How to Reject an Insurance Agent

Good Insurance agents are trained to be immune to rejection. For the side being sold, I learnt that some form of education or training is needed for them to. It is just so hard for some people to say no.

The feeling of being “paiseh” (Singaporean lingo for a subtle feeling of guilt) becomes stronger if the insurance agent who is a close friend or even your relative? This is actually the bigger question that bugs me. I figured I need a solution which can work.

Research online suggests 2 main approaches

1) Flat out rejection: Reiterate to the agent that you have no interest in insurance for the time being. (Might be difficult if the agent is someone you know, as you need to give some ‘face’ to him or her.)

2) Some sort of a lie: Say that you have no job, you just bought insurance, or even to the extent of cursing yourself such that you are no longer eligible for insurance. (Seriously… online advice from the forum. Notwithstanding, some of these are useful to block out hit-and-go agents)

I needed a more sustainable solution than that. The solution I was seeking was in fact the art of saying no.

Think Win Win; Saying no is not just about you

I fully understand that innately you have an obligation to help and support your friend or relative. What I have come to understand is that, “no” need not be the end point.

To Avoid: Say no, you feel bad yourself and you lose a friendship or something more.

Best: Propose an alternative and find a mutual justification

Since you can’t say no, is there a way to negotiate? Be clear and explain why their request is not possible. Remember to show your appreciation.

“I can’t, but I appreciate you asking me. Let me know if I can help in another way.”
“I cannot buy from you because I am currently not ready to buy. However, I can ..”

Offer other options like refer your friends, or giving him the first privilege when you have the intention. You are also helping him by rejecting, such that you do not waste both his and your time.

Then again, Saying no is actually just about you

Finally the most important thing to yourself is that while saying no, you are actually saying yes to your own priorities. My friend tried very hard to convince me to join him, and by rejecting him, I am actually saying yes to pursue my own dreams and plans.

The ability to be able to say no, whether to an insurance agent, or in life actually have great benefits to your psychological well being. Learning to say no can be very liberating and can be a huge stress reliever.

Well, it turned out that this post ended up extolling the benefits of learning how to say no. I just had to continue writing as this is actually, a very important life tip. So I encourage you to start being firm in saying your “NO” from today!

Hope this was useful to you!
EUFASS

How to react when monkeys are stealing from your room

For some reason, monkeys were recently spotted on campus. This is not the first time I encountered these nimble creatures, but this is the first time that they appear so close to my hostel. They definitely did not behave that they were visitors. They entered the kitchens and rooms stealing food – with the temerity to enter even when people were inside. Watching them swing from one window to another looking for food was an interesting scene to behold.

These became monkey food

Here are the following steps to monkey-proof your room: -

1) Close all windows and door when monkeys are spotted in the vicinity or when no one is in the room.
2) Keep food out of sight. Store them in cabinets or fridges.
3) Double knot your garbage bag to make it less likely for monkeys to hunt and steal food.

If the monkey enters your room,

a) Stop whatever you are doing immediately.
b) Remain calm and quiet. Do not make sudden movement and do not maintain eye contact with the monkey.
c) Without cornering the monkeys, keep hitting the ground with a stick OR shoot a strong jet of water to lead them towards the exit.
d) Do not hit the monkeys.
e) Leave your room and wait for the monkey to leave.

If you encounter a monkey in the open,

a. Do not turn away from the monkeys and run. Do this subtly - look away and back off slowly.
b. Conceal or discard the object in your hand if it is attracting the monkey's attention

For more detailed information and tips, a pamphlet can be downloaded from ecitizen.gov.sg website.

TRIVIA: how does stitch occur, prevention and alleviation of stitch

During running, its a common occurrence to experience stitches (also referred to as side cramp) someone near the stomach/ under the ribcage. It can occur on either side depending on the individual. It is caused by... is what I want to be able to share, but unfortunately, even scientists do not know the exact cause of stitch. Through reading a factsheet provided online by the Australian Sports Commission, there are a few theories for the cause of stitch. However, previous theories has their loopholes and a more recent and accepted theory is that stitch is caused by irritation of the parietal peritoneum (layer of membrane that line the abdominal cavity).
To put it simply, due to a lack of lubricating fluid between the membranes of the abdomen during exercise, friction between the membranes causes discomfort which we experience as stitch. This pain experienced is usually benign and a quick verification is to stop running and the pain should subside.

Shake off the stitch and continue running

That said, the main problem with stitch is that the runner does not want to stop! Especially when you only started  running for less than 5 minutes and you have to stop due to the stitch when every other muscle of your body is still roaring to go! So what are the ways to treat stitch on the run?

Well I personally tried this method that I found online.

1. Hold the area where you're feeling the stitch by stabbing around it with your fingers. 
2. Change your breathing pattern.  If you always exhale when your right foot lands, change your breathing rhythm to exhale when your left foot lands.

My personal take: It did manage to alleviate my stitch. However, I also added some elements which I think is the most useful to treat the stitch on the run

• Slow down your intensity of the run. Change your pace to a slow jog for a few minutes to shake off the stitch before gearing up your speed again.

If the stitch still persists, you should rest. I know, I shared before to never give up, but there are times you should take a break. To alleviate the stitch, bend forward while holding on the affected area and do deep breaths. You can then start with a slow jog to see if the pain comes back again.

Prevention of Stitch

Though the theory of stitch is unknown, what is heartening is that we do know that doing certain things before running will increase the probability of it. Now the best way is probably to avoid doing these things:

1. Do not eat or drink too much water 2 hours before and during a run. This always gets me and by experience I have stopped any large intake of food/water if I want a great workout session.
2. Run regularly. I realised that the occurrence of stitch is more frequent if I run spontaneously rather than run religiously. It seems that regular training do have an effect to strengthen your abdominal against stitches occuring.
3. Maintain deep breathing and good posture. I probably didn't realise it, but the more I ran, the better was my running posture and breathing rhythm. This explains why you are more likely to get a stitch if you run at inconsistent speeds. Avoid suddenly sprinting at first, always start your run slow and steady.

Finally, if you are interested in running, do check out my previous post on running longer and further. May your next run be a stitch-free one!

EUFASS

How to choose a tutor

In some modules, you will have a number of tutorial classes to ballet for. Naturally, students select their classes based on their schedule, but that is often NOT THE SMARTEST CHOICE.

Instead, select the best tutor and attend his/her tutorial class.

A good tutor

• Able to teach reasonably well
• Covers the tutorial questions
• Answers questions you have
• Basically anything expected

In comparison, a great tutor

• Is interesting
• Covers the tutorial questions in half the class, teaches additional stuff in the 2nd half (which are often important concepts for exams)
• Makes you think about what you have learnt by asking questions
• Sends you additional resources like videos, powerpoint slides, templates, etc

How to select a great tutor

The very first thing you can do is ask your seniors. Those who have taken the module would have some impressions of their tutor. Seek out your seniors and compile all their opinions to make the best choice.

Secondly, google the tutor's name. Now I am not encouraging you to be too stalkerish here, but essentially is to check out the career background of the tutor, his/her experiences and previous networks. You might also be able to find reviews on the tutors or chance upon blogs commenting on their experience with the tutor. These information would give you a hint of how qualified the tutor is.

So remember, when there's the chance, choose your tutorial class based on the tutor, and not by your schedule!

The ultimate guide to running longer and further

If you are looking for how to make yourself last longer, unfortunately, this only applies to running.

Are you getting most of your running session? Do you hit your desired distance, timing and pace? Or are you always failing to hit your target? 

I face the problem of always failing to run the distance I set for myself. I would give myself excuses like my heart can't take it, I'll run more tomorrow, etc. With such lame excuses, it was only natural that I begin to see my waistline expanding despite the fact that I was exercising. I got sick of this and decided that it's time for change.

It's been a while now, I wouldn't say I been successful all the time, but generally, I am getting a pretty good feeling after my run. Here are some tips to get the most out of it.

Plan Your Run

• The most effective way is to make running your routine. Fix a certain timing for the few days a week that you will run, and never fail to make it, no matter how far you would go. If your run is in the evening, constantly remind yourself during the day that you have a run, and you are going to do it. The first step is always the hardest and this will inculcate a habit for running.

• Target Distance: write down the distance you will cover this month, next month, 3 months later. Having a goal in mind would always be easier to achieve than having nothing at all.

• Plan your route: instead of running a few rounds on the same route, plan a full loop for your route. Firstly, you are compelled to cover the whole distance as the only way to get home is to complete the run. Secondly, the it is mentally draining to run the same route over and over again, you will tend to stop at round 9 when you have to do 10 rounds.

Pre-Run:

• No heavy meals 2 hours before, you want to prevent stitches.
• Same logic here, refrain from drinking more than one mouth of water 2 hours before. I think it varies for the individual, but for my case more than one mouthful of water gives me stitches during the run.

During the run:

• Get your Ipod loaded with your favourite songs
• Tell yourself to think of other things
• If you actually shout "I'm not giving up!" it works (trust me)
• Picture your loved one/your reward at the finishing line

And at the end of the run, savour the feeling of accomplishment in completing your target distance.This will keep you running, keep you gunning for more.. Enjoy your run!

How to stop unwanted calls

[Update on December 2013: Good news for Singaporeans wanting to block and avoid telemarketing calls! From 2 December 2013, you can register online at www.dnc.gov.sg to opt out from unsolicited phone calls. I guess this will finally put a stop to those calls and messages that do not go away despite countless times of unsubscribing from them!]


A call comes in, the caller ID indicates an unknown number. Do you pick it up? Sometimes, i'll get some undesirable calls which I instantly regretted picking up. They come in these forms:

1. Marketing"Hello, I am from xxxx bank..."
2. Unfriendly calls"&$@% ..."
3. Silent calls"..." (Where there is no sound and perhaps someone called you by accident)

So.. I did some research on how to stop such calls, and here are 3 ideas on how to stop these unwanted calls:

1. Prevention

Excuse the cliche, but prevention is better than cure. To avoid getting marketing calls, be careful when you give out your number to companies, who typically require you to provide your number from lucky draws, promotions, etc.

2. Opt out

In some countries, you can indicate to not receive such unsolicited calls by registering with the telephone preference service. It would be illegal for marketing companies to call you if you opt out.

Remember, these services should not require you to pay.

3. Change your number

In those countries where such services are not available ( like singapore), there are few things you can do.  Get equipped with a caller id, so you can identify unknown numbers and ignore them. Telemarketers usually move on to the next person on their list and would not call again. If all else fails, request a change of number from your service provider.

EUFASS

How to kill Mosquitos absolutely free

I live on a tropical island where the climate is optimal for Mosquitos to breed. I don't really mind giving some of my blood to them, but it can get really frustrating when mosquito bites wake you up in the middle of the sleep. For those of you who faces the same problem of mosquito bite at night, (not to promote any violence or cruelty. but) here's how I hunt Mosquitos when sleeping:

1. At the first sign of a mosquito bite, you're awoken, you're pissed. Switch on the light as fast as possible with minimal movement.

2. Go back to the area near your bed and scan the walls/ furniture for the mosquito.

 Tip: you can easily spot them against the lighter background. They usually park anywhere after a good meal. Some of the places I found them include: on the white wall, on my blanket, on my jeans, near the side of my bed.

3. You must hit it with a fast and furious strike, and get ready to follow up with 2nd or 3rd strikes if you miss. 

Tip: it is best to use a newspaper to swat it against the wall.

4. Now that you're done, go back and enjoy your sleep.