How to Excel in a Retail Job

A profession in retail is a unique experience. Whether you feel that selling merchandise to customers is your life passion or just a job to make ends meet, it’s important to understand that your position is meaningful, reaches out to many people in your community and leaves a lasting impression. As such, you should always want to excel in it. Excelling as a retail employee includes taking the role seriously, understanding what is expected of you and finding ways to support others in your team.

Edit Steps

Edit Part 1: Personal Integrity

1. 
   
   
   
   • If you are habitually late you will be leaving your coworkers in a lurch. You also risk facing disciplinary action or even dismissal, depending on the jurisdiction in which you work.
   
   
   • If you can’t make work because you’re ill or indisposed for a good reason, alert your workplace as early as you can. This allows them to make alternative arrangements to cover your shift. Equally, if you want to get ahead in the job, making it known that you’re available to fill in at short notice can be a great way to get noticed, make more money and be seen as highly reliable.
   
   
   
   


2. Present yourself well. Retail work is very visual, and it includes not only the stock, but those selling the stock too. Smart grooming and good clothing are an important part of presenting a professional image that inspires confidence in anyone dealing with you. Make an effort, even if your natural preference is scruffy and comfortable. Good presentation can also provide you with a professional “shield” between you and customers, giving you the confidence to behave more professionally.
   
   
   
   
   
   • If the store requires a uniform of some sort, keep it well laundered and pressed (find out if the company covers such costs).
   
   
   • Have a comb or brush handy for touching up hair during the shift, and perhaps a small mirror and some makeup for touch-ups.
   
   
   
   


3. Take care to understand the store policies thoroughly. If you have any questions about what is and is not allowed, ask before doing or failing to do something, or you risk not following the store policies. Many stores give training at the commencement of your job but changes occur over time, so be sure to keep up to date with store policy changes the longer you stay there.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • For example, you might want to take home used boxes from the store for your volunteer work of doing art with street kids. However, your store might have a policy that employees take nothing from the store; you’d need to know this beforehand, or risk being dismissed.
   
   
   
   

Edit Part 2: Interacting with Others

1. Get along with your coworkers. Aim to be friendly, polite, flexible, and sympathetic to the needs of those you work with. Successfully developing a rapport with your coworkers will ensure that they trust you, can easily work with you, and can count on you. Plus, enjoying the company of the people you work with will make any slow day go by a lot faster.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • What about those times when a coworker wants to chat endlessly? Realize how bad this looks to customers, and how it can cause customers to shy away from asking for your help or service. Ask your coworker to keep the chatting to times when customers are not directly affected; if your coworker seems to keep chatting, it can help to ignore any attempts to engage you in conversation when it’s not convenient.
   
   
   • Seasonal events can stress everyone in your team, when there are many shoppers, stock is strewn everywhere and you’re constantly stuck at the cashier’s spot. On such occasions, give each other pep talk, offer a word of praise now and then, and keep an eye out for coworkers who miss breaks and offer to cover for them so that they can take them to refresh.
   
   
   • Sometimes coworkers will behave negatively. On such occasions, be aware that workplace conflict is a natural part of working with others and is something to manage, not run from. Try to handle things yourself initially but if it’s too difficult or involves serious issues such as harassment, seek immediate help from your supervisors/superiors.
   
   
   • There may be times when one or more members of your team fails to take the role seriously. Realize that everyone has down days or feels fed up with what they’re doing. It’s not usually about you, so don’t take their behavior to heart. Ask them “What’s up?” and be compassionate about their issues.
   
   
   
   


2. Work with management, not for them. Get to know your boss (for example, the store manager) and any other authority figures (for example, assistant managers, sales managers, department managers, etc.). Know what each of your superiors expects of you in your position.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Aim to be flexible. This includes keeping an open mind if you’re asked by management to stay late during the busy holiday season or to take on an extra responsibility. If you execute this well enough, your efforts will be recognized and you are likely to receive some kind of benefits in the long run, perhaps even a promotion.
   
   
   • Ask questions. Whether it’s because you don’t know something or because you’d like to try something innovative but you’re not sure how it’d go down, asking questions shows engagement with the job and interest in it.
   
   
   
   


3. Provide a great customer experience. Greet each customer and find out what they’ve come into the store for by asking open-ended questions. Guide them to the product (if available) and assist them with answering any questions they might have. Then, offer to help them find anything else they could be looking for, or if applicable, if they would be interested in a warranty plan (cross-sell!).
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Smile and stay upbeat even when the customer doesn’t smile back. Customers do notice your smile, they may simply be too busy, self-absorbed in thoughts about what they have to do next or a shrinking violet. Your pleasantness may be enough to thaw the ice for the next person that customer meets!
   
   
   • Be aware that disengagement from or lack of enthusiasm for your job is apparent to all––to your coworkers, your boss… and yes, your customers. And customers are super ready to judge that a disengaged retail worker is likely to not want to help them, setting up a defensive situation from the start. Even if this job isn’t your dream ticket to a future career, stay professional; it’s good training for any future job. And you never know when your next customer might be a source of information or work opportunities––or simply interesting!
   
   
   
   


4. Be a professional when it comes to the more challenging customers. Clearly not all customers are pleasant and some are downright surly or difficult, especially when waiting in long queues or holding unrealistic expectations about what your store can offer them. In such cases, don’t take their ranting or negativity personally. Realize that some people will be mean-spirited no matter what you do or say and that some people are simply out to make trouble, for whatever reason.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Be aware that often the more challenging customer has underlying emotional issues, such as anxiety about overspending, anger about something totally unrelated to the store/sale (and you’re sadly an easy victim), a sense of entitlement, etc. It is not personal (which is probably why it hurts even more, as you feel treated like an automaton). Whatever the cause, stay calm and polite, and if you feel you’re over your head, call for your supervisor.
   
   
   • Debrief whenever a customer has been especially difficult. Whether it’s encouraged by your workplace culture or not, find at least one team member with whom you can talk through difficult experiences. If your workplace doesn’t already have such an opportunity in place, suggest that learning sessions be implemented to help all of you learn how to better deal with difficult situations in a more professional and constructive manner. Nobody is born knowing how to solve all conflict, and such skill-building should be part of your workplace training.
   
   
   
   

Edit Part 3: Perfecting Your Sales Techniques

1. Know the store and the products you are selling. Familiarize yourself with the sales floor layout and which merchandise is located where. Research as much as you can about the products the store/your department sells, and what advantages your store or the products you sell offer over similar stores or competing products. This way, when it’s time to sell a product or service to a customer, you’ll be well-informed and can confidently close the sale.
   
   
   
   


2. Train often. Almost all retail stores provide some kind of basic training to new associates, typically outlining the proper procedures of your position and how to handle common customer scenarios. You can never learn too much, either, so feel free to ask management what training options you may have available if you need a refresher.
   
   
   
   


3. Help maintain the store. Even if your role is not in logistics coordination, you can make sure that shelves are neat, items are in their correct places, there are no messes or potential hazards around, and that employee areas are safe and adequately stocked.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Demonstrate to others how important it is to pick up stock on the floor, rearrange messy stock etc., by simply pitching in and fixing it whenever the need is apparent. You don’t need directions from above to keep the store neat.
   
   
   
   


4. Have fun. Most importantly, enjoy what you do and learn from the experience. You never know who you’ll meet and what opportunities your job will bring in the future.
   
   
   
   

Edit Tips

• Learn how to cope with stress. There might be times when you’re swamped by several customers, all wanting your attention, all frustrated and perhaps rude. Stay calm, be polite, and try your best to help them.


• Always stay busy, even when there’s downtime. Find tasks to keep you moving and productive during lulls. Not only will this make the time go by faster, but it’ll help the store and earn respect from your manager(s).

Edit Warnings

• Don’t share your discontent about your retail job on social media. It will likely be quite easy to identify you and the disloyalty shown will count against you. If you dislike your job, start looking for a new one and keep your thoughts to yourself. A good reference is essential to finding employment elsewhere.

Edit Related wikiHows

• How to Get a Job in Retail

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How to Grow Sundews

Sundews, also known as Drosera, are a species of carnivorous plant. These plants are often considered to be the easiest indoor carnivorous plants to grow mainly because the way they catch an insect (by secreting a sticky substance from their leaf tentacles) makes feeding easy. You can get the seeds for sundews from big plant nurseries or online. If you would like to grow them, it’s a simple process.

Edit Steps

Edit Part One: Purchasing Sundew Plants

1. Research the sundew plant. If you do some research on this plant, you’ll get an idea of what it is and whether you can grow it in your area. There are approximately 194 sundew species worldwide. They grow in all different shapes and sizes – from round ones to long ones. Sundews tend to live for 50 years, if kept in good condition. In some cases, they can be used for medicinal purposes. Some of the more common sundew species you might want to grow are:
   
   
   
   • Drosera capensis : The easiest sundew to grow.
     
     
     
   
   
   • Pygmy sundews : Usually found in Australia, this one has hairs to ward off the heat.
     
     
     
     
   
   
   • Tuberous sundews : Very good at surviving hot weather.
     
     
     
     
   
   
   • Petiolaris complex : Usually grown in warm or wet areas.
     
     
     
     
   
   
   
   


2. Know how the sundews catch their food. If an insect lands on one of the leaf’s sticky tentacles, they may get stuck and the Sundew would wrap its tentacle up and digest the content.
   
   
   
   


3. Obtain your plants. Sundew plants are rarely found in generalist nurseries. Try really big nurseries or order them online. When purchased, the plant usually only comes in seed form or as a very small plant.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Ask the helper in the shop for any tips or information on your plant’s specific growing requirements. Remember that their characteristics differ, depending on which sundew plant you’re buying.
     
     
     
     
   
   
   
   

Edit Part Two: Planting the Seeds

1. Add any type of soil to a 4 inch/10cm pot. Moist or dry soil should be 70% peat / 30% sand or perlite (although take into account specific needs as revealed by your research). You will need a 4 inch pot or larger because a sundew’s roots are unusually long and providing adequate space will enable the plant to reach its maximum height. This plant usually grows better in moist conditions, but not too moist. The roots tend to be weak, though, and are nearly useless for absorbing nutrients from the soil.


2. Dig a hole wide enough to hold one seed and about 1″/2.5cm or less deep and place a seed, then cover it with the left over dirt. Make sure if you plant many in the same container to space them out.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Water the plant with a little mineral free water (about one or half an inch/2.5 to 1.5cm).
   
   
   • Check the plant every single day – the Drosera are very sensitive plants!
   
   
   
   


3. Wait for the sundew to grow taller and wider with more stems. This growth period will take approximately one month, maybe longer.
   
   
   
   

Edit Part Three: Taking Care of the Plant

1. Keep the sundew at a temperature of 45-90ºF/7-32C or sub-tropical conditions. The more light shone on the plant, the better. Place the plant near your window so it gets enough sunlight. High humidity is not needed, so anything up to 50%RH would be fine.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • The sundew should be placed in a well lit place. It should receive direct sunlight for at least half the day. Be aware, too, that the roots or the sticky substance may dry up.
     
     
     
     
   
   
   
   


2. Feed the plant once every two weeks. If your plant is situated indoors, you’ll need to hand feed it. Feed it some dead insects or live insects, such as an ant. Feed the plant only fresh bugs and feed it only one bug at a time.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • The sundew is not able to digest meat, so do not feed it any.
   
   
   • Do not feed the plant an insect that is bigger than the plant’s tentacle, or it could escape (and you’ll have to catch it) or it will simply be too large for the plant to digest.
   
   
   • Don’t overfeed the plant if it is living in a high humidity environment. Doing so might promote mold growth, killing your plant.
   
   
   • If you place the plant outside, it will most likely feed itself, hence feeding is not required.
   
   
   
   


3. During summer or late spring, five-petaled flowers will start to bloom. You may notice the sundew is not doing much at this stage due to the energy expended in making the flower. When the flower has developed, you can place the plant outside so a bee or other insect can transfer the pollen from plant to plant. The flowers are usually red, pink or white.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Seeds might develop and these are known to come out better if you cross-pollinate by rubbing the pollen from one plant against another flower’s stigma.
   
   
   
   


4. Water the plant. A sundew’s roots are often weakly developed and most water is taken in through the leaves. Therefore, spray the plant with an inch or two of mineral-free or distilled water once every week. Remember not to spray too much or drown the plant. Too much moisture or water will rot the roots.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Do not use any other type of water (such as tap water), as there may be excess minerals which build up and may kill the plant. If you do over-water the plant, invert the pot and plant while pressing down on the soil to squeeze out the extra water.
   
   
   
   


5. If you have chosen to grow the plant in a terrarium (the plant can grow better in one), remember that you have to feed it. Since the terrarium is enclosed, few insects will be able to get in there and you’ll be the sole provider of food.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • You can control the light intensity inside of a terrarium. This is another reason a terrarium might be a good choice for your sundew.
   
   
   
   


6. If you put the sundew outside, remember to check it every day to see if the plant has been attacked. Check for diseases at this time, too. Put the sundew in a well-lit location where the plant can receive direct sunlight for part of the day, yet also have a bit of shade.

Edit Things you need

• 4 inch/10cm pot


• Mineral-free water


• Sundew seeds


• Freshly killed (or live) insects

Edit Video

Edit Tips

• Remember that sundews can be divided and transferred to another place by leaf cuttings or root cuttings.


• Sundews take a long time to digest food, so it’s better not to try to observe the whole process. Just trust that it will happen. After all, the plant knows what to do and how to digest most insects.

Edit Warnings

• Only water a sundew with mineral free water. Mineral build up often kills the plant. If you must you tap water, let it sit for 24-48 hours to allow the chlorine to evaporate.


• During winter, you may notice the leaf die back due to winter dormancy. Pick the dead leaves off carefully. Do not overstimulate the sundew during this period with too much sunlight or water. Just ensure that the soil is dark brown. During spring, you can start to increase the amount of sunlight.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • Leaf die-back usually ends as soon as the days start to get longer and spring approaches.
  
  
  
  


• If your sundew is white and very weak-looking or if it isn’t that sticky, do not add fertilizer. The results of over-fertilization are the same as adding tap water, only worse. Chemicals and minerals build up, putting your plant at risk. Since fertilizer is not a factor in health of sundews, you should look to too much water, too little water, too little food, not enough sunlight or too much sunlight when you notice the plant is weak or weakening. Ask an expert gardener to try and identify the problem(s).
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • Only add soil if you’re an expert gardener.
  
  
  
  

Edit Sources & Citations

• http://ift.tt/1gfygh9 – research source


• http://ift.tt/1cnyqE0 – research source


• http://ift.tt/1ekbT7q – research source

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How to Visualize

Visualization is a technique used by winners in all walks of life. If you really want something to come to fruition, then you have to put your imaginative mind to work. See the result in front of you, play the game you are going to play in your mind or watch yourself accepting your degree at college. The only limit is your own mind.

Edit Steps

Edit Part One: Visualizing Your Goals

1. Visualize the activity, event or result desired. Think “what you see is what you get” and be ready for creativity and mind synthesis to take the lead. Close your eyes and picture it. Everything else should be darkness. It is the only thing that exists in this world right now.
   
   
   
   • Let’s say you want to envision that you get a promotion. Imagine your brand new office with your name in gold-emblazoned letters on the door. Imagine the black, swivel-y chair behind your huge mahogany desk. Imagine the Renoir reproduction between your diplomas. Once you cover the big stuff, get smaller. Get down to the dust in the corners. The residue of the coffee in your mug. The way the light hits the carpeting as it peeks through the slats in the blinds.
   
   
   
   


2. Fix your mindset. Nothing is going to get better when you feel lousy about yourself and your chances in life. A positive mindset will reset an erring period of bad luck. It will turn that half empty glass into the half full glass, the rainy day into the silver-lined cloud. Seize opportunities to change and move on. You’re about to create them!
   
   
   
   
   
   • Visualization is sort of like hypnosis: if you don’t think it’ll work, it won’t. So thinking positively is the first step to making certain this visualization is actually effective. It’s the first step to making these desires a part of real life.
   
   
   
   


3. Move your imagination into the real world. After you have spent a moment, day, month or even years visualizing your goal, now shift to focus mode. Right at the moment before you perform the activity, task or event that will achieve an outcome or even an outcome toward your goal, focus clearly on the picture of the action you are about to make. Even if it’s something intangible like “make more money,” and it’s applicable to the everyday, it can be used before going to work or each business possibility.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • For example, if you are trying to hit a ball, picture hitting it clearly in your mind, stroke by stroke, at the right height and the right speed. Watch the ball being hit by your instrument, flying through the air and landing wherever it is meant to land. Add all senses to the experience — hearing the approaching ball, hearing and feeling the impact, smelling the grass. Then do it for real!
   
   
   
   


4. Always remind yourself of the importance of slowing down. Visualization only works when you are calm, at ease and willing to give yourself time to focus in peace, free from immediate worries. Visualization is a technique very close to meditation, only it is more active and vivid. In visualization, you are encouraged to think actively about the possibilities but as with meditation, you must leave aside anything extraneous to your dreams and goals and only focus on them. So whatever you’re actively imagining, relax. Stay calm. There’s absolutely no rush.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • If you can, make yourself comfortable. Having very few distractions (cell phone, TV, temperature control, pre-holiday pants on a post-holiday waistline) will make this process a lot easier. It’ll help you think more relaxed, too, when less is going on around you.
     
     
     
     
   
   
   
   


5. Visualize the personality traits needed to get you where you want to be. It’s not enough to want to be the president. You need to think about the qualities that will assist you in getting to this goal. Visualize not only the presidency but also the skills of open communication, persuasiveness, smiling, sharing, listening, discussing, being able to deflect criticism with skill and respect, etc. It is likely there will be skills you need to work on but again, use visualization to focus on separate skills to bring them up to par.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • If you’re visualizing having something or doing something, imagine how you would get there. If you want to be president, imagine your political career. Imagine your campaign. Imagine attending fundraisers and meeting political bigwigs. Imagine the red light of the camera at your first debate. How would this visualized you handle these situations?
     
     
     
     
   
   
   
   


6. Use affirmations. Pictures are great, but words work well, too. If you see a thinner, fit you, lounging around in that dream pair of jeans of yours, say to yourself, “I have the body I dream of. I am losing weight and this feels great.” If you are hitting that baseball, tell yourself, “I see the ball. I hit it with such force that it’s knocked out of the park.”
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • You can repeat this to yourself as many times as you need. Just make sure you believe it! Feeling silly won’t get you the results you’re looking for. Seeing is believing, remember?
   
   
   
   

Edit Part Two: Refining Your Technique

1. Think long term. Anybody who wants change overnight will be disappointed. Even if you won a fortune in the morning, you’d be as dissatisfied with your life in 6 months time as you are now unless you look inside to what ails you. Instead, plan to make realization of your hopes and dreams long term. Visualize where you will be in 5, 10 and 15 years time and the sorts of outcomes you want. How will your situation be different and how will you be different?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • But don’t just make a shallow photo of you in a Porsche surrounded by a large house, a massive diamond collection and fawning friends. That’s artificial and will not prove healthy nor satisfying in the long run. Instead, visualize what you want to achieve as a human being and what legacies you will leave your community and world. Think deeper.
   
   
   
   


2. Think in the affirmative. When it comes to visualization, hypnosis, or just positive thinking, you gotta think in the affirmation. Zeroing in on “not being poor” isn’t exactly helpful, you know? So instead of not wanting something or not being something or not having something, focus on what you do want, what you are, or what you have. I want financial security. I am beautiful. I have the guts to move. You get the picture.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Think actively and in the present tense, too. If you are visualizing yourself not smoking anymore, don’t recite the mantra, “I will try to quit.” That’s worthless. Think along the lines of, “Cigarettes are disgusting. I don’t want them. They do nothing for me.” That’s the here and now. That’s powerful.
   
   
   
   


3. Be realistic. If you’re a boxer and you’re trying to visualize your next match and you absolutely dominating, it’s not going to do you any good picturing yourself as Muhammed Ali. You’ll just end up in the ring not living up to the standards you set for yourself. You’ll end up frustrated and exhausted with yourself. And then you’ll probably quit. No! That’s the opposite of what we want to happen.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Instead, imagine your swings like the best swings you’ve ever had. Imagine your opponent as that bag in the gym that you pummel on a daily basis. Imagine your coach screaming in unstoppable delight as you give the best performance of your career. These things could happen. And there’s no reason why they won’t.
   
   
   
   


4. Push beyond your freak-out phase. At the very beginning, this visualization thing may feel pretty frou-frou, if you will. It’ll feel weird, it’ll feel foreign, and it may even feel a bit creepy. You have to push past that! It does go away. At the beginning it’s natural to feel uncomfortable being consumed by this dream world, but it’s just a phase. If it doesn’t feel a little funny, you’re probably not doing it right.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • This is only remedied by practice, that’s all. There’s no other key than time. As with anything, there’s a learning curve. It’ll only seem steep if you don’t commit. Let yourself go and it’ll go away! You’re the only obstacle to your visualization success.
     
     
     
     
   
   
   
   


5. Be the star. In your visualizations, you are not the audience. This is your stage and your time to shine. So be the star! Soak up that limelight! Put yourself in all your deserved glory. Don’t picture it as a movie — your visualizations should be from your own perspective.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • This is what it means to fully visualize. It is a reality as if seen through your very own eyes. You’re not having some sort of out of body experience; it’s the future. It’s real life. It’s all about you.
   
   
   
   

Edit Part Three: Using Visualization Exercises

1. For the first exercise, take a photo. Look at it for one minute. Then put it away and shut your eyes and envision it. Think about the colors, the objects, and all the details you can. How accurately can you recreate it in your mind’s eye? If there are portions you’re forgetting, sneak a peek, but then put it back.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Work on doing this with different pictures until you get super good at it. Until you train your eye to be automatically observant and that minute is almost too much time. We often shut off our brains and don’t realize we can actually turn them back on!
   
   
   
   


2. For the second exercise, take a 3D object. Let’s say it’s a hardcover book. It’s one you have on your shelf, actually. Now, imagine the front, the back, the sides, it opened, it closed, the covers, the pages, and everything in between. Imagine what it looks like under the shade of a tree; imagine what it looks like next to your nightlight. Imagine what it feels and smells like. And maybe even its taste!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • The idea here is to be able to move it around in your mind. This can actually be quite difficult; sometimes our brains like to live in 2D; it’s a lot easier. So rotate it up and down, back and forth, open and close it. Think about its weight as it rotates. Think about how the pages move as it rotates. Think about it as real object.
   
   
   
   


3. For the third exercise, see it in the real world. Keep your eyes open. Take that book and imagine it on your table. Imagine the shadow it reflects on your coaster. Get close to it. Rest your hand on it. How does it feel? How does the indentation of the spine feel versus the cover? How do the edges of the pages feel versus their fronts? Put your nose up to it. What then?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Pick it up! Toss it around. What’s it like to balance? Better yet, what’s your thought process like? Are you actually feeling it or supposing? How vivid does it feel?
   
   
   
   


4. For the fourth exercise, imagine yourself in an exotic location. Now we’re dealing with more than just an object (see how we’re escalating here?). Imagine an entire scene that you’ve never been in before. Address all of your senses as completely as possible.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Let’s take the beach: think about everything from the way the salt is carried in the breeze to the swish of the palm leaves as they brush together in the wind. Think about the heat of the sun and how it makes the grains in the sand shine like diamonds. Get the picture as complete as possible.
   
   
   
   


5. For the last exercise, imagine yourself interacting with your environment. Take that same environment and now place yourself in it. Feel the sand between your toes. Feel how the sun is heating up your skin. Feel the icy cold water as you dip your foot in it and the waves whisk it away. Feel the wet sand mold and sink beneath your weight. The breeze as it tousles your hair. Sit down. Play. Relax. Take a nap. Let the noise of the ebb and flow of the ocean lull you to sleep. Let the seagulls keep you company. Are you there?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • This is the ultimate visualization — when you can picture an entire environment and yourself in it, you have this thing down. Now feel free to create worlds that you can conquer — social, physical, mental worlds, perhaps? Your mind is your playground. Go!
   
   
   
   


6. And if it helps, write it down. We all have different abilities and dispositions. If you’re the type that can live through words, write it down. As the sensations come to you, write it down. You can immortalize it and then relive it over and over and over. You can use it as a source of motivation and you can then recall the imagery with ease.
   
   
   
   • When you go back to read it, use it to re-enter your visualization state. Close your eyes, revisit your affirmations, and expand. With each time, take it to the next level. Go from the beach to the ocean, completely immersed in the water. Grow your world. The larger it becomes, the more gratifying it will be.
   
   
   
   

Edit Tips

• Don’t forget feelings. You have to be happy and grateful to use visualization correctly.


• Help others to visualize. One of the best gifts you can ever give is that of hope and visualizing is a part of hope for better things. Teach others how to do it once you have the confidence and you’ll be sharing around pieces of hope.


• Visualization takes practice. Everyone has the power to do it but not everyone has the belief in it. If you are skeptical, you may want to convince yourself that this is a waste of time. Do not give into this temptation because everyone, skeptics included, can benefit from visualizing. It is about our brain’s ability to synthesize results (a scientifically proven fact).


• “Read Psycho Cybernetics” by Maxwell Maltz. You can apply it to acquire an habit like eating slowly which helps avoid overeating and obesity.

Edit Things You’ll Need

• A photo


• An object


• “Psycho Cybernetics” by Maxwell Maltz

Edit Related wikiHows

• How to Accomplish a Goal


• How to Set Goals


• How to Set a Reading Goal That Will Help Accomplish Your Other Goals


• How to Set SMART Goals


• How to Lose Weight by Eating Slowly

Edit Sources & Citations

• http://ift.tt/1eL0fEE


• http://ift.tt/1gXeLMi


• http://ift.tt/1gXeNDJ


• http://ift.tt/1gXeNDL


• http://ift.tt/1gHPLZJ

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How to Use Calming Techniques to Help People with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Tantrums, sometimes characterized as “meltdowns”, can be difficult and frightening to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders, as well as to their housemates and caregivers. But, by incorporating mitigating techniques, the household can move past such episodes more easily. The affected person will feel more in control of feelings and reactions and will, hopefully, come to trust that help will always be there. Three mitigation techniques are explained and these, used together, work to lessen the severity and frequency of troubling episodes.

Edit Steps

Edit Part One: Encouraging Controlled Breathing

1. Teach the individual deep breathing exercises. Deep breathing inhibits adrenaline and oxygenates the brain. Use the following steps while the person is calm, so that when out of control and having a “meltdown” (as it is commonly called), the individual will be able use these techniques to calm himself. Teaching these techniques while the person is upset is much more difficult, though not impossible.
   
   
   
   • Mirror the person while you do each step.
   
   
   • Breathe in through the nose slowly and evenly until the the lungs are at full capacity.
   
   
   • When the lungs are completely full, the stomach pushes out, so calling each breath a “belly breath” provides a concrete image that helps in visualizing the proper technique.
   
   
   • Hold the breath for a slow count of five.
   
   
   • Breathe out through the mouth, releasing the air slowly and evenly.
   
   
   • Repeat five times: Five “belly breaths” held for a count of five make one group (or set).
   
   
   
   


2. Practice up to three sets of “belly breaths” two times each day. Do it once in the morning and once in the evening. Practice until the person can do the breathing independently.


3. Use imagery (below) during breathing. It will add to the calming influence of the breathing itself.

Edit Part Two: Using Imagery

1. 
   
   
   

   Practice using imagery twice per day, every day. Once learned, it can be called upon as a sensory image when the person does become upset or out of control.

   
   


2. Find out the colors, sounds and feelings the person finds peaceful.
   
   
   
   • Many times it is water, either waves or a gurgling brook.
   
   
   • Focus on determining the particular color of light that is calming. It is normally some uniform, pastel color.
   
   
   
   


3. Write a script. It should consist of short lines which describe the process of walking towards the calming sound (perhaps a brook or ocean) and going towards the calming light.
   
   
   
   • Describe how, as the person gets closer, the place becomes safer and safer, how the warm light of a certain color is welcoming, protecting, calming.
   
   
   
   


4. Ask the person to shut his or her eyes. This will enhance their ability to imagine the situation you’re describing. However, don’t force them into situations they’re uncomfortable with.


5. Use a recorder to play his or her specific comforting sounds. This might be helpful during the breathing and a few minutes afterwards.


6. Don’t stop too early. Continue to talk about safety and light, even after the breathing exercises have concluded. Continue until the person has visibly calmed.


7. Reverse the process. Continue the script: Walk away from the calming force (water, for example), but remind the person that the light is now carried within, calm begetting calm. Return to the beginning of the script, carefully reversing the dialogue.


8. Ask the person to open their eyes. Ask them if they feel calmer, or if they want to continue with imagery and breathing techniques.


9. Implement imagery beyond practice sessions. Use this technique, once learned, along with deep breathing, to bring calm in “meltdown” situations.

Edit Part Three: Calming through Hugging

1. Ensure that the person wants to be hugged. Talk the person through this process prior to attempting any hugs. If trust is an issue, or if the child is young, demonstrate the process with another person. This will ease the child into understanding and offer comfort.


2. Focus on the benefits. Explain that this type of hugging is very, very relaxing. However, avoid making them feel they have to do anything. No forced touch is ever preferable.


3. Hug them, if they want. You can do “practice hugs” during calm times, and calming hugs during distressing times. Use this process:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Approach person from the back.
   
   
   • Hold your upper arms out straight and your forearms pointing at the sky (up).
   
   
   • Talk as you go through the entire experience so there are no surprises and everything is comfortable.
   
   
   • Ask the person to put their arms at their sides.
   
   
   • Using your forearms, provide a moderate amount of pressure on the person’s upper arms near the torso. Squeeze moderately for the count of ten, then release.
   
   
   • Repeat this five times.
   
   
   
   


4. Ask the person if they want more hugs. If yes, repeat again in sequences of five.
   
   
   
   • Stop after the third set, if the person has asked for that many.
   
   
   
   


5. Ask the person how he/she feels. If they feel calmer or liked the hug, they may want more. If not, they may want to try something else.


6. Repeat hugging if desired. Use this and any of the other calming techniques as necessary during meltdowns to help the person calm down. But continue practicing and doing it during calm times, too – you don’t hugging to become associated only with meltdowns or distress.
   
   
   
   

Edit Tips

• Put the three self-calming exercises in the child’s schedule and on their calendar. The goal is to make the exercises a welcomed and normal part of the day, not a chore.


• The practice of controlled breathing deeply affects the adult as well, smoothing the meltdown experience and easing the handling of that experience.


• Do not stop the exercises because you think your child “has it”. Continued practice is necessary to keep these tools sharp for the time they are needed.


• Over time, and as the child grows, “hugs” can be modified into facing the person and as if in greeting, applying pressure to their upper arms. This modification will also need to be practiced.

Edit Warnings

• Do not attempt these interventions during a meltdown unless they have been practiced ahead of time and are well-ingrained.


• When doing the initial hug routine (and hugs during meltdowns), never put your head near the child’s head. You and the child could be injured by head bumping.


• If you are uncomfortable using imagery, or cannot maintain a steady voice, do not engage in this activity.


• A clinician/psychotherapist can establish deeper relational aids and is able to present appropriate guided imagery, even mild hypnosis (if indicated). Remember: There is nothing wrong with saying you are uncomfortable with any activity.

Edit Related wikiHows

• How to Find Support for an Autistic Child


• How to Help Your Child Diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder


• How to Calm Down an Autistic Person

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How to Build a Tree Trunk iPod Dock

Make a rustic inspired iPod dock from a dead tree. It’s a unique way to jazz up your iPod’s docking connection!

Edit Steps

Edit Part 1: Preparing the stump or trunk

1. Find a suitable tree stump or trunk. It needs to be at least 5 inches/12.5cm in diameter.


2. Cut 1/2 inch/1.2cm of the tree trunk.
   
   
   
   
   
   • You will now have thick stable base for your iPod.
     
     
     
     
   
   
   
   

Edit Part 2: Preparing the docking part

1. Measure your iPod’s width.
   
   
   
   


2. Transfer the iPod base measurements to the wood. This will be a rectangular shape. Place it in the spot where you want the iPod to “dock” on the piece of wood.
   
   
   
   


3. Get your hammer and chisel.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Cut a chunk out of the rectangular shape you marked on the wood. Chisel as neatly as possible. When done, this forms the iPod’s holding dock.
     
     
     
     
   
   
   
   


4. Add a hole for the USB cable. Get your iPod’s USB cable. Measure its width and transfer this measurement to the wood.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Cut a smaller rectangular hole on the smallest side of the rectangular shape already chiseled out for the iPod. Make sure the new hole reaches through to the bottom of the wood.
     
     
     
     
   
   
   
   


5. Insert the USB cable through the new hole. Check it fits properly (test with the iPod in place too), then remove before sanding.
   
   
   
   


6. Smooth the sides of the rectangular inset with sandpaper.
   
   
   
   


7. Reinsert the USB cable. Put some super glue on the sides of the USB to reinforce it. That way, it won’t move around when you dock your iPod.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • If you don’t wish to glue the USB cable in place, either use poster tack on the underside when using the cable, or simply be prepared to put up with some movement.
   
   
   
   


8. Test the fit of your device.
   
   
   
   

Edit Part 3: Adding speaker holes

This part is optional but may be useful if you have speakers as well as the iPod.

1. Add speaker spots to the design, if desired. Simply trace the base of your speakers on the wooden dock, in the same manner as for the iPod.
   
   
   
   


2. Make sure the distance between the speakers and iPod is proportioned appropriately, to ensure good sound. Chisel out the holes, in the same manner as for the iPod.
   
   
   
   


3. Test the fit once more.
   
   
   
   

Edit Part 4: Using the tree trunk iPod dock

1. Fit everything together and listen to music. You can even listen while the iPod is on the dock charging its batteries.
   
   
   
   


2. Place the dock on your office desk. Enjoy your rustic iPod dock.
   
   
   
   

Edit Things You’ll Need

• Tree trunk/stump


• Saw


• Marker and pencil


• Ruler or tape measure


• Chisel and hammer


• iPod and USB cable


• Glue (suited to wood and plastic)


• iPod speakers (optional)

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