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Now Blab is the one that is a little more interesting. This is a live streaming app that is really quite different from the other two but in some exciting ways.

Blab is essentially a live streaming app that runs through your browser (though there’s also an iOS app available). Rather than being used to film people walking down the road or doing workouts, Blab is more about discussions, debates and presentations. In other words, people tend to be sat down and it’s a bit closer to using Skype.

As with Periscope or Meerkat though, you can still start watching content from someone else at any time and you can still comment on the videos that they’re filming or choose to follow them.

What’s different though that you’ll notice early on, is that the videos tend to take up one quarter of the screen or they are split into four segments with four different people. What’s going on here is that this really is like Skype in that you can watch one person presenting or you can watch a two, three or four way discussion! One person creates the stream and then starts filming and chatting and then at any point they can invite other people to take a seat and to join in the discussion.

This creates a whole new slew of opportunities and potential ways to market yourself. For instance, it means that you can be much more interactive with your audience. Want to do an AMA? Then why not just invite your audience to take turns asking you questions live on air that you can answer on camera and that other people can watch? Likewise, you can conduct interviews with people across the globe.
Another great benefit of this is that when someone joins the discussion, they then become a host for the content as well. This means that their followers will then also see the footage being promoted in their feed meaning that you get more eyes on what you’re recording.

What’s also interesting about this is that it makes it possible for you to appear in other people’s videos and thereby gain exposure that way. Say you’re watching a video being recording by a big blogger like Tim Ferriss – you could ask to have a go in the hot seat and if he said yes, you’d then be exposed to his entire audience watching at that time, giving you an amazing opportunity to show how much you know and the kinds of content you’re capable of producing.

When you first go on Blab you’ll find that people are very keen to invite you into their discussions and this can actually be quite nerve wracking at first! But in fact, this is also perfect practice for getting better at presenting and also for getting better at interacting with strangers and for speaking as an authority on your topic. In other words, this is fantastic practice for presenting and a great way to hone your skills and it’s very useful even if only for that purpose.

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This is that thing of ‘walk or sit, don’t wobble’ again. You’re watching YouTube but feeling stressed about it. You’re half working. You’re not being fully productive but nor are you getting the benefits of rest either.

One way to solve this problem is with the ‘pomodoro’ technique. Here, you simply segregate the time you have into short bursts of productivity and then short bursts of rest. Normally you do this using a timer.
So for instance, if you had 10 hours to complete a project, you might break this down into 25 minute working periods with 10 minute rests. This way, you accept that there are going to be points when you stop working but instead of fighting them and becoming exhausted, you embrace them and use them to properly recover. This is a much more efficient use of your time and while it can feel odd peeling yourself away it’s also very good training. Over time you need to teach yourself that sometimes taking a step back is okay – it’s the only way to get over an addiction to stress.

Rewards Systems

The Pomodoro technique is very popular and a lot of people swear by it. However it’s not suitable for every type of work. For instance, if you’re a writer or programmer then you might need to get into a ‘flow state’ in order to get your best work done. This means being completely focused on the work you’re doing and when you reach that point you will find you even end up putting off toilet trips.
Flow states are you at your most productive but once they’re interrupted they’re incredibly hard to get back into. So if you’re in that kind of job, the Pomodoro technique may not be a good fit.

THE STRESS-FREE STRESS MANAGEMENT PLAN

Instead, break your work up into tasks that you can complete. For instance, you might say that one ‘chunk’ of work is to complete 1,000 words. After that, you then give yourself a ‘reward’ in the form of a cup of tea, or ten minutes to sit and read. Whatever your reward, you will find that this not only breaks your work into periods of productivity and relaxation but also gives you more incentive to keep working and to keep being productive.

The key to getting this right though is to make anything that isn’t work a reward. Want to make a cup of tea? Well you can’t do it until you’ve checked your e-mail. Want to check Facebook? Not until you’ve finished writing that subroutine.

Where normally you might come into work, check Facebook, make a tea and have a chat before getting anything done, you’ll now have completely a ton of work even before your first cuppa. This completely changes the feel of the day and leads to much more work getting done.

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Chapter 10 Making Resolutions For Managing Moods

Every January, it seems that people are joining together just to do 1 thing: To make their New Year’s Resolution. However, making resolutions is a lot easier than keeping them. Resolutions actually need a change in your behavior and attitude. They need you to forget the old and welcome the new. This is of the reasons why most resolutions are forgotten by the next months.

So, is a resolution impossible for you to keep? Well, here are few things to consider.

First, it is definitely something that all people have. But it is just like muscles. You need to constantly flex and stretch it. Use willpower to help you get though hard situations. Know that you’re actually capable of doing amazing things. Stretch those muscles and discover where it can get you. Resolutions need to be challenging as long as you’re up to the tasks.

Second, know that change is quite hard to achieve. So, if you really want to change something. Take your time, don’t force yourself too hard.

Third, you should always consider yourself in a great mood for it helps you in keeping your resolutions. When you are in a sour mood, you might sabotage your goals with a destructive behavior. So, why not do things that will make you laugh or spend some time with the people you love or enjoy.