Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Education
(Image Source: Healhtline)
Apps to keep your brain busy
Excerpts from article published in Healthline
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed people’s lives in a plethora of ways. Understandably, physical distancing, while extremely necessary, has had an impact on people’s mental health. Keeping your brain busy has become more important than ever.
One way to help keep your brain busy during the pandemic? Apps!
Why is it important to engage your brain?
Apps ranging from solving puzzles to learning new languages, could make a big difference to your day-to-day life. Studies have found that regularly playing puzzles and completing crosswords or word-based games actually improves brain function. Similarly, learning a new language, may help counteract pandemic brain fog.
Here are the apps which can help your brain stay busy:
1. Lumosity
Lumosity claims it helps users “improve memory, increase focus, and feel sharper” with its daily brain-training exercises. The app is suitable for anyone of any age or ability level, and will even adapt to your strengths and weaknesses.
2. Duolingo
Duolingo can be a great app for anyone who’s ever wanted to learn another language. The app offers “bite-sized” lessons in more than 35 languages, featuring mini-games.
3. Calm
Calm may help reduce anxiety and help improve sleep quality and focus via mind exercises, meditations, music, and sleep stories. The app features a slew of famous voices, including Matthew McConaughey, Kate Winslet, and Idris Elba, to help you relax.
4. PsychologyCompass
PsychologyCompass calls itself “a cognition coach in your pocket” that can help you overcome anxiety, improve leadership, and enhance memory and learning. The app is designed to strengthen cognitive skills with short weekly lessons.
5. Headspace
Headspace provides “hundreds of guided meditations on everything from stress to focus to relationships.” It also offers music and soundscapes to aid sleep, short guided meditations, and longer courses.
6. Ten Percent Happier
Ten Percent Happier offers meditation lessons and new content on a weekly basis. Meditations, stories, and inspiration cover a range of topics, from parenting to anxiety to sleep.
7. Insight Timer
Insight Timer is a meditation app with a difference. Featuring workshops, guided meditations, music, courses, and celebrity speakers, Insight Timer can help keep your brain busy while helping you reduce stress and get better sleep.
8. TED
TED boasts more than 3,000 free talks in more than 20 languages on its app, meaning that users can explore myriad topics from all over the world. The “Inspire Me” feature suggests new content, making it possible to learn from world-class thinkers even while in quarantine.
9. Forest
Forest is a productivity app, or a phone game with a purpose: Users create their own forests, literally watching their healthy habits grow.
10. Words With Friends
Words With Friends can help you build your vocabulary while playing and connecting with friends and strangers. Much like Scrabble, Words With Friends challenges players to create words from a selection of random letters.
11. Houseparty
This video-calling app allows friends to meet up to virtually play games, hang out, sing karaoke, and socialise while abiding by physical distancing regulations. Basically, if you’re missing the people you love and the only thing that will help is speaking with them, Houseparty could make all the difference.
12. Chess – Play and Learn
Chess – Play and Learn is the app for anyone who’s binged “The Queen’s Gambit” during lockdown and wants to learn the game for themselves. The app also offers brain puzzles and the chance to make new friends.
Career
(Image Source: Postgraduatesearch.com)
Make a career in the social sector with these tips
Excerpts from article published by India Today Web Desk
For decades, many did not consider the social services as a legitimate space to build a career. This was possibly due to myths and prejudices surrounding non-profits.
These myths are slowly being dispelled and attitudes and perceptions are altering. Today, the social sector is not only an acceptable but also a desirable space for career opportunities.
The following are a few pointers to keep in mind while exploring a career in the social sector:
Build an educational base
Reputed institutions of higher education are now offering full-time degrees & diploma programmes in development studies, social work, gender studies as well as NGO management. Building a theoretical base with one or more of these degrees gives one a broad perspective on the social sector, the problems that plague it and also the possible solutions.
Advantages of working in the social sector
Knowing that you have been able to transform tears into smiles, sadness into happiness, that you were able to guide someone onto a brighter path is priceless. The social sector also comprises young enterprising individuals and seasoned professionals – this combination exposes you to a variety of changemakers who are doing their bit to reduce inequalities.
A few cautionary points
The returns are rare and spread apart and the work can be physically and emotionally draining. One also has to be prepared to deal with anything and everything. Above all, one needs to be able to balance their larger vision of society with practicality, as being too idealistic can create additional obstacles in project execution.
Gain exposure via volunteering
If you are curious about the social sector but hesitant to take the plunge, volunteering or interning with a non-profit organisation is the best place to start. You gain exposure which would help you identify if you can fully commit to working professionally in the social sector.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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