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Stop That Thought, Part I: Taming Unproductive Worries

DearSugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:00:00 -0700

We all worry from time to time, but worrying is often totally unproductive. We have to sweat a lot of details and dilemmas in life, but getting stressed about things when you can't actually do anything about them isn't very helpful.

For instance, worrying about your upcoming dentist appointment won't make your filling hurt any less. Similarly, when you're at work, thinking about all the things you need to do when you get home will just stress you out. If you need a little help taming your worries, why not try a technique called "thought stopping"? The method can help you dismiss unproductive worries all together and save the important ones for another time.

For a few tips on pushing unproductive thoughts out of your mind, read more.

Some worries have a purpose - say, planning a dinner party or remembering to pay your bills. But other worries, like anxiety over a dentist visit, aren't doing you any favors. So why not push them out of your mind entirely? Try these tips and see what works for you.

Count to 10. When an unproductive worry enters your head, count to 10 and tell yourself you'll stop thinking about it when you're done counting. In your mind, shout "stop!" when you hit 10.
Go somewhere else. In your mind, that is. Pick a place that makes you happy - maybe curled up in bed or somewhere on your last vacation - and imagine yourself there every time a nasty thought plagues you.
Replace the unhealthy with something healthy. Instead of dwelling on something that's only going to stress you out, replace your worry with a healthy thought. Remind yourself about something you're happy about or thankful for.

What about the things you really need to worry about? Stay tuned for my tips on saving the important worries for another time. Meanwhile, share your tips below.

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Pop A DVD In: Stop-Loss

PopSugarUK — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 08:00:00 -0700

Stop-Loss stars Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as three soldiers whose friendships and lives fall apart on their return home after serving in Iraq when Brandon King (Philippe) is "stop-lossed"; the US policy where soldiers who have completed their service are called back to serve again.

Brandon hits the road to seek justice and is accompanied by Michelle (Abbie Cornish), the fiancée of his childhood buddy Steve Shriver (Tatum), while those he leaves in Texas - particularly Tommy Burgess (Gordon-Levitt) - struggle to come to terms with life back home.

The acting by all three main male actors is great, and Channing Tatum won a Teen Choice Award in the "Movie Actor: Drama" category for his performance. I agree with my girl Buzz US that some of the accents are pretty awful, but that doesn't detract too much from the gripping drama.

To find out more about the film, and the DVD extras, read more

Watching Stop-Loss is an intense experience from the very beginning, with the film opening in Iraq and the camerawork contributing to the sense of unease and suspense. I didn't find the film sentimental nor sensational, more a gritty dramatisation of a frightening, frustrating and above-all complex situation. I was surprised at the lack of a love story, given Abbie Cornish's role, but I ended up pleased that the movie focussed more on the male friendships and the tensions within them.

The DVD extras are impressive, with a commentary from director Kimberly Peirce and co-writer Mark Richard, "Making Of" and "A Day in Boot Camp" featurettes and 11 deleted scenes, including some shirtless Ryan Phillippe action.

If you want to see more before deciding whether or not to pick up a copy of Stop-Loss you can head over to Buzz US to check out the trailer. I'd certainly recommend the film to those of you looking for a thought-provoking, well-acted film about the war.

Photos courtesy of Paramount

Manjoyment: Hello Shirtless Ryan Phillippe

PopSugarUK — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 05:00:00 -0700

What better way to cheer up a grey day than to see Ryan Phillippe in all his shirtless glory. We've got a sneak peak at these manjoyment stills, which come from the deleted scenes of the DVD release of Stop-Loss, Ryan's movie with Abbie Cornish. Also starring Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the film focuses on a how a group of friends and family in Texas react when their loved ones in the military are called back having already served in Iraq. It was out on DVD in the States a month ago, but us Brits will finally get the chance to get our hands on the film on 18 August.

Other DVD extras include commentary with director Kimberly Peirce and co-writer Mark Richard, "Making Of" and "A Day in Boot Camp" featurettes and ten more deleted scenes. Head over to my girl Buzz US to check out the trailer.

View 6 Photos ›

Photos courtesy of Paramount

Stop Hating Exercise and Start Loving It: Part II

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 08:45:00 -0700

Recently I asked you guys to tell me all the things you dislike about exercising so that we can find ways to turn that hate into love. One thing that came up a lot is, "I used to workout all the time and loved the way it made me feel, but then I just stopped for some reason."

To this I say: You know you have it in you to workout consistently. You also know how good it feels when you do. So start again. Plain and simple. Just because you stopped doesn't mean you can't start back up again. However, this time make exercise a part of every day life, like brushing and flossing your teeth, rather than thinking of it as something you can just start and stop doing as you wish. Keep an exercise journal to make sure you don't fall off the ~~treadmill~~ wagon again. Be sure to record in your journal how great you feel, so that when you start to lose your fire you can read up and be inspired by yourself.

Another Reason to Stop After One Glass: Weight Gain

FitSugar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:00:27 -0700

You all know I am big fan of moderation, especially when it comes to vices like chocolate or red wine. While alcohol might be the new exercise motivator, another health study was recently published seemingly to remind us all to be moderate when it comes to beer, wine, and booze. The UK study found that binge drinking leads to weight gain. And not just all over weight gain, but it increases belly fat, which is known to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and heart disease.

Binge drinking is defined as drinking five or more alcoholic drinks in one sitting and doing so has measurable health consequences - women who tend to binge drink were found to have waists four inches larger than those who did not. The study found that drinking one drink a day for five days didn't have the same effect of increasing abdominal fat as binge drinking. The study was unable to determine how long one would have to regularly binge drink to create the weight gain. Regardless, add this one to your lists of reasons to stop after one glass.

Website of the Day: Next Stop

GeekSugar — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:15:45 -0700

Are you getting tired of travel guide websites yet? Yeah, me neither. Especially when they do something useful and somewhat new, as is the case with Next Stop.

Created by a batch of former Googlers, Next Stop aims to help you find interesting things to do at your destination rather than just offer a deluge of reviews like Yelp, good and bad.

Next Stop takes all your good recommendations of cool places and amasses them on a map, but then the social networking link kicks in, and suddenly you're following people, making friends, starting lists, and uploading stuff to your Twitter. The best part is that Next Stop has all this stuff seamlessly built in, so it just happens effortlessly. And when all is said and done, you'll know exactly where to get the best hot dog in Chicago.

Have you found a cool website? Share it. To learn how to post your favorite websites to our Website of the Day group, read more.

I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.

First of all, join the Website of the Day group.
Click the pink "Share" menu on the top left side of the page.
Choose "Blog" and "Regular Post."
Give your story a "Title."
Fill in the "Body" with a link to your favorite website and the reasons why you love it.
Click "Next."
Choose the audience for your story to "Website of the Day" in the dropdown menu.
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Website of the Day").
Change channel to "Technology and Gadgets."
Fill in tag field with relevant tags.
Click "I’m done" to submit content.

So join the Website of the Day group and share information about all your favorite sites! Yours just might end up on the geeksugar homepage!

Ask a Wife: How Do I Stop Being the Other Woman?

TresSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:00:58 -0800

Conventional Wisdom is a different kind of advice column. Your questions will be answered by people from all walks of life rather than by advice experts. This week, a woman in a happy marriage tries to help out a woman stuck in an affair. If you have a question you'd like answered on Conventional Wisdom, you can submit it here.

Today's Question:

I am involved with a married man and I don't know how to stop. He's been married for a couple of years, and his wife often goes out of town. I feel like I'm in a relationship with him: he calls or texts before he goes to sleep, cooks me dinner when he can, and we talk about almost anything with each other. I don't expect him to leave his wife for me, and it doesn't seem like he's going to. He just says he wishes we would have met before he got married. I know deep down that this is so wrong, but I feel like I can't do anything about it. I feel too happy when I'm around him. Help!

Signed,
The Other Woman

To see the advice, read more.

Dear The Other Woman,

I have some bad news and some good news. First, the bad news: you are not happy. You are in a relationship that is damaging to both you and this man's wife. The only person remotely benefiting from the situation is this unfaithful person you are involved with.

Now the good news: real happiness does exist. You can find someone - who's not married - to talk, laugh, cry, and have sex with. And it will be so much better. But first you need to do some work on yourself. Look at your life and decide what type of person you want to be. Do you want the adjectives selfish, dishonest, and disrespectful to describe who you are? Or would you rather have the words loving, faithful, and complete describe your behavior and your relationship? Next you need to boost your confidence. Think about what has made you do something that is undoubtedly so hurtful to yourself and this other woman. Is it because you are afraid of being alone? Is it because you think this is the best thing you can get? If so, let me tell you that a little patience can go a long way. Focus on the things you really enjoy in life (do you like running? painting? traveling?), the things that make you excited, and you will only become more desirable.

The search for love is a hard and frustrating one, but you are just going down a dark and depressing path with nothing but hurt waiting at the end of it. End things with this unavailable man, figure out why you love yourself, and then you will find someone who loves you for all those qualities too.

Signed,
A Wife

Flashback: Steve Guttenberg in Can't Stop the Music

GiggleSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:00:07 -0700

If Steve Guttenberg can't stop the music, it must truly be unstoppable. In possibly the best cinematic masterpiece I've stumbled upon since the film based on Charlie Sheen's poetry, Can't Stop the Music is the pseudo-autobiographical rags to riches tale of the Village People, starring the real-life band members and Guttenberg as Jack.

According to the plot description at SteveGuttenberg.com:

Samantha, a former model, comes to the aid of her roommate Jack, an aspiring songwriter who's vowed to stay celibate until he achieves musical success. Samantha invites a group of arty friends from Greenwich Village to a party - an Indian chief, a construction worker, a cowboy, a policeman, a soldier, and a couple of leather boys! Then, they all get together and stage such a wild, campy, "dance feverish" show using Jack's songs, that his career skyrockets!

Now doesn't that sound like fun? If only we could all have an Indian chief among our "arty friends." They aren't kidding with that tagline: "Like nothing you've ever seen before!" Have any of you seen this masterpiece?

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How to Get People to Stop Sending You Forwards

GeekSugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 09:00:15 -0700

Remember when sending email forwards was totally in vogue and not at all annoying? It was about, oh, 1999 or so, and you and your friends would send each other chain letter forwards, quizzes about yourself that you filled out, inspirational poems about girlfriends and sisters, warnings to each other about deodorant causing cancer, and how to save a kid dying of a life-threatening disease you've never heard of.

Maybe it was the advent of social networking sites, but somehow, people stopped sending forwards. And I stopped getting annoyed every time I checked my inbox.

However, some people haven't really gotten that memo - and I'm sorry, but Mom, I totally have to call you out - and if you're afraid to tell them straightforwardly, the website StopForwarding.us will send an anonymous message on your behalf with a gentle but firmly-worded cease-and-desist email. Really, you're doing all of their email contacts a favor.

And as for you, Mom - well, you can keep on doing it. I like seeing your name in my inbox, even if it does mean getting a forward.

Simply Fab: Foot in the Door Shoe Stop

FabSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:00:22 -0700

Imagine my delight when, after a meeting, I looked down and saw this Foot in the Door Shoe Door Stop ($9), holding the door open. I immediately bent down and pet it like I would a puppy! It would make a wonderful gift for a shoe-loving friend or even for yourself. It's also available in black should you want your shoe-bsession to be discreet.