Page 47 - Sonoma County Gazette - October 2017

A Guide to the Night Sky October 2017
How Effective Is Your Interaction With Customers?
Important points that many businesses fail to consider when they are sending out information to customers, whether that information is through social media, emails, text or even through the mail is:
I have been catching up on my reading lately and have come across some great articles including, Why The Modern World Is Bad For Your Brain which is an article by neuroscientist, Dr Gabija Toleikyte and 5 Workouts for Your Brain information from Dr. Ken Rockwood in Best Health.
Take regular breaks
By Tre Gibbs, L.A.A.S.
Saturn is preparing to engage in a temporary farewell as the ringed giant
In this day and age many of us are continually jumping from one task to another both at work and at home as we try to finish everything on our To Do lists. When we jump back and forth too much, according to Dr. Toleikyte, the brain’s attention systems will find it harder to focus, which has an impact on productivity. Dr. Tolekyte has a number of things you can do to help your brain be more productive. Here are some of her thoughts::
continues it’s gradual and apparent slip westward into the sun’s glare. Though Saturn won’t actually slip behind the sun until mid December, it will get more difficult to view as the weeks and months continue. Look for Saturn directly to the left of the thin waxing crescent moon on the night of the 23rd. The next time the moon pairs up with Saturn (November 20th), both will be so low on the horizon that you might not be able to see them.
Okay, hands up how many of you do that? I thought so...not many. Dr. Tolekyte tells us that when we are tired and stressed the nutrients that are usually delivered to the brain shift to the most vital organs. This leaves out more sophistic brain networks, such as the ones involved in creative ideas, sound decisions making or learning new information...and means our performance decline.
Saturn is currently the only visible planet in our evening sky, so if you want to see more planets, you’re going to have to get up rather early and look to the east prior to sunrise.
Take frequent breaks (10 minutes for every hour) While taking a 10 minute break every hour seems foreign to most people, you will be more effective. Also work the most difficult tasks in the morning when your brain is most energetic
Early in the month – on the 4th, around 6:00 am – Mars sits right under brilliant Venus due east, both just above the horizon.
Stop Multitasking
There is more information emerging that our brains are not maid for multitasking. In actual fact when we think we are multitasking we are merely quickly switching from one task to another. According to Dr.Tolekyte, That has three consequences, we waste a lot of time, we are more likely to make mistakes and we become stressed more easily. So the time we think we are saving by multitasking we lose when we have to do the work over again because it is not as good as it should be. If you do insist on multitasking, find yourselves a good editor or proofreader before you submit the project.
Break Tasks Into Small Steps
Large tasks can be overwhelming, so split up the different elements of
the task and attack them one at a time. Work for 15 or 20 minutes without interruption. Don’t take any phone calls or be available to other staff during this time. Yes, this can be hard in many jobs, so put a note on your office door or tell others that you are not available for the next few minutes and switch off the phone (including your cell). You may find that you are more productive once you get into the habit.
Exercise
Mid month – on the 15th – look again due east around 6:00 am and you’ll not only see that the waning crescent moon has joined both Mars and Venus, but Venus now sits below Mars, continuing her descent towards the sun, eventually making a return to our evening skies, visible to the unaided eye by early Spring. Jupiter and Mercury are currently lost in the sun’s glare, but they will wander back into our visible skies soon enough.
October’s full moon appears early this month. Look for the “Full Hunter’s Moon” rising in the east just after sunset on the 5th. The name originates from when our ancestors knew that this was the time of year when leaves fall and wild game is fattened, signaling them to begin laying a store of provisions for the long cold winter ahead.
Fun Facts:
Polaris – The North Star – is NOT the brightest star in the sky, not by a long shot. The only reason the North Star is “special” is because it stays in the same spot in the sky. Polaris is directly over Earth’s North Pole, so as Earth turns on it’s axis, all of the stars appear to spin around it, making Polaris a very useful tool for navigating – like having a giant compass in the sky.
Another way to keep your brain in good shape is to exercise. I like to walk and use my morning walks not only to exercise my body, but also to sort out what I have going on for the day or problems that need to be solved.
Our word “month” comes from “moon”, since the Moon orbits our planet about every 28 days. Moving eastward, the Moon rises about 50 minutes later each night (or day), until it’s right back where it was in the sky almost a month later.
The word “planet” is derived from “planeta”, a Latin based term meaning “wander”. Ancient astronomers noticed seven visible lights that “wander” through the sky; the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – which is why we have seven days of the week. If you know some of the Latin based languages, you can easily figure out which planet represents which day...
For me it’s easier to walk early in the morning (as soon as it’s light) but if you can’t do that, walk during a break or your lunch hour. I know it’s not easy to get in the habit of doing this though you may well find that it allows you not only to feel better physically but also to organize your brain. According to Dr. Ken Rockwood ...Whatever is good for your heart is good for your brain too. Who knows with a little exercise worked into your day, you may be able to get through your work more quickly.
Saturn’s glorious ring system is made up almost entirely of water ice....the same stuff that’s in your freezer.
Keep your brain limber by continuing to learn on a regular basis. Dr. Rockwood explains that learning is the most fundamental brain workout. The more you do it, the more you benefit. Once again this is not only something that keeps your brain ticking along, it also may help you in your work. When walking take an ipod or other device and listen to a webinar or a tape that
is relevant to your job. Or if you want to take a break, listen to a novel or biography as you walk and get lost in another time or place for a few minutes.
This one is my favorite: Venus, The Goddess Of Love and Beauty, spins on it’s axis so incredibly slowly that it actually completes one orbit around the sun before it completes one rotation on it’s axis, which means that Venus’ day is LONGER than it’s year!
Enjoy this Autumn season and remember, keep looking up!
Keeping your brain in tip top shape will keep it more agile as you get older. A kitchen knife can last a lifetime if you sharpen it regularly. Your brain is much the same way. Keep it sharp and it will work for you for a long, long, time. A tip of the glass from me to you.
Keep Your Brain In Top Form
Knowledge
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