How to Avoid Distractions While Driving

Every year, thousands of people lose their lives due to distracted driving.^[1] You can limit the danger of distractions by deciding on your route ahead of time, placing your phone on silent, and waiting until your car is parked to eat. Additionally, knowing how to drive with passengers is another great way to prevent distractions while driving.

EditSteps

EditMaking Adjustments Before You Start Driving

1. Finish personal grooming at home. Give yourself enough time in the morning to dress, shave, and apply makeup. If you need to, wake up 15 to 30 minutes early to make sure you are dressed and groomed before stepping out the door. This way you can avoid having to do these things while driving.^[2]
   
   • If you don’t have enough time in the morning to finish getting ready, then bring your grooming supplies with you in the car. Wait until you arrive at your destination and your car is parked before finishing your grooming routine.
2. Secure loose objects. Before you start the car, make sure to store loose objects that can roll around and distract you while you are driving. Place them in the trunk, a secure bag, or in your glove compartment. This way you can avoid reaching for these objects in the car if they get loose, which can be dangerous.^[3]
   
   • For example, place grooming supplies, clothes and shoes, books, and bags in the trunk or glove compartment.
3. Decide on your route ahead of time. While sitting in your parked car, confirm and familiarize yourself with the route you will be taking. Also, check the traffic report while you are confirming your route. This way, you can avoid having to re-route your GPS while driving.^[4]
   
   • If you are using a GPS, make sure it is set up before you begin driving, and use the voice function so you do not have to glance at your GPS.
4. Adjust your car’s controls beforehand. Make sure to adjust the climate controls to the correct setting. Also set your radio to the station you want to listen to and adjust the volume while your car is parked.^[5]
   
   • Additionally, make sure to adjust your mirrors, seat, and steering wheel to the correct positions beforehand.
5. Fasten children and pets. Before you take off, make sure your children are fastened in their car seats or seatbelts. Also, make sure your pets are in a cage and the cage is secured with a seatbelt. By doing this, you can avoid having to reach back to adjust your child’s car seat, or your pet’s cage while you are driving.^[6]
   
   • When driving with animals in the car, always make sure they are secured in a cage.

EditAvoiding Manual and Visual Distractions

1. Refrain from eating while driving. Because food spills are major sources of distraction while driving, try to avoid eating in the car, especially messy foods. Instead, eat before you get in the car, or eat once you have reached your destination.^[7]
   
   • Make sure to place drinks, like coffee, water, and sodas, in secure drink holders while driving to avoid spills.
2. Turn off your cellphone. Cellphones are also a major source of distraction for drivers. Either place your cellphone on silent, turn it off, or place it out of reach in your purse or the glove compartment. Additionally, look into your phone’s safety settings. See if you can create a message that will automatically respond to incoming texts and calls while you drive.^[8]
   
   • Some phones have features that turn off text and call functions while the GPS is on.
3. Pull over on the side of the road. Do this if there is an emergency and you need to take a call. If you have to eat while driving, make sure to pull over to eat as well. Additionally, if you need to attend to children and pets while driving, then pull over.^[9]
   
   • If you are on the highway or a busy street, make sure to exit before pulling over. Then make your way to a street that is less busy.

EditDriving with Passengers

1. Limit the number of passengers. Try to avoid driving with too many passengers, especially if you are a new driver. Loud or talkative passengers can be a distraction in and of themselves. So try to drive with only one or two people at a time.^[10]
   
   • For young drivers, the risk of being in a crash triples when they are driving with passengers who are their peers versus driving alone.^[11]
2. Use your passengers wisely. When you do have someone in the car with you, let them control the music, GPS, and the climate controls. You can also let them answer your texts or phone calls while you are driving. This will not only help you focus on the road, but it will also give your passengers something to do instead of distracting you. Let your passengers know ahead of time what their role is while you drive.^[12]
   
   • For example, “Ok, Kevin, since you are in the passenger’s seat, your main job is to adjust the controls and GPS, as well as answer texts and calls so I can focus on driving.”
3. Save serious conversations for later. Serious or stressful conversations can get emotional. When your emotions are running high, it is more difficult to focus on the task at hand, in this case driving. Let your passenger know that you would like to talk, but that you would rather do it later when you are not driving. This way you can focus on driving, and give the conversation your full attention when the time is right.^[13]
   
   • You can say for example, “I would like to talk about this with you, but right now is not a good time since I am driving. Let’s wait until we arrive at our destination to talk.”
   • If things start to get heated, then pull the car over in a safe place to diffuse the situation.

EditDealing with External Distractions

1. Avoid rubbernecking at accident scenes. When approaching a car accident, it is a common mistake to slow down or stop to check out the damage. But this kind of behavior can cause more accidents. Instead, keep your eyes on the road ahead of you and drive at a reduced speed.^[14]
   
2. Avoid looking directly into the headlights of oncoming traffic. Do this when you are driving at night. The headlights of oncoming traffic can temporarily blind you and make you feel disoriented. Instead, avert your eyes by looking down and to the right until the car passes.^[15]
   
   • You will still be able to see other cars around you with your peripheral vision.
3. Keep your windshield clean. Clean the inside and outside of your windshield with windshield cleaner on a regular basis (about once or twice a month). Cleaning your windshield on a regular basis can help to reduce sun glare, which can be a distraction in and of itself.^[16]
   
   • You can also reduce sun glare by using your visors and wearing sunglasses when it is very sunny outside.
4. Ignore angry drivers. When other drivers honk at you, cut you off, or make inappropriate faces or gestures, try to avoid returning the behavior. Instead, simply ignore them and carry on driving.^[17]
   
5. Pull over to look at scenery. If you are on a scenic road trip, make sure to pull over in a safe place to check out the scenery. Checking out the scenery while you are driving is a major distraction that could cause you to get into an accident.^[18]
   

EditWarnings

• Try to avoid driving while you are tired. Instead, take a nap before you start driving, especially if you have a long drive. If you start getting tired while driving, then pull over in a safe place to take a nap.

EditRelated wikiHows

• Handle Tailgaters on the Road
• Drive a Car in Winter Weather
• Avoid Tension from Driving
• Stay Alert Driving at Night

EditSources and Citations

Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/2wSZPzC

How to Stop Feeling Tired After Eating Sugar

If you feel tired after eating sugar, changing how and when you eat sweets can help your body better process sugar. You can try eating sweets that contain fat and/or protein, or eating sweets directly after a meal. Making an effort to cut back on your sugar consumption can also help you stop feeling tired after eating pie, cake, or cookies.

EditSteps

EditGetting Smart about Sweets

1. Don’t binge on sweets. It’s okay to eat a piece of cheesecake, but eating half of a cheesecake can cause you to feel sleepy in the minutes or hours that follow. Try reducing the amount of sugar you consume in a single setting. For example, if the serving size is ten gummy bears, try to stick to the serving size instead of going overboard.^[1]
   
2. Try eating protein before or with sugar. Eating a little protein before or while you consume sugar can help cancel out the sleepy side effects of sweets. Go for desserts that include some protein, like cheesecake or sweets that include peanut butter. Or try eating nuts or meat before sweets.^[2]
   
   • This doesn't mean that eating protein powder along with a whole cake will help!
3. Eat fat along with your sweets. Sometimes the sugar from fruit can make you feel tired. It can also create a surge of energy, followed by a crash. You can help your body process the sugar more efficiently, and prevent blood sugar spikes and plunges by including fat and protein with your fruit. For example, if you usually consume a fruit smoothie and feel sleepy afterward, try eating a handful of almonds right before you enjoy the smoothie.^[3]
   
4. Swap out stand-alone sugary snacks for post-meal desserts. Try to avoid eating sugary snacks. Eating sugary foods on their own can cause the sleepiness that some people feel after they consume sweets. For example, if you snack on sugary foods in the middle of the afternoon, rather than after a meal, you are more likely to experience adverse symptoms, like lethargy or drowsiness. Instead, try eating sweets after a well-balanced meal to help your body better maintain appropriate blood sugar levels.^[4]
   
5. Avoid drinks that contain both sugar and caffeine. While a sugary coffee drink may give you an initial jolt of energy, the combination of caffeine and sugar can cause your energy levels to crash. This can lead to feeling tired and even lethargic. Try to stay away from sugary coffee drinks, sodas, and energy drinks. Instead, try drinking flavored sparkling water, slightly sweetened tea, or black coffee if you need a caffeine fix.^[5]
   

EditCutting Back on Sugar

1. Reduce the amount of sugar you consume each day. If you fall asleep often after eating sweets, it could be a sign you need to cut back on how often you consume sugar. Try to keep your daily sugar intake within respected dietary guidelines. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that only 10% of a person’s total daily calories come from sugar. For example, a 2000 calorie diet should contain no more than 200 calories from sugar each day.^[6]
   
   • Try replacing sugary drinks with water.
   • You can also replace sweet snacks with low-sugar fruit, like berries.
2. Keep an eye on added sugars. A lot of processed foods contain high amounts of sugar. Foods like salad dressing or yogurt can contain surprising amounts of added sugars, thwarting your best efforts to cut back on sugar. Read food labels carefully and be on the lookout for added sugars like:^[7]
   
   • Brown sugar
   • Corn sweetener
   • Corn syrup
   • Dextrose
   • Fructose
   • Glucose
   • High-fructose corn syrup
   • Honey
   • Lactose
   • Malt syrup
   • Maltose
   • Molasses
   • Raw sugar
   • Sucrose
3. Talk to your doctor. If you feel sleepy after eating sweets, it could be a sign of underlying medical issues. If you have consistent trouble staying awake after eating sugar, make an appointment to see your doctor. They can perform tests to see if your blood sugar is normal, and can help you figure out ways to cut back on sugar in your diet.^[8]
   

EditOvercoming Your Sleepiness

1. Get moving. If you find yourself falling asleep after eating sweets, try exercising. A gentle walk or a full-blown workout can help energize you. Try going for a short walk around your office building if your afternoon treat leaves you feeling lethargic.^[9]
   
2. Avoid consuming additional sugar. If you find yourself crashing, it’s easy to reach for another cookie or energy drink for a quick boost. Avoid doing this, as you will only cause your blood sugar to peak and then crash again, possibly leaving you more tired.
   
3. Drink a glass of water or a cup of tea. Dehydration can often mask itself as a sugar craving. Before you indulge in a sweet treat, try drinking a large glass of water or a cup of tea to see if hydrating can curb the craving.^[10]
4. Let the sunshine in. Another way to overcome the sleepiness brought about by consuming too much sugar is to step outside. Sunshine can warm and invigorate you. Spending time in the sun will give you an added boost of vitamin D, a nutrient that is essential to overall health and wellbeing.^[11]
   

EditSources and Citations

Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/2wnr1TW

How to Plant Bermuda Grass

Bermuda grass is a lush, green grass that's popular in hotter climates. If you're looking to fill your yard with a traffic tolerant type of grass, Bermuda is a great option. If you prepare the area properly and follow the correct techniques, you can plant Bermuda grass seeds or sod that will thrive in your yard.^[1]

EditSteps

EditPreparing the Location for Bermuda Grass

1. Make sure that you live in the right climate. Bermuda grass excels in sub-tropical climates such as the Southern US, South America, Australia, Africa, and India. If you live in a northern region or an area that's prone to high cold or reduced rainfall, consider using a different grass type.^[2]
   
   • There are also more expensive Bermuda grass hybrids that are more resilient to cold.
2. Till the area until it's free of weeds and patches of grass. Rent or purchase a tilling machine online or at a hardware store. Roll the tiller over your lawn and lift up existing grass and weeds. This will allow you to plant your Bermuda grass without it having to compete with other grass or weeds in your yard.^[3]
   
   • If you can't get a mechanical tiller machine, you can use a manual tiller to till the soil.
   • If you have ryegrass in your lawn, you'll have to kill it off because it contains toxins that stop Bermuda grass from growing.^[4]
   • You may have to till the soil more than once to remove any baby grass that starts to sprout after you till the yard initially.
3. Rake away the dead grass and weeds. Before you plant your Bermuda grass, you'll want to start with a fresh piece of land. After you've tilled the soil, you'll want to rake away dead grass and leaves so that you have a plot of land that doesn't have any new plant life growing out of the surface.^[5]
   
4. Test the soil in your yard. Bermuda grass grows best in soil with a pH of 5.6-7. To evaluate the pH level in your soil, you can get a sample of it tested at your local university's cooperative extension. If your soil is too acidic, you must add lime to amend the soil. If the soil is too alkaline, then you can amend the soil with sulfur to increase the acidity in the soil.^[6]
   
5. Amend the soil. Bermuda grass does best in well-drained soil that's high in organic material. Clay soils are not good for the grass. Humus is the generic term used for soil that's high in organic material. You can purchase humus at a home and gardening store or online. You'll want to lay down at least 6 inches of humus before you plant your seeds or lay your sod.^[7]
   

EditPlanting Bermuda Grass Seeds

1. Rake over the area to even out the dirt. Use a rake to go over the area that you've tilled to level out the dirt. You'll want to get rid of depressions and hills in your lawn so that the seeds have a nice flat surface to grow on. Fill in any depressions with soil. Remove any large rocks or leftover organic material before laying down your seeds.^[8]
   
2. Plant the seeds. You can plant the seeds by hand, or you can purchase a broadcast seeder to help you evenly disperse the seeds on your lawn. You'll want to use 1 - 2 pounds (453.59 - 907.18 g) per 1000 square feet (304.8 square meters) to promote a lush yard. Go over the entirety of the soil and try to evenly distribute the seeds.^[9]
   
3. Cover the seeds with 1/4 inch of soil. Use a rake to go over the seeds and cover them with soil. Bermuda grass needs to be covered in soil to grow, but too much soil over your seeds will inhibit growth. All of the seeds should be lightly covered with a 1/8 to 1/4 inch (0.31 - 0.63 cm) layer over them.^[10]
   
4. Water the seeds. Immediately after planting the grass, you should thoroughly water your yard so that the soil remains moist. Afterward, continue watering the yard daily. After watering the lawn, stick your finger in the soil to see if the top half inch (1.27 cm) of the soil is moist.^[11]
   
   • While Bermuda grass is a drought-tolerant grass, it requires a lot of water at first for the seeds to germinate.
5. Apply fertilizer to the grass. If you haven't done a soil test to evaluate the surrounding soil, you can lay down a complete (N-P-K) turf-grade fertilizer with a 3-1-2 or 4-1-2 ratio. Purchase the fertilizer online or at a hardware store, then sprinkle it over your lawn. Bermuda grass will take 10-30 days to germinate under ideal conditions.^[12]
   

EditPlanting Bermuda Grass Sod

1. Measure the area where you want to plant the sod. Sod is grass that's been pre-grown and can be rolled out on existing dirt. Before laying your sod, you'll need to know how much square footage of sod you'll need. Use a tape measure to measure your lawn and deduct areas where grass won't grow, like driveways or blacktops.^[13]
   
2. Water your yard the night before. Irrigating your lawn with 1/4 to 1/2 inch (0.63 - 1.27 cm) of water the night before you plant your sod will prepare the area and will promote the healthy growth of your Bermuda grass. Water should not pool on top of the dirt, but it should penetrate into it.^[14]
   
   • If water pools on the surface of the dirt, it means you've watered it too much.
3. Roll out your sod on the longest straight edge of your lawn. Find the longest straight edge of your lawn and begin to lay down the sod. Roll out the sod, dirt side down and continue to push it until it's flattened out. Continue to lay down the sod, edge to edge, until the lawn is completely covered.^[15]
   
4. Use a shovel to trim the sod around obstructions. If you come across an area where the sod doesn't fit, like a driveway or fountain, you can use a shovel to trim around the sides.^[16]
   
5. Lay out the rest of the sod. Continue to lay out the sod in rows so that each row of sod touches the next. If you lay your sod rows too far apart, there will be holes in your lawn.^[17]
   
6. Water your sod daily. Immediately after laying out all the sod, you'll want to water it thoroughly. Then, to maintain it, you should continue to water it every day in the morning. Keep foot traffic off the sod for at least a week after laying it to promote the health of your grass.
   
   • If you water sod evening, it will be more prone to fungal infections during the night.

EditThings You'll Need

• Till
• Rake
• Humus or soil high in organic material
• Bermuda grass seeds or sod
• Water
• Measuring tape
• Shovel

EditSources and Citations

Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/2x2sly3

How to Delete a Discord Channel on Android

This wikiHow teaches you how to delete a text or voice chat channel on a Discord server and remove all of its contents, using Android.

Edit10 Second Summary

1. Open the Discord app.
2. Tap the three horizontal lines icon.
3. Tap a server icon.
4. Tap a channel.
5. Tap the three vertical dots icon.
6. Select Channel Settings.
7. Tap the three vertical dots icon.
8. Select Delete Channel.
9. Tap OKAY to confirm.

EditSteps

1. Open the Discord app on your Android. The Discord icon looks like a white game controller in a blue circle on your Apps list.
   
   • If you're not automatically signed into Discord on your device, enter your email and your password to log in.
2. Tap the three horizontal lines icon. It's in the upper-left corner of your screen. This button will open your navigation menu on the left-hand side of your screen.
   
3. Tap a server icon. Select a server from the list of all your servers on the left-hand side of your screen. This will show you all the text and voice channels on it.
   
4. Tap a chat channel. You will see a list of all chat channels on this server under TEXT CHANNELS and VOICE CHANNELS. Tap on a channel to open the chat conversation.
   
5. Tap the three vertical dots icon. This button is in the upper-right corner of your screen. It will open a drop-down menu.
   
6. Select on the drop-down menu. It will open a new page titled Channel Settings.
   
7. Tap the three vertical dots icon. This button is located in the upper-right corner of Channel Settings. It will open a drop-down menu.
   
8. Select on the drop-down menu. It will delete this channel and remove it from the server. You will have to confirm your action in a pop-up window.
   
9. Tap in the pop-up. This will confirm your action, and delete this chat channel with all of its contents. It won't appear on this server's channels list anymore.
   

from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/2xJUjvo