All of us have certain habits, both good and bad. Some people, even locals, joke around saying that Singaporeans have different habits like walking in such a fast pace, queueing in line for hours, and even chope-ing seats. Sometimes, though, our bad habits can get pretty overwhelming. When not managed earlier, they may affect our lives negatively. And really, it can be pretty hard to get rid of one.

Share your goals
Sharing your goals to get rid of a bad habit will make you accountable for it. Letting a friend or a family member know about it leads them to expect you to succeed, while you on the other hand, will try to work hard not to let those expectations down. When you share your goals, you are somehow asking others to help you keep track of your improvements.

Replace bad habits with good ones
We have habits, both good and bad, typically because it is a way to relieve stress. Clearly, a bad habit does you more harm than good. Of course, unlike what most people would think, breaking a bad habit is really difficult. A solution to this would be too indulge yourself in a new, and better, habit that can give similar benefits. If you smoke to relieve stress, for example, try to indulge in a new (good) habit that can give you a similar feeling instead.

Find out the causes
Identifying what causes you to do bad habits can mean a lot to be able to address them. It can be anything from stress, anxiety, or maybe everyday things and places like refrigerators and bars. The most ideal way to break a bad habit is to address the feelings that prompt you to do them. So, you can get rid of these habits by simply avoiding what causes them.

Go with people who help you break the habit
The people we surround ourselves with can have a huge impact on our progress. We may have friends or companions who got us into doing the bad habits. And staying with them will not do you any good when you’re trying to eliminate the vices. Obviously, you don’t have to completely cut these people off. Just try to go with those who live the way you want to live.

Have a little competition
If you have a friend who wants to break a habit he/she shares with you, try to quit together. This makes it easier because you can check on each other and hold each other responsible for your actions. You can even make bets with each other. The one who gives in to the temptation of doing the habit first gets to pay the other. Overall, the point is to get better and celebrate your victories together.

Not all Singaporeans know about the meaning behind colors. It is time that we know the meaning of colors so we can use it to our advantage. Believe it or not, colors can influence our lives and the people around us. Color is after all a form of non-verbal communication – we do not need to necessarily utter it because the colors speak louder than words.

In the psychology of colors, there are four primary colors that include red, blue, yellow and green. The four primary colors relate to our mind (blue), body (red), emotions (yellow) and balance (green). Each of the colors has different meanings – positive and negative. Regardless, we still need to know how it can influence us so we can use it to our advantage.

Aside from the four primary colors, there are also eleven basic colors. Now, we see these colors every day here in Singapore from the streets to our offices. If we want to know more about the meaning of other colors, here’s a start:

• Violet: Violet speaks of spiritual awareness, luxury, truth and quality however it can also negatively connote decadence, inferiority and suppression. Violet has the shortest wavelength. Violet is also the last visible wavelength before the ultra-violet rays. Considering this, there is no surprise that it is associated with the cosmos and the royalty.
• Orange: Orange speaks of warmth, abundance, fun and food. Now we finally understand why most restaurants consider the color orange. Orange is the combination of red and yellow – physical and emotional.
• Pink: Pink speaks of nurture, tranquillity, femininity and love however it can also negatively connote inhibition, claustrophobia and physical weakness. Pink has a tint of red that affects us physically but it rather soothes than excites.
• Black: Black speaks of sophistication, security, glamour, substance and efficiency however it can also negatively connote coldness, oppression, heaviness and menace. Black is known for its absorbent property. Black can absorb all the energy coming towards us and it masks personality.
• White: White speaks of sterility, hygiene, purity, cleanness, sophistication and simplicity however it can also negatively connote coldness, elitism and unfriendliness. If black is the absorbent, white is the reflection. White is a strain to look out because mostly, it screams of “touch me not”.
• Brown: Brown speaks of seriousness, support, earthiness and warmth however it can also negatively connote heaviness and lack of humour and sophistication. Brown is the combination of red and yellow but mostly black. Brown has the same seriousness with black but brown is softer and warmer.

Singapore is filled with colors from the main streets to our bedrooms. We see colors every day that sometimes we forget how it can influence and affect our lives. We have to know the meaning of colors because it is one step closer in understanding our lives and the society in general.

There are different meanings of colors. The meanings vary depending on the circumstance and the culture however, we can easily learn the language of colors by educating ourselves of some simple concepts. Before moving to the simple concepts of colors, it is crucial that we know what color is. A color is a form of non-verbal communication.

There are 4 psychological primary colors which includes red, blue, yellow and green. Each color is related to the emotions, body and mind. Aside from the primary colors, there are also eleven basic colors with different meaning and personality. If we are curious of the meaning of colors, we have to continue reading.

• Red: Of all the primary colors, perhaps red is the most famous. Experts say that red has the longest wavelength which makes it a powerful color. It speaks of courage, strength, warmth, excitement and energy. However, we also need to consider that red also denotes aggression, defiance, strain and anger.

• Blue: Blue speaks of intellect, communications, serenity, duty, coolness, calm and logic however, it also denotes aloofness, coldness and lack of emotion. Experts say that blue is the color of the mind and it is basically soothing.

• Yellow: Yellow speaks of optimism, self-esteem, emotional strength and creativity however, it can also mean fear, fragility, anxiety and depression. Experts found out that the wavelength of yellow is quite long. This means that yellow is the strongest color psychologically. The right yellow will be enough to lift our spirits but the wrong tone will give rise to anxiety and fear. We do not want that.

• Green: Green speaks of balance, harmony, rest and peace however it can also denote stagnation and boredom. Green is a color that does not require any adjustment when it strikes our eyes. This is the reason why green is restful. Green is at the centre of the centrum thereby its harmonious property. When we see plenty of greens around us, we will think of abundance and not famine – which is a very disturbing thought.

There’s still violet, orange, pink, grey, black, white and brown. Life is dull without colors. Regardless of the meaning, let us just be thankful that these colors continue to bring brightness.

The government is happy to know that there are more marriages and babies in 2014. According to the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD), the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) here in Singapore increased and this is a good thing. From 1.19 TFR in 2013, TFR increased to 1.25 in 2014.

This increase account to more than 33,000 citizens born in 2014 compared to 31,000 births in 2013. The delivery rooms were busier in 2014 than the previous year. TFR is colloquially called fertility rate. This refers to the average number of children a woman could bear in her lifetime.

NPTD also revealed that that many couples tied the knot in 2014. About 24,000 marriages happened in 2014 which is higher than the previous year. In 2013, there were only 21, 842 marriages. The TFR and the marriages increased because of the availability of flats. Not all people consider marriage and babies for personal reasons.

It is understandable that many couples are afraid of raising children because of economic issues but if child-bearing or marriage is postponed, there will be consequences in the country. We have to make sure that our TFR is not declining because if it is declining over a long time, it may take several generations to change the TFR unless we invite more immigrants.

Let us hope that things get even better this year. Maybe there will be more marriages and babies compared last year. We have to know that the government is helping the couples fulfiLl their aspirations of having a house and children.