”.

These are the benefits of compartmentalizing tasks, whether it’s at work or in anything that you choose to do in your life, from hobbies, passion projects, and so on:

• It saves you more time to focus on the things you want to do. With proper planning, prioritizing, and the will to get things done, you can free up more of your most important resource – time.

• It gets tasks done on your projected schedule. Getting tasks done on time also allows you to be more productive, allows you to focus on more tasks that would otherwise take longer to accomplish.

How You Can Get Started
The simplest, and arguably the most effective way to start organizing your life and your day is by reaching for the nearest calendar.

It lets you plan what you need to do from Day 1 to your target date, and steady progress onwards can be marked on your calendar. As you move along, you will find that it’s much easier to see how much you have accomplished when you have a detailed account of it.

Here are a few things you need to keep in mind when you start compartmentalizing your tasks:
• Accept that some things will be out of your hands. When you encounter a problem that’s interrupting your task, ask yourself: “Is there anything I can do about it?”

If yes, then there is something that you can do about it. If no, then the problem is out of your hands and you might as well move along to the next thing on your list or priorities.

• Reframe problems as questions. Instead of seeing the problem as a problem, pose it as a question: “Is there anything you can do to get around or solve the problem?”

The most important thing you need to keep in mind when doing anything at all is to choose one, and only one, thing to focus on at a time, which is much better than dividing your attention and focus between different tasks at the same time.

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How Professional Painters Work

Nov 22

Although there are no rigid rules for how a painting services company completes any interior house painting or a bigger project such as a commercial painting service, there is a tried-and-tested process that any professional will follow to make sure that the job is done right and for the paint to last for years.

Knowing how most professional painters in Singapore work will also give you an idea how to look for the best painter.

Paint Selection. First, the house owner and the residential paint contractor in Singapore will have an on-site consult for a paint job to choose paint colors and possible design for the rooms, as well as the best type of paint for the effect the owner wants to achieve. The painter will bring samples of the colors and some will even offer to show a tinted primer paint to see the exact color of the finishing coat. This is also the time to get an estimate of the cost of paint and other fees. You should also discus the warranty and estimation of the date of completion. Before you avail painting service, however, you should already have an idea about their pricing and quality of service.

Clearing the Rooms. Furniture, appliances, and removable fixtures and decorations will need to be moved or sealed before the crew can paint the wall. If the homeowner is not planning to move elsewhere, the painting can be done room by room.

Aside from helping you determine the recommended paint for condo apartment, the painting services crew in Singapore can also help you move the items to another room or a warehouse and they will also move the items back once the job is done. They also have the tools such as drop sheets and masks for windows, fixtures, doors, and other decorative surfaces. Most HDB painting service specialize in apartment or condo painting, so you don’t have to worry about them interfering with your daily routine as they do paint works for home.

Cleaning and Repair. Once the items in the room are removed, the decorations and fixtures that remain are sealed and protected. Then, the crew will start cleaning the debris on the walls and ceilings, if any. If the painting will be done on exterior walls, power-washing and power-sanding are required to remove dirt and mold. Interior cleaning is much easier and can be done with smaller tools. The walls and/or ceiling are scraped, sanded, and caulked to make sure that the surface is even and smooth. Usually, a good painting contractor will include an expert carpenter in the crew for any minor repair jobs, especially if there are loose moldings, holes, and cracks. Older apartments with wood will need wood puttying, but broken and rotted wood will need replacement.

Priming or Sealing. Once the cleaning and repair is done, a primer or sealer is applied to the surface that is to be painted. Even if you are only looking for a cheap commercial building painting deal, application of a primer will help to make sure that the paint will last for years. This makes it ideal to hire an exterior commercial building painter in Singapore. After priming, another reevaluation by your local painter is done to determine if sanding and caulking are necessary. Any missed spots are also spot-primed and re-sanded.

Finishing Coat. Finally, the painter can apply the finishing coat on the wall and/or ceiling. Usually, a painter will start with the ceiling to minimize dripping, then move on to the walls, and finally the wall treatments and edges. Paint-spraying is recommended by most painting services for condo painting if the unit is built with composite siding or wood, stucco, or brick. Rolling and/or brushing is done for areas with eaves, windows, door trim, body trim, vents, gutter or downspouts, and fascia. Multiple coats are sometimes needed for some areas with different colors.

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The 3 Biggest Problems You Will Encounter in Your Home Plumbing

Nov 14

Even though plumbing is overlooked in home maintenance, it’s one of the most important aspects of keeping your home clean and sanitary. However, there will be problems that you will run into that will need the help of professional plumbing services to fix.

These are the biggest plumbing problems you’re most likely to encounter at home:

1. The faucets leak.

When you install a sink the first time, you always make sure that the drain or the faucet doesn’t leak or drip water. But this won’t mean that your plumbing will stay that way – they can easily wear over time and cause all kinds of damage to your home’s structure.

One reason for this is that cheap plumbers can sometimes make poor quality services despite the plumbing cost, either because of a lack of oversight or to get things done quickly.

A leaking faucet, drain, or pipe could indicate a problem somewhere in your home’s pipelines. If the problem is too complicated for you to handle, your best option is to call a water technician based in Singapore to keep your sinks and pipes watertight. A professional plumber can help you fix broken pipe or even install a new plumbing system from scratch in the safest and most efficient way for your home.

2. Not enough/too much water pressure.

While this doesn’t seem like too much of a problem at first, not having the right water pressure in your HDB flat could be a disaster waiting to happen – and you want a reliable plumber to get the job done safely.

This is because having too much water pressure could end with a burst pipe, which can cause serious damage to your HDB unit and even affect other neighboring units.

The good news is that you can call a 24 hours plumber service in Singapore to fix this problem before it gets any worse, whether it’s early in the morning or late at night when other plumbers aren’t usually available.

3. The toilet is clogged/running.

The biggest plumbing problem that would require an HBD plumbing contractor in Singapore ASAP is when your toilet bowl cannot flush down. After all, having a choked toilet bowl is unsanitary and embarrassing especially if you have guests around.

You want to fix toilet bowl clogging before it gets worse, but because using a plunger won’t always work (or that you don’t want to unclog it yourself), calling a PUB licensed plumber to fix your problem would be your best option.

Toilets aren’t the only ones that get clogged – sink and bathroom drains also experience this problem because of leftover food bits or stray hair that clump at the bottom. However, these are much easier to clear because of their size (you can use metal coat hangers or a drain snake for these problems).

Call A Plumbing Service Now!

Problems with your home’s drainage and water pipes can happen at any time of day, and because you don’t want to be caught off guard when this happens, it’s best to be prepared with regular maintenance for even small problems that could go big later on.

So when you’re having problems with the pipes in your home, trust only the best plumbing services to provide the best plumbing workmen who can get the job done as quickly as possible.

What are you waiting for? Call a professional plumber service today!

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The Importance of Keeping Your Aircon Clean

Oct 24

With the hot and humid climate of Singapore, you’d be craving for the coolness and comforts of an air-conditioned room in no time. Whether in your home or at the office, you should always try to take care of your AC so you won’t have to face sweltering heat all the time.

However, there are always some circumstances when our AC will end up inoperative. And there can be many reasons behind an air conditioner not cooling. So, never hesitate to call aircon servicing when you find that your AC isn’t functioning well or has stopped functioning completely.

Some problems you may encounter

The compressor is one of the most important parts of an aircon. But even so, ending up with a defective compressor is a common problem with most air conditioning units.

The compressor facilitates heat transfer by sucking the warm air of the room, then pushing it into the AC’s coils where cool air is then blown out. The evaporator and condenser coils are important parts for the cooling process. It will be easy to avoid common aircon problems if you’re able to clean dirty coils as soon as possible.

If a compressor is damaged, the unit will pump out warm air even when you turn it up. Overall, the aircon’s performance will definitely be affected negatively.

A clogged air filter will also affect your aircon’s performance. Filters serve to keep the insides of the AC unit free from dust, dirt, and even avoid the possible buildup of allergens. There are a lot of simple ways that you can do to keep a clean AC. But if you want to ensure maximum sustainability of your appliance, finding a good repair guy for aircons here in Singapore is crucial. Working with a certified aircon servicing company means that your air conditioning system is in good and expert hands.

Another common problem with air conditioning units is having insufficient coolant. Coolant passes through the compressor and is converted to cool air (hence the name), and functions to absorb and remove heat inside the air conditioner.

Lastly, there can be issues with the thermostat. The thermostat basically controls the AC unit as it is used to adjust the temperature and turn the unit on or off. Even though at times, a faulty thermostat won’t be much of a problem, you might still face major difficulties.

Aircon maintenance and cleaning

Air conditioning services offer more than just AC installation in commercial buildings here in Singapore. These companies provide maintenance, cleaning and repair works for your centralized aircon. They have the most seasoned technicians who know very well how to clean central AC and conduct thorough inspection to ensure safety of the equipment and all its functionalities.

Aircon repair, also, isn’t something that you can easily do yourself. You might not thing of it highly at first, but air conditioners are complicated machines. Sure, you can do cleaning on your own, but when it comes to repairs, it’s still ideal to seek professional help. Sometimes, or depending on the damage, repairs can get pretty expensive. So, to cut the cost of aircon servicing and repair, as much as possible, try to maintain an upkeep AC.

That is why air conditioner cleaning is an important aspect in preserving the efficiency and lifespan of your aircon unit.

Just like the appliance itself, you could say that aircon servicing is a need in Singapore. There are many ways for us to keep our air conditioners functioning well. Even if we are successful in doing so, there will always be that time when we will have to call aircon technicians eventually. Maybe it’s just a matter of maintaining and keeping the lifespan of our air conditioning units with proper care.

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Living with Type 1 Diabetes

Oct 09

Type 1 diabetes affects not just children, but also adults and will appears suddenly, requiring the person to inject insulin for the rest of his/her life. It is a type of autoimmune disease caused by the pancreas’s inability to produce insulin because the cells that produce the hormone are destroyed.

Insulin is responsible for the use and storage of glucose or sugar from the carbohydrates in your food. Diabetes cannot be cured and it is not caused by your diet or lifestyle, but it is life-changing, that is why there is a need for medication and lifestyle overhaul.

Insulin Injections
The body can no longer produce insulin in type 1 diabetes, that is why those who are affected must be dependent on insulin injections or insulin pump for the rest of their lives. It is also equally important to monitor the blood glucose levels everyday. Your doctors and the members of your family will have to work as a team to help you so you can still love a long, productive life.

Diet Plans
Even if type 1 diabetes is not caused by an unhealthy lifestyle (like eating food rich in carbohydrates), those affected by this condition will have to change their diet drastically to avoid complications (especially in the kidneys), blindness, and amputation. Ideally, your blood glucose level should be from 4 to 6 mmol/L, but other patients might be required to maintain a higher blood glucose level as per doctor’s instructions.

There is not one diet plan for all diabetes patients, so you will need to consult a dietician to come up with a diet that is right for you. As a rule, however, both children and adults have to limit intake of food with added salt, saturated fat, added sugars, and alcohol. You will be encouraged to eat vegetables in different colors, beans or legumes, fruits, grain or cereal food, lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, and seeds.

Proper Exercise
Along with a healthy diet, exercise can help balance the insulin in your body, depending on the duration and the intensity of the activity. However, you always must remember that strenuous activities can also greatly lower your blood glucose level, something you must avoid as much as having a high blood glucose level. If your blood glucose is too low (hypoglycemia), you also must treat it. The key is to monitor what each physical activity does to your glucose level.

Prevent Complications
Type 1 diabetes exposes you to risks such as heart attacks, strokes, blindness, kidney failure, depression and/or anxiety, and amputations. You will have to learn the methods for proper foot care, eye health, bladder and kidneys health, and blood pressure. Check your feet for swelling, ulcers, blisters, bruising, and ingrown nails and get treated within seven days if there are abnormalities. Your eyes should be checked regularly and seek treatment if there are changes in your vision. Monitor your blood pressure and your urine for any changes as well.

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