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By Christina Laun

The human body is an incredibly complex and intricate system, one that still baffles doctors and researchers on a regular basis despite thousands of years of medical knowledge. As a result, it shouldn’t be any surprise that even body parts and functions we deal with every day have bizarre or unexpected facts and explanations behind them. From sneezes to fingernail growth, here are 100 weird, wacky, and interesting facts about the human body.

The Brain

The human brain is the most complex and least understood part of the human anatomy. There may be a lot we don’t know, but here are a few interesting facts that we’ve got covered.

1. Nerve impulses to and from the brain travel as fast as 170 miles per hour. Ever wonder how you can react so fast to things around you or why that stubbed toe hurts right away? It’s due to the super-speedy movement of nerve impulses from your brain to the rest of your body and vice versa, bringing reactions at the speed of a high powered luxury sports car.
2. The brain operates on the same amount of power as 10-watt light bulb. The cartoon image of a light bulb over your head when a great thought occurs isn’t too far off the mark. Your brain generates as much energy as a small light bulb even when you’re sleeping.
3. The human brain cell can hold 5 times as much information as the Encyclopedia Britannica. Or any other encyclopedia for that matter. Scientists have yet to settle on a definitive amount, but the storage capacity of the brain in electronic terms is thought to be between 3 or even 1,000 terabytes. The National Archives of Britain, containing over 900 years of history, only takes up 70 terabytes, making your brain’s memory power pretty darn impressive.
4. Your brain uses 20% of the oxygen that enters your bloodstream. The brain only makes up about 2% of our body mass, yet consumes more oxygen than any other organ in the body, making it extremely susceptible to damage related to oxygen deprivation. So breathe deep to keep your brain happy and swimming in oxygenated cells.
5. The brain is much more active at night than during the day. Logically, you would think that all the moving around, complicated calculations and tasks and general interaction we do on a daily basis during our working hours would take a lot more brain power than, say, lying in bed. Turns out, the opposite is true. When you turn off your brain turns on. Scientists don’t yet know why this is but you can thank the hard work of your brain while you sleep for all those pleasant dreams.
6. Scientists say the higher your I.Q. the more you dream. While this may be true, don’t take it as a sign you’re mentally lacking if you can’t recall your dreams. Most of us don’t remember many of our dreams and the average length of most dreams is only 2-3 seconds–barely long enough to register.
7. Neurons continue to grow throughout human life. For years scientists and doctors thought that brain and neural tissue couldn’t grow or regenerate. While it doesn’t act in the same manner as tissues in many other parts of the body, neurons can and do grow throughout your life, adding a whole new dimension to the study of the brain and the illnesses that affect it.
8. Information travels at different speeds within different types of neurons. Not all neurons are the same. There are a few different types within the body and transmission along these different kinds can be as slow as 0.5 meters/sec or as fast as 120 meters/sec.
9. The brain itself cannot feel pain. While the brain might be the pain center when you cut your finger or burn yourself, the brain itself does not have pain receptors and cannot feel pain. That doesn’t mean your head can’t hurt. The brain is surrounded by loads of tissues, nerves and blood vessels that are plenty receptive to pain and can give you a pounding headache.
10. 80% of the brain is water. Your brain isn’t the firm, gray mass you’ve seen on TV. Living brain tissue is a squishy, pink and jelly-like organ thanks to the loads of blood and high water content of the tissue. So the next time you’re feeling dehydrated get a drink to keep your brain hydrated.

Hair and Nails

While they’re not a living part of your body, most people spend a good amount of time caring for their hair and nails. The next time you’re heading in for a haircut or manicure, think of these facts.

11. Facial hair grows faster than any other hair on the body. If you’ve ever had a covering of stubble on your face as you’re clocking out at 5 o’clock you’re probably pretty familiar with this. In fact, if the average man never shaved his beard it would grow to over 30 feet during his lifetime, longer than a killer whale.
12. Every day the average person loses 60-100 strands of hair. Unless you’re already bald, chances are good that you’re shedding pretty heavily on a daily basis. Your hair loss will vary in accordance with the season, pregnancy, illness, diet and age.
13. Women’s hair is about half the diameter of men’s hair. While it might sound strange, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that men’s hair should be coarser than that of women. Hair diameter also varies on average between races, making hair plugs on some men look especially obvious.
14. One human hair can support 3.5 ounces. That’s about the weight of two full size candy bars, and with hundreds of thousands of hairs on the human head, makes the tale of Rapunzel much more plausible.
15. The fastest growing nail is on the middle finger. And the nail on the middle finger of your dominant hand will grow the fastest of all. Why is not entirely known, but nail growth is related to the length of the finger, with the longest fingers growing nails the fastest and shortest the slowest.
16. There are as many hairs per square inch on your body as a chimpanzee. Humans are not quite the naked apes that we’re made out to be. We have lots of hair, but on most of us it’s not obvious as a majority of the hairs are too fine or light to be seen.
17. Blondes have more hair. They’re said to have more fun, and they definitely have more hair. Hair color determines how dense the hair on your head is. The average human has 100,000 hair follicles, each of which is capable of producing 20 individual hairs during a person’s lifetime. Blondes average 146,000 follicles while people with black hair tend to have about 110,000 follicles. Those with brown hair fit the average with 100,000 follicles and redheads have the least dense hair, with about 86,000 follicles.
18. Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails. If you notice that you’re trimming your fingernails much more frequently than your toenails you’re not just imagining it. The nails that get the most exposure and are used most frequently grow the fastest. On average, nails on both the toes and fingers grow about one-tenth of an inch each month.
19. The lifespan of a human hair is 3 to 7 years on average. While you quite a few hairs each day, your hairs actually have a pretty long life providing they aren’t subject to any trauma. Your hairs will likely get to see several different haircuts, styles, and even possibly decades before they fall out on their own.
20. You must lose over 50% of your scalp hairs before it is apparent to anyone. You lose hundreds of hairs a day but you’ll have to lose a lot more before you or anyone else will notice. Half of the hairs on your pretty little head will have to disappear before your impending baldness will become obvious to all those around you.
21. Human hair is virtually indestructible. Aside from it’s flammability, human hair decays at such a slow rate that it is practically non-disintegrative. If you’ve ever wondered how your how clogs up your pipes so quick consider this: hair cannot be destroyed by cold, change of climate, water, or other natural forces and it is resistant to many kinds of acids and corrosive chemicals.

Internal Organs

Though we may not give them much thought unless they’re bothering us, our internal organs are what allow us to go on eating, breathing and walking around. Here are some things to consider the next time you hear your stomach growl.

22. The largest internal organ is the small intestine. Despite being called the smaller of the two intestines, your small intestine is actually four times as long as the average adult is tall. If it weren’t looped back and forth upon itself it wouldn’t fit inside the abdominal cavity.
23. The human heart creates enough pressure to squirt blood 30 feet. No wonder you can feel your heartbeat so easily. Pumping blood through your body quickly and efficiently takes quite a bit of pressure resulting in the strong contractions of the heart and the thick walls of the ventricles which push blood to the body.
24. The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razorblades. While you certainly shouldn’t test the fortitude of your stomach by eating a razorblade or any other metal object for that matter, the acids that digest the food you eat aren’t to be taken lightly. Hydrochloric acid, the type found in your stomach, is not only good at dissolving the pizza you had for dinner but can also eat through many types of metal.
25. The human body is estimated to have 60,000 miles of blood vessels. To put that in perspective, the distance around the earth is about 25,000 miles, making the distance your blood vessels could travel if laid end to end more than two times around the earth.
26. You get a new stomach lining every three to four days. The mucus-like cells lining the walls of the stomach would soon dissolve due to the strong digestive acids in your stomach if they weren’t constantly replaced. Those with ulcers know how painful it can be when stomach acid takes its toll on the lining of your stomach.
27. The surface area of a human lung is equal to a tennis court. In order to more efficiently oxygenate the blood, the lungs are filled with thousands of branching bronchi and tiny, grape-like alveoli. These are filled with microscopic capillaries which oxygen and carbon dioxide. The large amount of surface area makes it easier for this exchange to take place, and makes sure you stay properly oxygenated at all times.
28. Women’s hearts beat faster than men’s.The main reason for this is simply that on average women tend to be smaller than men and have less mass to pump blood to. But women’s and men’s hearts can actually act quite differently, especially when experiencing trauma like a heart attack, and many treatments that work for men must be adjusted or changed entirely to work for women.
29. Scientists have counted over 500 different liver functions. You may not think much about your liver except after a long night of drinking, but the liver is one of the body’s hardest working, largest and busiest organs. Some of the functions your liver performs are: production of bile, decomposition of red blood cells, plasma protein synthesis, and detoxification.
30. The aorta is nearly the diameter of a garden hose. The average adult heart is about the size of two fists, making the size of the aorta quite impressive. The artery needs to be so large as it is the main supplier of rich, oxygenated blood to the rest of the body.
31. Your left lung is smaller than your right lung to make room for your heart. For most people, if they were asked to draw a picture of what the lungs look like they would draw both looking roughly the same size. While the lungs are fairly similar in size, the human heart, though located fairly centrally, is tilted slightly to the left making it take up more room on that side of the body and crowding out that poor left lung.
32. You could remove a large part of your internal organs and survive. The human body may appear fragile but it’s possible to survive even with the removal of the stomach, the spleen, 75 percent of the liver, 80 percent of the intestines, one kidney, one lung, and virtually every organ from the pelvic and groin area. You might not feel too great, but the missing organs wouldn’t kill you.
33. The adrenal glands change size throughout life. The adrenal glands, lying right above the kidneys, are responsible for releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. In the seventh month of a fetus’ development, the glands are roughly the same size as the kidneys. At birth, the glands have shrunk slightly and will continue to do so throughout life. In fact, by the time a person reaches old age, the glands are so small they can hardly be seen.

Bodily Functions

We may not always like to talk about them, but everyone has to deal with bodily functions on a daily basis. These are a few facts about the involuntary and sometimes unpleasant actions of our bodies.

34. Sneezes regularly exceed 100 mph. There’s a good reason why you can’t keep your eyes open when you sneeze–that sneeze is rocketing out of your body at close to 100 mph. This is, of course, a good reason to cover your mouth when you sneeze.
35. Coughs clock in at about 60 mph. Viruses and colds get spread around the office and the classroom quickly during cold and flu season. With 60 mph coughs spraying germs far and wide, it’s no wonder.
36. Women blink twice as many times as men do. That’s a lot of blinking every day. The average person, man or woman, blinks about 13 times a minute.
37. A full bladder is roughly the size of a soft ball. No wonder you have to run to bathroom when you feel the call of the wild. The average bladder holds about 400-800 cc of fluid but most people will feel the urge to go long before that at 250 to 300 cc.
38. Approximately 75% of human waste is made of water. While we might typically think that urine is the liquid part of human waste products, the truth is that what we consider solid waste is actually mostly water as well. You should be thankful that most waste is fairly water-filled, as drier harder stools are what cause constipation and are much harder and sometimes painful to pass.
39. Feet have 500,000 sweat glands and can produce more than a pint of sweat a day. With that kind of sweat-producing power it’s no wonder that your gym shoes have a stench that can peel paint. Additionally, men usually have much more active sweat glands than women.
40. During your lifetime, you will produce enough saliva to fill two swimming pools. Saliva plays an important part in beginning the digestive process and keeping the mouth lubricated, and your mouth produces quite a bit of it on a daily basis.
41. The average person expels flatulence 14 times each day. Even if you’d like to think you’re too dignified to pass gas, the reality is that almost everyone will at least a few times a day. Digestion causes the body to release gases which can be painful if trapped in the abdomen and not released.
42. Earwax production is necessary for good ear health. While many people find earwax to be disgusting, it’s actually a very important part of your ear’s defense system. It protects the delicate inner ear from bacteria, fungus, dirt and even insects. It also cleans and lubricates the ear canal.

Sex and Reproduction

As taboo as it may be in some places, sex is an important part of human life as a facet of relationships and the means to reproduce. Here are a few things you might not have known.

43. On any given day, sexual intercourse takes place 120 million times on earth. Humans are a quickly proliferating species, and with about 4% of the world’s population having sex on any given day, it’s no wonder that birth rates continue to increase in many places all over the world.
44. The largest cell in the human body is the female egg and the smallest is the male sperm. While you can’t see skin cells or muscle cells, the ovum is typically large enough to be seen with the naked eye with a diameter of about a millimeter. The sperm cell, on the other hand, is tiny, consisting of little more than nucleus.
45. The three things pregnant women dream most of during their first trimester are frogs, worms and potted plants. Pregnancy hormones can cause mood swings, cravings and many other unexpected changes. Oddly enough, hormones can often affect the types of dreams women have and their vividness. The most common are these three types, but many women also dream of water, giving birth or even have violent or sexually charged dreams.
46. Your teeth start growing 6 months before you are born. While few babies are born with teeth in place, the teeth that will eventually push through the gums of young children are formed long before the child even leaves the womb. At 9 to 12 weeks the fetus starts to form the teeth buds that will turn into baby teeth.
47. Babies are always born with blue eyes. The color of your eyes depends on the genes you get from your parents, but at birth most babies appear to have blue eyes. The reason behind this is the pigment melanin. The melanin in a newborn’s eyes often needs time after birth to be fully deposited or to be darkened by exposure to ultraviolet light, later revealing the baby’s true eye color.
48. Babies are, pound for pound, stronger than an ox. While a baby certainly couldn’t pull a covered wagon at its present size, if the child were the size of an oxen it just might very well be able to. Babies have especially strong and powerful legs for such tiny creatures, so watch out for those kicks.
49. One out of every 2,000 newborn infants has a tooth when they are born. Nursing mothers may cringe at this fact. Sometimes the tooth is a regular baby tooth that has already erupted and sometimes it is an extra tooth that will fall out before the other set of choppers comes in.
50. A fetus acquires fingerprints at the age of three months. When only a small fraction of the way through its development, a fetus will have already developed one of the most unique human traits: fingerprints. At only 6-13 weeks of development, the whorls of what will be fingerprints have already developed. Oddly enough, those fingerprints will not change throughout the person’s life and will be one of the last things to disappear after death.
51. Every human spent about half an hour as a single cell. All life has to begin somewhere, and even the largest humans spent a short part of their lives as a single celled organism when sperm and egg cells first combine. Shortly afterward, the cells begin rapidly dividing and begin forming the components of a tiny embryo.
52. Most men have erections every hour to hour and a half during sleep. Most people’s bodies and minds are much more active when they’re sleeping than they think. The combination of blood circulation and testosterone production can cause erections during sleep and they’re often a normal and necessary part of REM sleep.

Senses

The primary means by which we interact with the world around us is through our senses. Here are some interesting facts about these five sensory abilities.

53. After eating too much, your hearing is less sharp. If you’re heading to a concert or a musical after a big meal you may be doing yourself a disservice. Try eating a smaller meal if you need to keep your hearing pitch perfect.
54. About one third of the human race has 20-20 vision. Glasses and contact wearers are hardly alone in a world where two thirds of the population have less than perfect vision. The amount of people with perfect vision decreases further as they age.
55. If saliva cannot dissolve something, you cannot taste it. In order for foods, or anything else, to have a taste, chemicals from the substance must be dissolved by saliva. If you don’t believe it, try drying off your tongue before tasting something.
56. Women are born better smellers than men and remain better smellers over life. Studies have shown that women are more able to correctly pinpoint just what a smell is. Women were better able to identify citrus, vanilla, cinnamon and coffee smells. While women are overall better smellers, there is an unfortunate 2% of the population with no sense of smell at all.
57. Your nose can remember 50,000 different scents. While a bloodhound’s nose may be a million times more sensitive than a human’s, that doesn’t mean that the human sense of smell is useless. Humans can identify a wide variety of scents and many are strongly tied to memories.
58. Even small noises cause the pupils of the eyes to dilate. It is believed that this is why surgeons, watchmakers and others who perform delicate manual operations are so bothered by uninvited noise. The sound causes their pupils to change focus and blur their vision, making it harder to do their job well.
59. Everyone has a unique smell, except for identical twins. Newborns are able to recognize the smell of their mothers and many of us can pinpoint the smell of our significant others and those we are close to. Part of that smell is determined by genetics, but it’s also largely do to environment, diet and personal hygiene products that create a unique chemistry for each person.

Aging and Death

From the very young to the very old, aging is a necessary and unavoidable part of life. Learn about the process with these interesting, if somewhat strange facts.

60. The ashes of a cremated person average about 9 pounds. A big part of what gives the human body weight is the water trapped in our cells. Once cremated, that water and a majority of our tissues are destroyed, leaving little behind.
61. Nails and hair do not continue to grow after we die. They do appear longer when we die, however, as the skin dehydrates and pulls back from the nail beds and scalp.
62. By the age of 60, most people will have lost about half their taste buds. Perhaps you shouldn’t trust your grandma’s cooking as much as you do. Older individuals tend to lose their ability to taste, and many find that they need much more intense flavoring in order to be able to fully appreciate a dish.
63. Your eyes are always the same size from birth but your nose and ears never stop growing. When babies look up at you with those big eyes, they’re the same size that they’ll be carrying around in their bodies for the rest of their lives. Their ears and nose, however, will grow throughout their lives and research has shown that growth peaks in seven year cycles.
64. By 60 years of age, 60-percent of men and 40-percent of women will snore. If you’ve ever been kept awake by a snoring loved one you know the sound can be deafening. Normal snores average around 60 decibels, the noise level of normal speech, intense snores can reach more than 80 decibels, the approximate level caused by a jackhammer breaking up concrete.
65. A baby’s head is one-quarter of it’s total length, but by age 25 will only be one-eighth of its total length. As it turns out, our adorably oversized baby heads won’t change size as drastically as the rest of our body. The legs and torso will lengthen, but the head won’t get much longer.

Disease and Injury

Most of us will get injured or sick at some point in our lives. Here are some facts on how the human body reacts to the stresses and dangers from the outside world.

66. Monday is the day of the week when the risk of heart attack is greatest. Yet another reason to loathe Mondays! A ten year study in Scotland found that 20% more people die of heart attacks on Mondays than any other day of the week. Researchers theorize that it’s a combination of too much fun over the weekend with the stress of going back to work that causes the increase.
67. Humans can make do longer without food than sleep. While you might feel better prepared to stay up all night partying than to give up eating, that feeling will be relatively short lived. Provided there is water, the average human could survive a month to two months without food depending on their body fat and other factors. Sleep deprived people, however, start experiencing radical personality and psychological changes after only a few sleepless days. The longest recorded time anyone has ever gone without sleep is 11 days, at the end of which the experimenter was awake, but stumbled over words, hallucinated and frequently forgot what he was doing.
68. A simple, moderately severe sunburn damages the blood vessels extensively. How extensively? Studies have shown that it can take four to fifteen months for them to return to their normal condition. Consider that the next time you’re feeling too lazy to apply sunscreen before heading outside.
69. Over 90% of diseases are caused or complicated by stress. That high stress job you have could be doing more than just wearing you down each day. It could also be increasing your chances of having a variety of serious medical conditions like depression, high blood pressure and heart disease.
70. A human head remains conscious for about 15 to 20 seconds after it is been decapitated. While it might be gross to think about, the blood in the head may be enough to keep someone alive and conscious for a few seconds after the head has been separated from the body, though reports as to the accuracy of this are widely varying.

Muscles and Bones

Muscles and Bones provide the framework for our bodies and allow us to jump, run or just lie on the couch. Here are a few facts to ponder the next time you’re lying around.

71. It takes 17 muscles to smile and 43 to frown. Unless you’re trying to give your face a bit of a workout, smiling is a much easier option for most of us. Anyone who’s ever scowled, squinted or frowned for a long period of time knows how it tires out the face which doesn’t do a thing to improve your mood.
72. Babies are born with 300 bones, but by adulthood the number is reduced to 206. The reason for this is that many of the bones of children are composed of smaller component bones that are not yet fused like those in the skull. This makes it easier for the baby to pass through the birth canal. The bones harden and fuse as the children grow.
73. We are about 1 cm taller in the morning than in the evening. The cartilage between our bones gets compressed by standing, sitting and other daily activities as the day goes on, making us just a little shorter at the end of the day than at the beginning.
74. The strongest muscle in the human body is the tongue. While you may not be able to bench press much with your tongue, it is in fact the strongest muscle in your body in proportion to its size. If you think about it, every time you eat, swallow or talk you use your tongue, ensuring it gets quite a workout throughout the day.
75. The hardest bone in the human body is the jawbone. The next time someone suggests you take it on the chin, you might be well advised to take their advice as the jawbone is one of the most durable and hard to break bones in the body.
76. You use 200 muscles to take one step. Depending on how you divide up muscle groups, just to take a single step you use somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 muscles. That’s a lot of work for the muscles considering most of us take about 10,000 steps a day.
77. The tooth is the only part of the human body that can’t repair itself. If you’ve ever chipped a tooth you know just how sadly true this one is. The outer layer of the tooth is enamel which is not a living tissue. Since it’s not alive, it can’t repair itself, leaving your dentist to do the work instead.
78. It takes twice as long to lose new muscle if you stop working out than it did to gain it. Lazy people out there shouldn’t use this as motivation to not work out, however. It’s relatively easy to build new muscle tissue and get your muscles in shape, so if anything, this fact should be motivation to get off the couch and get moving.
79. Bone is stronger than some steel. This doesn’t mean your bones can’t break of course, as they are much less dense than steel. Bone has been found to have a tensile strength of 20,000 psi while steel is much higher at 70,000 psi. Steel is much heavier than bone, however, and pound for pound bone is the stronger material.
80. The feet account for one quarter of all the human body’s bones. You may not give your feet much thought but they are home to more bones than any other part of your body. How many? Of the two hundred or so bones in the body, the feet contain a whopping 52 of them.

Microscopic Level

Much of what takes place in our bodies happens at a level that we simply can’t see with the naked eye. These facts will show you that sometimes that might be for the best.

81. About 32 million bacteria call every inch of your skin home. Germaphobes don’t need to worry however, as a majority of these are entirely harmless and some are even helpful in maintaining a healthy body.
82. Humans shed and regrow outer skin cells about every 27 days. Skin protects your delicate internal organs from the elements and as such, dries and flakes off completely about once a month so that it can maintain its strength. Chances are that last month’s skin is still hanging around your house in the form of the dust on your bookshelf or under the couch.
83. Three hundred million cells die in the human body every minute. While that sounds like a lot, it’s really just a small fraction of the cells that are in the human body. Estimates have placed the total number of cells in the body at 10-50 trillion so you can afford to lose a few hundred million without a hitch.
84. Humans shed about 600,000 particles of skin every hour. You may not think much about losing skin if yours isn’t dry or flaky or peeling from a sunburn, but your skin is constantly renewing itself and shedding dead cells.
85. Every day an adult body produces 300 billion new cells. Your body not only needs energy to keep your organs up and running but also to constantly repair and build new cells to form the building blocks of your body itself.
86. Every tongue print is unique. If you’re planning on committing a crime, don’t think you’ll get away with leaving a tongue print behind. Each tongue is different and yours could be unique enough to finger you as the culprit.
87. Your body has enough iron in it to make a nail 3 inches long. Anyone who has ever tasted blood knows that it has a slightly metallic taste. This is due to the high levels of iron in the blood. If you were to take all of this iron out of the body, you’d have enough to make a small nail and very severe anemia.
88. The most common blood type in the world is Type O. Blood banks find it valuable as it can be given to those with both type A and B blood. The rarest blood type, A-H or Bombay blood due to the location of its discovery, has been found in less than hundred people since it was discovered.
89. Human lips have a reddish color because of the great concentration of tiny capillaries just below the skin. The blood in these capillaries is normally highly oxygenated and therefore quite red. This explains why the lips appear pale when a person is anemic or has lost a great deal of blood. It also explains why the lips turn blue in very cold weather. Cold causes the capillaries to constrict, and the blood loses oxygen and changes to a darker color.

Miscellaneous

Here are a few things you might not have known about all different parts of your anatomy.

90. The colder the room you sleep in, the better the chances are that you’ll have a bad dream. It isn’t entirely clear to scientists why this is the case, but if you are opposed to having nightmares you might want to keep yourself a little toastier at night.
91. Tears and mucus contain an enzyme (lysozyme) that breaks down the cell wall of many bacteria. This is to your advantage, as the mucus that lines your nose and throat, as well as the tears that wet your eyes are helping to prevent bacteria from infecting those areas and making you sick.
92. Your body gives off enough heat in 30 minutes to bring half a gallon of water to a boil. If you’ve seen the Matrix you are aware of the energy potentially generated by the human body. Our bodies expend a large amount of calories keeping us at a steady 98.6 degrees, enough to boil water or even cook pasta.
93. Your ears secrete more earwax when you are afraid than when you aren’t. The chemicals and hormones released when you are afraid could be having unseen effects on your body in the form of earwax. Studies have suggested that fear causes the ears to produce more of the sticky substance, though the reasons are not yet clear.
94. It is not possible to tickle yourself. Even the most ticklish among us do not have the ability to tickle ourselves. The reason behind this is that your brain predicts the tickle from information it already has, like how your fingers are moving. Because it knows and can feel where the tickle is coming from, your brain doesn’t respond in the same way as it would if someone else was doing the tickling.
95. The width of your armspan stretched out is the length of your whole body. While not exact down to the last millimeter, your armspan is a pretty good estimator of your height.
96. Humans are the only animals to produce emotional tears. In the animal world, humans are the biggest crybabies, being the only animals who cry because they’ve had a bad day, lost a loved one, or just don’t feel good.
97. Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people do. This doesn’t have a genetic basis, but is largely due to the fact that a majority of the machines and tools we use on a daily basis are designed for those who are right handed, making them somewhat dangerous for lefties to use and resulting in thousands of accidents and deaths each year.
98. Women burn fat more slowly than men, by a rate of about 50 calories a day. Most men have a much easier time burning fat than women. Women, because of their reproductive role, generally require a higher basic body fat proportion than men, and as a result their bodies don’t get rid of excess fat at the same rate as men.
99. Koalas and primates are the only animals with unique fingerprints. Humans, apes and koalas are unique in the animal kingdom due to the tiny prints on the fingers of their hands. Studies on primates have suggested that even cloned individuals have unique fingerprints.
100. The indentation in the middle of the area between the nose and the upper lip has a name. It is called the philtrum. Scientists have yet to figure out what purpose this indentation serves, though the ancient Greeks thought it to be one of the most erogenous places on the body.

By Heather Johnson

Even the most happy-go-lucky person in the world has a bad mood now and then, but the difference between moving on and having a bad day all depends on what you do about it. There are plenty of ways to shake off a funky mood, and we’ve listed 100 of the best ways to do it here.

Recreation

If you’re feeling unlike yourself, get out there and do something you like to do.

1. Play with a pet: Unless you’ve got a particularly surly animal, playing with a pet is sure to pick up your mood.
2. Cook: Chop up some vegetables or tenderize some meat to take out your frustrations. Do even better by cooking food that’s found to improve your mood.
3. Dance: Loosen up and lose yourself in music and movement to shake off a sour mood.
4. Sing: Sing something upbeat, and you can’t help but feel happy.
5. Play games: Concentrate on a game to get your mind off of whatever’s bringing you down.
6. Watch a movie: Lose yourself in a movie to feel better.
7. Get a massage: Let someone work out the kinks, and you’ll come out with a nicer mood.
8. Get a mani/pedi: Get pampered, and you can’t help but feel good.
9. Garden: Interact with nature and get some sunshine, and you’ll feel better. Check out these tips to find out how you can improve your garden and mood at the same time.
10. Play guitar: Think about chords, and you won’t be able to dwell on your troubles.
11. Read a book: Lose yourself in a fun story for a quick pick-me-up.
12. Create art: Make something beautiful to brighten your day.
13. Fly a kite: It’s hard to not be happy when you’re flying a kite.
14. Karaoke: Make a fool of yourself, and you’ll forget about your troubles. Interactive music like karaoke has been found to be therapeutic.
15. Have sex: Get cozy, and you’ll enjoy a rush of endorphins and some fun recreation time.
16. Enjoy your hobbies: Whatever it is that you enjoy doing, do it, and you’ll get a mood boost.

Exercise

Exercise is a great mood booster, offering a way to concentrate, feel good about yourself, and increase endorphins.

17. Martial arts: Take on martial arts to discipline yourself and get your frustrations out.
18. Breathe: Do breathing exercises to calm down an otherwise foul mood.
19. Stretch: Loosen up, and you’ll feel better.
20. Take a walk: Clear your mind with a quick walk around the block.
21. Do yoga: Concentrate on yoga poses, and you’ll feel better in no time. Try these mood-altering poses to turn your day around.
22. Boxing: Take out your frustrations with boxing.
23. Run: For a quick mood booster, just run away from it all.
24. Swim: Lose yourself in the repetitive motion of swimming.
25. Weight training: Concentrate on building muscles, not whatever’s bothering you.
26. Go hiking: Go hiking for a scenic, peaceful way to feel better.

Food

What you put in your body can have a great effect on how you feel, so make sure you’re eating right for a good mood.

27. Eat chocolate: Chocolate is great for endorphins, and of course, it tastes great.
28. Eat consistently: If you eat every 4 to 5 hours, you’ll have constant blood sugar and be less subject to highs and lows during the day.
29. Avoid refined carbs: Carbohydratess will give you blood sugar swings that can leave you feeling blue.
30. Fish: Eat fatty fish to get omega-3s, which boost seratonin and improve receptiveness to seratonin.
31. Coffee: Drink a cup of coffee, and you’ll get a boost energy, and a kick start to mental pleasure centers.
32. Drink tea: The calming ritual of drinking tea can make you feel better.
33. Turkey: This poultry helps produce dopamine, which elevates your mood and prevents depression.
34. Drink milk: The tryptophan in milk will help you create seratonin.
35. Eat protein: Protein slows absorption of carbs, and it will boost your productivity.
36. Take vitamins: Make sure you’re firing on all cylinders by taking your vitamins.
37. Enjoy whole grains: With complex carbs, you’ll get a slow release of seratonin.
38. Brazil nuts: Brazil nuts offer one of the best sources for selenium, which maintains mood and fights depression.
39. Broccoli: Broccoli offers B-vitamins and folic acid, both of which will help your mood.
40. Eat breakfast: Start your day right, and you’re less likely to feel down later.
41. Anything yummy: By eating anything that tastes good, you’ll spark mood-boosting endorphins.

Mental Power

Put your mind to work on your mood with these simple tips.

42. Meditate: Try meditation to shift the focus away from your bad mood.
43. Try hypnosis: Hypnosis is a great way to get your mood level.
44. Change your perspective: Consider how your troubles might actually be good.
45. Recite affirmations: Focus on a few simple phrases to remind yourself to be happy. Affirming your goals has a great way of making you look at a more positive future.
46. Imagine your perfect place: Put yourself somwhere else for a moment.
47. Count your blessings: Remind yourself of all of the good things in your life.
48. Laugh: Find something funny to feel better.
49. Forgive yourself: Don’t dwell on your mistakes.
50. Concentrate: Think about something: anything but what’s causing your bad mood.
51. Look forward to tomorrow: Thinking about tomorrow will remind you that a better day awaits.
52. Smile: Fake yourself into happiness with a smile. With a forced smile, you’ll send a signal to your brain to be happy.
53. Make fun of yourself: Think about how ridiculous you’re being.
54. Set attainable goals: Set goals to think of the future.

Social Aids

You don’t have to fight a bad mood by yourself. Call on friends, family and strangers to help you feel happier.

55. Join a group: Find a way to interact with people for a boost of happiness.
56. Attend a party: Even if you don’t feel like it, attending a party can boost your mood.
57. Call a friend: Share your troubles with a friend to feel better.
58. Go out to lunch: Visit with a friend or loved one, and you’ll lose your troubles for a while.
59. Make friends: Find a new friend for a nice pick-me-up.
60. Participate in a discussion: Get your mind moving to pull yourself out of a funk.

On the Outside

Step outside of yourself to improve your mood.

61. Volunteer: Do something altruistic for others and you’ll feel better about yourself.
62. Act happy: Trick yourself out of your bad mood.
63. Take action towards a goal: Even if it’s a small step, taking action towards an attainable goal feels good.
64. Finish your to-do list: Although it’s easier said than done, closing out your to do list is sure to make you feel better.
65. Wear blue: The color blue offers relaxation, and color therapy has been found to be very effective.
66. Forgive someone: Make someone else feel better, and you will too.
67. Dress well: If you look good on the outside, you’ll feel better about yourself.
68. Make plans: Give yourself something to look forward to.
69. Go to bed at a regular time: Get your Circadian rhythm in order for a better day.
70. Random act of kindness: Practice a random act of kindness to give yourself a boost.
71. Practice deep breathing: Use deep breathing to calm yourself.
72. Visualize: Use your mind’s eye to see a better day.
73. Stay busy: Keep yourself busy, and you won’t have time to think about troubles.
74. Learn something new: Expand your horizons for a nicer mood.
75. Leave your house/work/etc.: Sometimes you just need to get away, so get out and do something to feel better.
76. Mentor: Teach someone else how to follow in your footsteps for an ego boost that will help your mood.
77. Donate: Do something nice with your money, and you’ll feel good about yourself.
78. Blow off steam: So do something enjoyable for a pick-me-up.
79. Return a favor: Have you asked someone for help in the past? Now’s a good time to return the favor.
80. Take a bath or shower: Wash away your troubles.
81. Write it out: Get your bad mood out on paper and let it go.
82. Indulge yourself: Whether it’s chocolate, or just reading the paper, do something you like, if only for a moment.
83. Play with a baby or small child: Pick up the carefree fun of a child.
84. Give someone a compliment: Make someone feel good, and you will too.
85. Check out stupid videos online: Take a mini-break to smile and laugh for a while.
86. Cry: If you’re troubled, let it out to feel better.
87. Pet your dog or cat: The act of petting is enough to calm most people down.

Environment

Change what’s around you to improve your mood.

88. Get a burst of morning light: Morning light will reset your inner clock and boost your spirits.
89. Get away from negative people: Remove yourself from the people who are bringing you down.
90. Minimalize your decorations: Create a clean, simple environment for clarity of mood.
91. Practice aromatherapy: Use aromatherapy to lighten your mood. Try mood-boosting scents, like eucalyptus and ylang ylang.
92. Redecorate: Change whatever it is that you don’t like to feel better.
93. Organize: Get rid of clutter, and bring order to your environment.
94. Listen to music: Play music to keep things flowing and relaxed.
95. Get in the sun: Get natural light for a mood boost.
96. Take a nap: If lack of sleep is what’s causing your foul mood, catch up on your sleep.
97. Fresh flowers: Bring something beautiful into your environment for a mood boost.
98. Use a water feature: Even if it’s just a tabletop fountain, water can have a calming effect.
99. Full-spectrum light: Beat winter blues with light therapy.
100. Color therapy: Get relaxed with blues and softer hues to feel better.

By Jessica Hupp

When you’re going it alone, it’s vitally important that you get support. The best way to do that in business is to join a professional network. Whether you’re a writer or an accountant, you’re sure to find help in these groups.

Business

If your freelance work relies on business, get connected in these networks.

1. AccountantsWorld: Freelance accountants can get great deals, news, and lots more from this organization.
2. Association of Executive Search Consultants: If you’re an executive search freelancer, check out this association.
3. Direct Marketing Association: Stay relevant and successful with this association.
4. Association for Financial Professionals: If you’re a freelancer in treasury and cash management or corporate finance, this is the place for you.
5. United Professional Sales Association: With this network, you’ll get education, a great community, and more.
6. Institute of Chartered Accountants: Accountants in England and Wales can enjoy this association’s professional development, referrals, and more.
7. AIPMM: International product marketers should join this network for education, connections, and more.

Technology

The technologically-inclined will fit in great with these networks.

8. AIGA: Join this professional association to get access to ideas, information, education, and so much more.
9. Mediabistro: Find jobs, education, news, and lots more on mediabistro.
10. Association for Computing Machinery: This association offers publications, career resources, and more for freelancers in the advanced computing profession.
11. The Usability Professionals’ Association: Check out this network’s job bank, exhibits, and more.
12. Six Apart: Learn how to get more out of your Six Apart blogging platforms and more in this network.
13. leniche Digital Media: Find tutorials, jobs, and more with this freelance community.
14. Acoustical Society of America: This acoustics society represents professionals in engineering, robotics, music, psychology, and more.
15. National Association of Science Writers: Get help with contracts, query letters, and more with this association.
16. IEEE: This leading technology association offers conferences, publications, education, career assistance and more to freelance technology professionals.
17. Association of Information Technology Professionals: If you’re an IT professional, be sure to check out this group.
18. TalkFreelance: In this web development community, you can take advantage of their marketplace, get help, and more.
19. Graphic Artists Guild: Check out this guild to learn, get jobs, and more.
20. British Computer Society: British IT Professionals can join this organization for qualifications, development, and more.
21. Digital Media Association: Stay on top of issues, events, and much more with this community.

Arts

Whether you’re an artist of language or canvas, these groups are great for networking.

22. International Freelance Photographers Organization: Register with IFPO for credentials, education, and assignments.
23. The Association of Illustrators: Freelance illustrators should check out this organization for resources, news, and more.
24. Jewelry Design Professionals’ Network: Share ideas, interaction, and more with this network for professional jewelry designers.
25. Wedding and Portrait Photographers International: Here you’ll get access to programs, services and more aimed at wedding and portrait photographers.
26. Writers-Editors Network: Get resources, inspiration, work, and more from this network.
27. TEFL: Use this network of English language teaching professionals to find a job, guidance, and more.
28. The Illustrators’ Partnership of America: Join this partnership to get great resources and more.
29. Photo Marketing Association International: Look to PMAI for conventions, news, and much more.
30. Society of Professional Journalists: Get in this network’s directory, use their tools, and connect with others.
31. Freelance Business and Technology Writers Association: Stay on top of news, resources, and more with this association.
32. Freelance Artists Network: In this network, you’ll join the ranks of talented freelance artists in the fields of portraiture, fine arts, and more.
33. Editorial Freelancers Association: This network is full of resources, jobs, and more.
34. Professional Photographers of America: One of the largest professional photography associations, this group will help you find resources, education, and more.

General

These networks are open to just about any freelancer who will join them.

35. Freelancers.net: Find jobs and more on this UK-centric freelancing network.
36. LinkedIn: This professional networking site is great for freelancers in any field.
37. Freelancers Union: Get connected, take action, and even get insurance from this union.
38. Orkut: Connect with business contacts and more on this networking site.
39. Minority Professional Network: This network offers a connection for job seeking, promotion, and more.
40. Freelance Nation: Here you’ll find jobs, business management resources, and much more.
41. Freelance Community of Interest: Check out this freelancing community for court reporters.
42. IMDiversity: This professional network for minorities will help you get connected with opportunities.
43. Ecademy: On Ecademy, you’ll meet new contacts, get business support, and more.
44. FreelanceSwitch: Get advice, community support, and more from this network and blog.
45. Freelance Mom Network: Join this community of mothers and entrepreneurs for guidance and more.
46. Business Know-How: Network, find suppliers, and more in this small business network.
47. iHispano: Get tools for finding opportunities and more with this network.
48. Xing: Join this network to put the six degrees of separation theory into practice.
49. Ryze: Reconnect with friends and business acquaintances with this network.
50. Your local chamber of commerce: When you’re trying to establish yourself in your local area, perhaps the best network is the one in your own backyard.

By Sarah Scrafford

These days, diamond buyers have another “C” to add to cut, color, clarity, and carat. The fifth “C” centers on conflict, a detail that relates to the sale of diamonds sold to fund conflict or war. These resources offer lots of information, ranging from overviews to specific questions you can ask, as well as reputable jewelers that support conflict-free diamond trade.

1. What is a Conflict Diamond?: This resource from Stop Blood Diamonds gives a general introduction to the world of blood diamonds. You’ll find out exactly where the money goes and get a quick background about the steps being taken to stop the sale of blood diamonds.
2. A Shopping Guide on Conflict Diamonds: This guide offers an overview of conflict diamonds, efforts to stop the trade, and what you can do to avoid buying a blood diamond yourself.
3. Stop Blood Diamonds Registered Members: Through this directory, you can find a number of diamond service members that are against blood diamonds. They support the Kimberley Process and provide clear information regarding a diamond’s history. These include sellers, appraisers, cutters, and more.
4. Kimberley Process FAQs: One of the best ways to avoid buying a conflict diamond is to familiarize yourself with the Kimberley Process. This document explains the process and offers questions that reputable jewelers should be able to answer with regard to their diamonds.
5. Stop Blood Diamonds: This resource describes a few of the things you should look for in a reputable jeweler. It also offers a couple of important questions to ask. Additionally, it offers a link to a brochure with even more helpful information.
6. How to Avoid Buying a Conflict Diamond: This guide highlights Canadian diamonds as one alternative to blood diamonds.
7. Brilliant Earth: This retailer sells only conflict-free diamonds from Canada. They even donate 5% of their profits to African communities affected by conflict diamonds. Additionally, Brilliant Earth makes an effort to use renewed gold, which protects the earth from destructive gold mining.
8. Amnesty International Diamond Buyers Guide: Check out this guide to buying a conflict-free diamond from Amnesty International. You’ll find interesting statistics, questions to ask, and links to more resources.
9. Man-made Diamonds: A Girl’s New Best Friend?: This article discusses the entry of man-made diamonds into the market. These diamonds are real, but grown in labs in just a few days rather than mined. This is achieved by recreating the conditions that mined diamonds are created in. These diamonds sell for about 30% less than mined diamonds, and can be color or size matched. And obviously, you know they haven’t supported war or terrorism on the other side of the world.
10. Leber Jeweler: Leber Jeweler sells socially-conscious and eco-friendly pieces of jewelry. Their repertoire includes Canadian diamonds, fair trade gemstones, and recycled metals. Each diamond is etched and comes with a certificate stating its origin.

Jessica Hupp

Sometimes you come to a point in your career when you realize you’re just not on the right path. It happens to lots of people, and there are plenty of resources out there to help you make a change. These tools offer assistance for finding the best career for you, and how you can get there.

Assessment

First things first, find out whether or not a career change is right for you, and what’s best for you if you decide to start out in a new field.

1. Quiz: Should You Make a Career Change?: Determine if the time is right for a career change with this quiz.
2. A Guide to Going Online for Self-Assessment Tools: Get advice about using online assessment tools from this article.
3. What Color is Your Parachute: Learn what career paths are best for you with this book.
4. The Princeton Review Career Quiz: This 24-question quiz from The Princeton Review should offer some good suggestions.
5. What’s Important to You?: Find out what beliefs and values are important to you, and consider how they affect your career choices.
6. The Career Interests Game: Play this game to get a broad view of your ideal career.
7. The Career Key: With this test, you’ll get a good look at yourself and your career options.
8. O*NET Ability Profiler: Consider your abilities in nine categories to determine careers that are best for what you can do.
9. Transferable Skills Survey: Use this survey to determine what skills you’ll bring to your new career.
10. Finding The Perfect Job: Learn about the latest research devoted to matching your interests with a fulfilling career.
11. The Career Values Test: Check out this test to determine the things that are most important to you in a career.
12. O*NET Interest Profiler: Determine your level of interest in six different categories with this profiler.

Career Exploration

If you’ve found a new career you think you’d like, delve into it further with these resources.

13. Career Briefs: Here you’ll find a listing of occupations, and you can use it to find out what appeals to you.
14. Occupational Outlook Handbook: This resource offers in-depth look at nearly every occupation.
15. Informational Interviewing Tutorial: Follow this tutorial to learn how to conduct an effective informational interview and discover more about potential new career paths.
16. Cool Jobs and Cool Life Options: Take a look at this collection of cool jobs to get some great ideas.
17. How Can I Find a New Career Path?: This Career Doctor offers advice for discovering a new career.
18. VocationVacations: With VocationVacations, you can spend time finding out if you actually like your dream job.
19. JobProfiles: Get advice from real people about their jobs with this site.
20. Finding Your Niche: Read this article to learn how to fit into unconventional career niches.
21. Career Research Checklist: Use this checklist to conduct effective research on potential new careers.
22. Passion Pursit: Baby Steps or Big Plunge?: Read this article to learn how to explore and identify your passions, and take action to find a more passionate career.

Advice

Take a hint from the experts, and read the advice dished out here.

23. Changing Careers in Midstream: This article offers advice on changing careers and has a few ideas for developing skills for your new career while you’re still in your old one.
24. Making a Smoother Career Transition: In this article, you’ll find advice for a smooth career transition.
25. Career Change Tools for the Mid-Life Woman: Although directed at middle aged women, this career change checklist is great for anyone who wants to shake things up.
26. Choosing a New Career Path: This article follows the story of a Jane Doe as she transitions from one career to another.
27. Seven Famous Career Switchers: Get inspired by these celebrities turned their skills into new careers.
28. Thinking of a Career Change? Five Tips: These tips offer advice on how much you should change, how to find the right career, and landing a great new job.
29. Is Changing Fields Right For You?: Read this article to discover 10 action steps you should take before embarking on a career change.
30. Career Transition/Change Strategies: This article considers changes both in job title and industry fields.
31. 10 Career Change Mistakes to Avoid: Avoid these common mistakes to prevent changing careers without planning, or doing so for the wrong reasons.
32. Real People, Successful Career Changes: Take a look at these profiles of career changers for inspirations.
33. Ten Steps to a Successful Career Change: Follow this advice for a step-by-step guide to switching things up.
34. Do You Have What It Takes to Change Careers?: Consider the reasons why even top performers want to make a change sometimes.

Getting (Re)Hired

Use these tools to get a great job in your new career.

35. Transferable Job Skills–a Vital Job Search Technique: Read this article to learn how to highlight the skills you’ve learned from your old career in a way that is attractive to new employers.
36. Experience Works: This program offers paid internships to job seekers 55 and older, as well as training and other services.
37. Temping Your Way to a Career Change: Check out this article to learn about strategies for breaking into a new field through temporary work.
38. The Top 5 Things to Consider When Looking for a New Job: Keep these considerations in mind when searching for your new job.
39. Career Change Letter: This sample letter from Monster will help you explain why you want to change careers and what you can offer your new employer.
40. Emphasising Your Transferable and Marketable Skills in Your Cover Letter: Learn how to put skills from your old career to work in your job search with this article.
41. Career Change Resume: With this article, you’ll learn how to write your resume so that you emphasise your new career goals.
42. Volunteering Can Open Doors to a New Career: Read this article for advice on using volunteering as a way to gain experience and valuable contacts for your new career.
43. Early Career Change Cover Letter: With this sample cover letter, you can explain your reasons for changing careers early on in the game.
44. Self-Employed But Need a Job? Here’s How to Interview: If you’re transitioning from a self-employed career to working for someone else, use this article to learn how to highlight your unique skills in an interview.
45. Work Your Transferable Skills: This article details some of the common skills that are transferable to healthcare positions.

Transitioning

These tools will make the change from one career to the next just a little bit easier.

46. Take Financial Stock Before a Job Change: Read this article to consider financial steps you should take before you change careers.
47. Career Transition Touchstones: Take a look at some of the stages of transitioning from one career to the next with this guide.
48. Prepare for a Job Search: This article runs down a number of things to take care of if you’re about to change jobs.
49. Stream in to Your New Career: Monster offers some advice on what to do once you’ve started your new career.
50. Become Your Own Boss or Work From Home: This article offers valuable advice on health insurance, marketing, and doing work online.
51. Quitting With Class: This article runs down what you should do when leaving your old career, from your strategy to last day.
52. Adding Up a Career Change: Consider the costs and savings of a career move with this article.

By Laura Milligan

As a human resources professional, you know that you’ve got to continually research job market statistics, the demographics of recent college graduates and new online technologies designed to help job seekers and HR departments find their perfect match. To help you make sense of all the paperwork, new studies and overwhelming number of job sites, we’ve put together the HR professional’s holy grail of resources. Packed full of resourceful guides, posts and more, you’ll find tips on everything from recruiting and interviewing to developing your own career.

Development Duties

Help guide your employees and clients along the right career path using these resources and tips. This list also includes articles about training and general HR development.

1. Management Development: Training for Managers and Supervisors: This guide provides helpful tips for new employees in the HR department or for small business owners who want a crash course in training their own employees.
2. Six Tips for Developing Your Employees: From pairing employees with a mentor to encouraging professional development, these tips will help you challenge your employees to perform better.
3. Tips to Help Ensure Employee Success: The U.S. Department of Justice Worklife Program offers readers great tips on how to develop their employees’ careers.
4. 7 Things to Do on an Employee’s First Day: HR World’s list of seven things to do on an employees first day includes tips like “get other employees involved” and “get feedback.” You’ll make the new recruit feel welcome and engaged.
5. The Work Environment and Employee Productivity: Learn which factors influence employee productivity and then use them to motivate your workers to perform their duties more efficiently.
6. Work/Life Balance: Finding Time to Succeed at Both: Let your employees know that they need to spend time developing their personal lives as well as their professional goals. Read this article for tips on how to approach the issue together.
7. Tips for Setting Employee goals: This article demonstrates how to come up with effective strategies for getting your employees to open up and share their professional goals within your company.
8. Teams: A Formula for Success: Read this article for advice on implementing team-building and training exercises into your workplace.
9. Coaching for Improved Performance: This article focuses on the ways in which David Kolb’s Learning Cycle can help HR professionals become better coaches and mentors for their employees.
10. 5 Steps to Effective Training: Tips include providing new employees with overviews of the training session and giving short quizzes after each lesson.

Managing a Human Resources Department

The following articles have everything you need to know about payroll, sexual harassment laws, unions and other issues that affect HR management.

11. Legal Guides and Links: hrVillage.com publishes this list of valuable legal guides and links so that you’re never out of touch with employee rights.
12. The Top 10 Small Business Payroll Solutions: If you don’t have the budget to employ a team of HR experts, check out this article for smart tips on managing payroll.
13. Discrimination and Harassment: Official discrimination and harassment laws and documents are outlined here.
14. Holiday Cheer or Holiday Nightmare?: This article focuses on the dos and dont’s of planning a holiday office party, but HR professionals can use it as a guide for planning any social events for the company.
15. Unions: Business.gov provides resources for HR departments that employ union-protected workers.
16. Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Learn how to define and deal with sexual harassment issues in your office by reading this informative article.
17. Conflict in the Workplace: Entrepreneur.com publishes this article full of analyses and resolutions for dealing with conflict issues at work.
18. Managing an Independent Contractor: If your company prefers to outsource certain jobs, read this article for tips on understanding why managing freelancers and contractors is different than regular, full-time employees.
19. 6 Tips for Managing Workplace Relationships: If you notice a flirtation emerging in your office, learn how to deal with the issue appropriately and discreetly.
20. I Thought PTO Was Supposed to Be Easy!: This article has ideas for making Paid Time Off policies more trackable for you and more appealing for your employees.

Recruiting

How can you be sure that you’re tapping into the right recruiting resources? Read these articles for tips on recruiting qualified candidates who will develop into strong, reliable and loyal employees.

21. Ten Steps to Hiring Your First Employee: Whether you’ve just opened up your own business or are new to the HR world, check out this government-sponsored website, which has links to tax forms, worker’s comp insurance and more.
22. Immigration and Employee Eligibility: If your business attracts illegal immigrants or naturalized citizens, take a look at this guide for official information about hiring foreign workers and getting the right proof of employment status documents.
23. The HR World Recruitment Solutions Buyer’s Guide: Investing in a smart, efficient software program or e-cruitment technology service will undoubtedly help your business in the long run. Use this guide to help you determine which plan is best for your department.
24. Executive Recruiting: Recruiting a qualified CEO is a completely different battle than searching for summer interns. Discover smart ways to develop executive recruiting strategies here.
25. How to Find Great Part-Time Employees: Pitch an attractive part-time opportunity to targeted demographics by using the tips provided in this article.
26. Master Networkers: This article shows how “acquiring clients — and employees — on a limited budget” isn’t impossible. Through networking programs and self-promotion events, small businesses can be successful at attracting top talent.
27. The Key to Hiring Right: Read this article to find out how to “hire people with a passion for your mission.”
28. Avoid Disability Discrimination When Hiring New Employees: This article has information about the Americans with Disabilities Act, so be sure to check it out before you plan your next hiring and recruitment strategy.
29. Top Ten Recruiting Tips: Ten Tips for Successful Employee Recruiting: Tips include be known as a great employer, look first at in-house candidates and use your website for recruiting.
30. Tips for Minority Recruiting: The American Society of Newspaper Editors lists ten great tips for recruiting qualified minority candidates.

Using Online Technology

From utilizing job sites to taking advantage of Web-based tools, find out why online technology can help your career move forward.

31. Attract New Customers and Employees: Be Findable Online: This article explains why it’s important for companies to maintain a strong presence in the online recruiting industry.
32. Reasons to Recruit Online: Monster.com’s Solutions page lists several advantages for using online job sites to find employees, including cost-effectiveness and longevity.
33. Use Online Tools to Figure Pay Raises: This article links to online tools and sites designed to help you calculate pay raises.
34. Top Job Sites: If you think Yahoo! Jobs is the only job board out there, take a look at this list of some of the best places to find quality candidates online.

Outsourcing

More and more companies are turning to freelancers, contractors and even workers overseas to perform day-to-day tasks. What does that mean for the HR professional? Read below to find out.

35. HR Outsourcing Basics: This article helps small businesses decided whether or not they should enlist the services of an HR firm, rather than employ HR professionals in-house.
36. Should You OUtsource Your In-House Recruiting?: HR professionals should be aware of this outsourcing trend that eliminates in-house recruiting.
37. Outsourcing 101: Finding Freelancing Talent: Get tips on finding quality freelancers by checking out this article.
38. Outsourcing: How to Use Freelancers: This article tackles issues like figuring out when you should outsource, calculating speed, cost and quality and more.
39. Talent Management and Outsourcing: Sides of the Same Coin?: Learn about the differences in evaluating in-house talent and outsourced workers with the help of this article.

Interviewing

Don’t waste the time of your department or the potential employee by asking illegal or uninformative interview questions. Check out this list of articles for help determining what you should and shouldn’t bring up during the session.

40. How to Conduct an Effective Employee Interview: AllBusiness.com provides tips like “set the tone” and “prepare a script” to help you get the most out of job candidates during the person-to-person interview.
41. Ask Right to Hire Right: Effective Interview Questions: Use effective interview questions to more adequately assess each job candidate during the interview.
42. 38 Illegal, Sensitive, and Stupid Interview Questions…and How to Respond: This article from the Washington Post focuses on the interviewee, but HR pros can use the list as a guide of what questions not to ask.
43. How to Interview and Hire Top People Each and Every Time: Even HR needs to brush up on their interview skills now and then. Use this article as a guide to help you ask the right questions.
44. The New-Boy Network: This article asks “What do job interviews really tell us?” Find out whether the interview process is an adequate enough assessment of job candidates and if your hiring strategies need a makeover.
45. How to Interview a Potential Employee: This article comes with a list of questions interviewers should avoid asking and ones which are worth asking the job candidate.
46. How to Interview a Prospective Employee and Complete the I-9 Form: This article, from the University of Nebraska, has lots of helpful tips for employers new to the hiring game.
47. Employee Interview Questions That Get Down to Business: The Washington Business Journal offers various ideas for asking questions that will really expose what kind of worker the candidate will turn out to be.
48. How to Interview a Prospective Employee: This article from eHow.com covers all the basic tips and questions you’ll need to know to conduct an informative interview.
49. Employee Interview Questions: Before setting up the interview, make sure you’re prepared to answer this list of questions that the interviewee may have for you.

Retaining Great Employees

After piling large amounts of time and money into finding and training qualified employees, HR departments must continue to invest in their top candidates by providing extra benefits, opportunities and flexibility.

50. 25 Ways to Reward Employees (Without Spending a Dime): Find economical ways to spoil your employees here. From maintaining flexible work hours to sending them to parties and special events, you’ll boost everyone’s mood.
51. Tips to Help Employees Cope With Disaster: In times of great stress or family emergency, employees look to the HR department for understanding and leniency. Use this article as a guide for what to do when a worker is faced with a disaster.
52. Employee Wellness Programs: Consider starting an employee wellness program for your company to ” increase productivity, boost morale and vitality, reduce stress, reduce absenteeism, and control preventable healthcare costs within an organization.”
53. Employee Loyalty: How Accurate is Your Perception?: Just because your top employees show up to the office each day on time and ready to work doesn’t mean they’re not planning on leaving you for one of your competitors. Check out this article for help deciphering your employees’ company loyalty.
54. How to Attract and Retain Great Employees: Simple tips like “treat employees like human beings” and “keep [workers] interested in their jobs” actually go a long way when employees evaluate how happy they are in their jobs.
55. Ten Ways to Attract and Retain Great Employees: Find out what today’s employees are really looking for in a career with the advice given in this article.
56. 10 Reasons Why Organizations Are Not Able to Retain Employees: Management consultant and blogger Gautam Ghosh warns employers and HR pros against making one of these ten mistakes.
57. How to Retain Employees: This AllBusiness.com article maintains that “a high turnover rate is costly in both direct and indirect costs.” To retain your top employees, first understand their reasons for wanting to leave.
58. Manager’s Role in Retention: This post argues that the manager’s role in motivating and retaining employees is vital. Learn how to reinvent your current rewards and review systems to integrate managers.
59. Why Great Employees Quit: What You Can Do To Keep Them: Ph.D. Carl Robinson explores the many reasons why valuable employees quit their jobs and how human resources professionals can get them to stay.

Parting Ways

When you have to fire an employee or when one of your top workers decides to quit, read these articles for tips on managing the situation appropriately.

60. Downsizing and Layoffs: If your business needs to lay off several employees, check out this resource to inform yourself about your rights and the rights of your employees.
61. Firing Employees Who are Hurting Your Business: Don’t be afraid to let employees go if they’re doing more harm than good to your business. This article provides tips on smoothing over the firing process.
62. Counteroffers: Effective Retention Tool, or Display of Desperation?: The HR Daily Advisor breaks down the pros and cons of submitting a counteroffer in the event a prized employee decides to quit.
63. How to Fire an Employee: This article includes great tips that often go overlooked by managers when firing employees. Examples include letting the fired employee say goodbye to coworkers and allowing the worker to clean out his own space.
64. Maternity and Paternity Leave: For ideas on “drawing up a maternity and paternity leave policy,” read this article from PersonnelToday.com.
65. Setting the Proper Tone for a Termination Meeting: Ideas like thanking the employee and letting the employee have a chance to respond are smart tips for dismissing workers with grace.
66. When Should You Fire an Employee?: If you’re having trouble deciding whether or not an employee’s poor performance is worthy of a dismissal, read this article for help making your decision.
67. How to Fire an Employee: Use this checklist to cover your bases before firing an employee.
68. Situations Where You Have to Be Extra Careful When Firing Employees: How do you fire an employee that has previously made sexual harassment or discrimination complaints? What do you do when you want to break an employment contract? This article tackles all kinds of unsavory termination situations.
69. What if Your Best Employee Quits Suddenly?: This article goes over the pros and cons of an exit survey and how you can protect yourself the next time through employee retention systems that include more communication and benefits.

HR Career Path

Your entire career is devoted to helping others feel comfortable in their jobs, but what about you? Read these articles for tips and advice on developing your own career.

70. The Path Taken: Two HR Career Roads — Field and Corporate — Present Their Own Distinct Challenges and Rewards: Deciding which human resources career path to take can be difficult. Use this article as a way to help you determine which industry fits you best.
71. Get Into HR With Three Steps to Success: Monster.com advises those wanting to land a career in HR to work on defining your goals, build a team of resources and mentors and keep your options open.
72. How Do I Break Into Other HR Areas Besides Recruiting?: If you’d love to work in HR but are tired of recruiting ads, check out the advice given here.
73. How to Break Into HR (Legally, That Is): The Evil HR Lady recommends different ways in which professionals can cross over to positions in HR.
74. How to Get Into HR: This article from Personnel Today gives tips on how to break into the human resources industry.

Industry News and Support

HR pros need to stay on top of industry news and competitor’s offerings if they want to recruit the best candidates. Check below for articles and resources that will help you stay current.

75. Internet and Web 2.0 Creates Unfamiliar Battleground for HR Professionals: Now that social networking sites like Facebook are also used for professional means, human resources professionals aren’t sure how to discipline employees for spending too much time online.
76. Noncompetes Moving “Down-Market.” Are They for Your Company Too?: This article chronicles the trend of noncompetes becoming more and more popular requirements for even blue collar and entry-level positions.
77. Here Comes Paid Parental Leave: Feel guilty about not being able to afford paid parental leave for your small business employees? This article discusses the trend.
78. How to Get Your CEO to Lean on You for Advice: Want tips for becoming the boss’s professional confidant? Read these great tips.
79. Payroll Growth Slows Significantly: Check here for quick stats on payroll growth in U.S. employment.
80. Firms Step in to Help Dover Employees’ Relocation Costs: As part of a benefits package, should your company start offering relocation costs to attract valuable employees?
81. Human Resource Executive Online: This website updates news articles regularly so that you’re always informed about industry headlines.
82. hrVillage.com: Browse newsworthy human resource articles at this site.
83. Too Much Colleague Spam Inspires New Sorting Tools: Read about these tools and services which will help your office sort through e-mails more easily and remain productive all day.

For Inspiration and Humor

HR pros often feel under appreciated. Check out these articles and video clips for inspiration to keep on going.

84. What People Want From Work: Employee Motivation and Positive Morale: Understand your employees’ situation better by reading this article. You’ll understand that money and an inclusive, mobile working environment are top factors.
85. Gen Y Myths Debunked: Whether you’re a young member of Generation Y and feel discriminated against at work, or if you’re hesitant to hire the newest crop of young graduates because of negative stereotypes, read this article to find out why Gen Y has a lot more to offer than laziness and false expectations.
86. 4 Things That Rile HR the Most: Get a laugh out of this list of HR professional’s top pet peeves.
87. Why HR Gets No Respect: If you don’t think your HR department or position is getting the attention it deserves, read this article to find out why business execs undervalue their HR teams.
88. What Do You Do All Day?: According to The Evil HR Lady, “one of the jobs of HR is to understand the business. This means we need to understand what people do all day.” Click on the link for a well-deserved dose of humor.
89. Casual Dress Humor: Send around these pretend memos from HR re: casual dress Friday to get a life from your coworkers.
90. Top 10 Short Job Descriptions: Take a break from writing tedious job descriptions and check out this hilarious parody of the grueling HR task.
91. Components of HR That I Sorta Kinda Like: The HR Wench admits that some parts of HR are actually rewarding and fun, like benefits administration, handling crises and generally kicking butt.

Miscellaneous Articles

From popular HR rants to exemplary recruitment campaigns, use this list of general resources to connect with other HR pros.

92. Leadership Styles: The recruiting animal puts forth profiles of different types of leaders: the power-mad dictator, the expert know-it-all, the presidential coach and the professional. Learn how to spot them during your next interview session.
93. Lie on the Job Like Ferris: Is It OK to Use Sick Days for Job Interviews?: The HR Capitalist wonders: “do you look the other way when people use sick days to kick back? Do your feelings depend on what the person is using the sick days for?” Check out this post about giving employees a little slack.
94. “Assist” is the Operative Word: Tired of getting other employee’s chores dumped on your desk? Read this post to find out how to deal.
95. How to Deal with Liars at Work: No one likes a liar. This post has tips on how to deal with one without causing a scene or seeming to accusatory.
96. Top 10 Best Recruiting Websites: KnowHR lists its favorite recruiting websites, not for resources to help you find new talent, but for their great examples of how to attract great candidates.
97. 10 Resolutions for a Healthy Workplace: Forward this post to your entire office for inspiration on how to promote a healthy, happy workplace.
98. Conducting Employee Reviews: This detailed article from Entrepreneur.com provides excellent tips and ideas for evaluating employees.
99. Morale and Motivation Checklist: Keeping managers and lower-level employees motivated and happy can be a challenge. Look to this list for ways to improve company morale.

By Jessica Hupp

Staying on top of all the things you have to do isn’t always easy, but there are lots of ways to make your task list simpler. Whether that means keeping unnecessary items out, or just getting a handle on organization, every little bit helps. Test out these ideas for the ultimate in task list streamlining.

1. Use a small piece of paper: By limiting the room in which you can list tasks, you’ll be forced to choose only the most important items.
2. Keep yourself to a 10 point maximum: Promise yourself to never keep more than 10 items on your to do list at one time.
3. Categorize: Whether you’re breaking your list down by location or overall task, compartmentalizing it will help you stay on top of organization.
4. Use Tudumo: This tool makes it easy to organize, prioritize, and search for tasks.
5. Create a someday list: Keep aspirational tasks out of your revolving to do list.
6. Write a Not To Do List: By writing out items that you need to let go of, y