4 Common Characteristics of Dreams

Dreams are as interesting as they are puzzling! Though it has fascinated many individuals of different fields, serious scientific studies on dreams came in later compared to other aspects of the mind. For one, it’s been found that even though they may vary in many ways, there are some pretty common characteristics shared in dreams! Here are only some of them. 

They are quite hard to remember

Technically, everybody dreams. There are some people who claim that they don’t, but it’s actually because they simply can’t remember! And even if you do remember, you actually don’t recall all that much. It has been found that we dream for about 2 hours and we really don’t remember everything that happens in that period. So, don’t dwell too much on not remembering your dreams! It’s a natural characteristic, it happens to everyone, and there’s nothing you should be worried about.

Dreams are illogical

Another major characteristic of dreams is that they are usually illogical and disorganized. They can be inconsistent in terms of setting, characters, and topics. One minute you’re in your school and the next you’re already flying above Singapore. Or maybe objects transform from one thing to another, even loved ones who have passed away may be present. Of course, when you dream, natural laws don’t apply! Although, you will obviously still have dreams wherein nothing weird or unnatural is happening. Even then, you may experience ambiguities and bizarre things from time to time.

You will often experience intense emotions

One of the most common dreams shared between people is the dream of being chased by an aggressor. The intensity of such dreams even wakes the individual up abruptly in some cases. Anxiety, sadness, and fear are actually common emotions that are intensified when we are dreaming. This is a big reason why you have dreams that make you shed a tear or get you to cry full-on. Of course, you may have dreams that get you excited or make you really happy as well.   

Our brains don’t have any trouble processing odd dreams

In connection to the point about dreams being illogical, our brains don’t have any problems with that at all. Even if you’re flying in your dream or your hands suddenly transform into crab pincers, your brain will process it as if it’s normal ordinary information. It is said that this is because our perceptions and emotions are stronger when we are in a dreaming state. If you do remember the dream as you wake up, only then will you think of it as odd and unnatural. Meaning, you only process all those strange info when you’re already conscious.

11 Things to Do When You’re Alone in a Quarantine

There are a lot of things you can do at home even when you are alone during the quarantine instead of just scrolling through social media. Here are some activities homebodies and nerds do to stay sane that will help you get through the quarantine.

Read that book you’re planning to read. If you have a stack of books you hoarded last year, now is the perfect time to read them. If you do not have books, you could still sharpen your mind by getting the e-book or audiobook versions. Remember to get them from legit sources so the writers get compensated for saving your sanity.

Tackle your backlog of games. Remember those cheap games you bought during the holidays? Now you have plenty of time to play them before other new games come out. As long as there is electricity and internet, you will be fine.

Make art. Turn this opportunity into making your masterpiece or just honing your skills. You will also have access to plenty of resources online if you need to improve your techniques. For those without art skills, try the adult coloring books you bought last year.

Practice playing that musical instrument. If it does not bother your neighbors, it is time to start playing that musical instrument again. Or you could try to learn a new one. There are a lot of tutorials you can find online nowadays.

Watch those 3-hours plus movies. Remember those old classics that you have been avoiding because you don’t have enough time? Now that you are stuck at home, you might even be able to watch Lawrence of Arabia, The Ten Commandments, and some Bollywood and experimental films.

Learn a new language. You do not need to enroll for a class to start learning a new language. Put your internet to good use.

Try home workouts. You will still need some physical activities to keep fit during a pandemic, but if going out is not an option, there are home workouts you can try. Yoga, aerobics, and Zumba are some of your options.

Use the solitude to write your masterpiece. Maybe being forced to stay at home is just the inspiration you needed to finally start writing that story.

Find stuff at home to fix. If you have a set of tools at home, you can do minor repairs while in quarantine. This can also be a good workout.

Clean your apartment. Remember when you used to tell yourself you do not have time to clean because you’re busy? Well, now you have time to make your apartment livable.  You do not have to do everything all at once; clean a different room each day.

Try virtual tours. If your trips got cancelled this year, you can still visit some famous tourist spots using the virtual tour.

What to Do When We Run out of Ideas?  

 

In every endeavour we find ourselves in, there will come a time that we will run out of ideas. That is natural but we need to quickly regain it before we lose interest. We have to accept first that there is always a need for fresh ideas and perspectives regardless of the field.

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What do we do when we run out of ideas? The good news is that we are not alone and we can implore the help of other people. Let us explore the things to do when we run out of ideas:

  • Expose ourselves to new ideas: There are times that fresh and bright ideas come to us in fleeting moments but we tell ourselves that these ideas were not so great in the first place. As a result, we forget these ideas and do not realize its potential. When we think that that idea can influence our work, there is nothing wrong to take a note and refer to it in the near future. Our smartphones can help us with the jotting.
  • Seek new perspectives: Sometimes we need to go out and see what the world offers. We should not be imprisoned in our office and think of new perspectives. We should go out and see the world. Who knows we can stumble upon ideas for our next story or creative businesses presentation.

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  • Ask for feedback: If we are confused or bemused, we can ask for feedback – that is constructive criticism. It will do the trick. If we ask for feedback, we have to approach someone with no other agenda but to help us.
  • Create our first draft: The first draft will surely lead to the second, third and the final draft. We should not underestimate the power of first drafts no matter how vague or dirty it is.
  • Try brainstorming tools: If we do not want to wait for an idea, then there is no choice but to force them out from us. There is no use to wait for flashes of inspiration especially if we are lacking time. There are different tools that we can consider when brainstorming like paper and pen.
  • Consider collaborative exercises: Considering collaborative exercises are fun and memorable. With the help of our colleagues, we can surely think of fresh ideas.

Singapore is powered by fresh ideas. We are where we are because people with fresh and bright ideas made it happen. It is time that we contribute something for a better Singapore so, whenever we run out of ideas, we should remember the things mentioned above and we will see the difference.

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Feeling Good without Feeling Selfish

Here in Singapore, it’s not just about the glamour and the extravagant lifestyle. Although most of us strive to have and maintain a comfortable life, we don’t fail to remember to also reach out and better the lives of others. So if you’re thinking of ways to share what you have and in doing so feeling good for helping out, here are a few organizations available here in Singapore that advocates the welfare of those in need.

Redwoods Advance at the ‘365 Cancer Prevention Society’ Love Lunch Event

365 Cancer Prevention Society

In an era of advanced technology and increasing medical research, it’s so disheartening to find out that there are still so many lives being threatened and so many families being affected by cancer. Dealing with this life-changing disease is not easy, but 365 Cancer Prevention Society exerts much effort to make the impact of this disease more bearable. This organization aims to help through information dissemination and lymphatic detoxification exercise programs. The generous people behind this society also extend their kindness not only to the patients themselves but also to their families. This organization is truly admirable and it’s a good place to start extending our own kindness and offer our donations since they are a non-profit organization and rely on public donations to sustain their advocacy.

Children’s Charities Association

Children’s Charities Association or CCA is a joint effort of a group of charities in Singapore aiming to raise funds for the benefit of children with varying needs. The organization’s vision is to empower these children and help them become independent citizens who are capable of fulfilling their vital role in the society. CCA is open for donations and one of the four fund raising projects that they organize annually is the Flag Day which will be happening on the 11th of June this year. The event is only a few months away, but the organization is still warmly accepting volunteers, students or adults, to participate. This year’s goal is to raise more than $50,000.

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Pass It On

If you’re looking to help out but are on a tight budget or you just simply want to pass on any household item that you don’t use anymore but is still functioning well, then Pass It On is the organization for you. Pass It On aims to encourage Singaporean’s partaking in helping out the less privileged through giving the things that they don’t need anymore to those who will still benefit from the passed on items.

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