Hamsters rely on their noses to navigate their environment, and strong smells can cause them distress. Washing your hands before handling your hamster will help him feel more comfortable. Use an unscented soapa fruit-scented soap may make your hamster see your hand as food. Washing your hands is especially important if you have more than one hamster. The scent of another hamster on your hands could make the hamster you are handling feel like he is being attacked. In the wild, hamsters have few defenses other than running. Any sudden changes in your hamster's environment can be very alarming to him, so it is very important that he can see your hand approaching him. When you place your hand in your hamster's cage, leave it there for at least a few seconds so that he can acclimate to it. It is very important for your hamster to feel secure in your hands when you hold him. When he climbs into your hand, cup your hand under him to support him. Cup your other hand so that he can rest comfortably and securely in the palms of both of your hands. If your hamster does not want to climb in your hands, consider using a scoop. Allow him to walk into the scoop before lifting him up. You can them transfer him from the scoop to your hand when you have him out of the cage. You can also use a 1-liter plastic soda bottle, cut in half, like a scoop. Place the bottom half of the bottle in your hand, and let your hamster crawl into it. He will feel the warmth of your hand, but will not be able to bite your hand through the plastic. Make sure the bottle's edges are smooth. With time, your hamster will become more comfortable with being held and you will not need to lift him with a scoop. Being lifted up can be very disorienting and frightening for your hamster. Before lifting him up, face him towards you in your hands. This will give him a frame of reference and will make him less likely to jump, as you lift him up. Lift him up slowly and gently. Be aware that your hamster may start biting your hand as you lift him up. His bites will likely not be enough to break the skin but will serve as more of a warning signal that he is feeling alarmed. If he starts to bite, gently blow a puff of air in his face. The hamster will take a step back and blink, wondering what he just smelled. This gives you time to free your hand from his grip. Keeping your hamster close to your body as you hold him will keep him safe. It will also prevent him from trying to run or jump away. Because your hamster is not used to being held, he will probably not want to be held for long periods of time. If he seems agitated or is trying to bite you, gently lower him back in his cage. Gently lower your hamster back in his cage. Hamsters can easily injure themselves if they fall, so you should lower your hamster until he can easily walk out of your hands and onto the bottom of his cage. You can spread out your palm and allow him to simply step off your hand. Hold him for a short period of time initially (less than a minute), then work your way to longer stretches of time as he becomes more comfortable with being held.

Summary: Wash your hands. Let your hamster see your hand. Cup your hamster in the palm of your hands. Lift your hamster out of his cage. Hold your hamster in your lap or close to your chest. Place your hamster back in his cage.

There are many things you can do to help make the process easier and keep yourself focused. At the end of the day though, most goals are achieved by putting a lot of time and hard work into making them a reality. Think about how long you expect it to take to achieve your goal, and when you want it to be completed. For example, imagine you expect you'll need 40 hours of work to master the basics of playing guitar and you want learn it in a month. You'll need to spend a little over an hour on this every day. There's no way to get around putting in the time. If you are truly committed to your goal, it is what you must do. One way to make putting in the time easier is to build your efforts into a daily routine. Schedule time to work on your goals into every day. For example, you might spend a half an hour from 6:30 practicing musical scales. You could spend another half an hour from 6:30 to 7 practicing chords. You could spend 15 minutes from 7:15 learning to play a specific song. If you stuck to this every day (or even every other day), you could learn the basics of playing any instrument very quickly! Once you start working toward your goal, keep track of your progress. Keep a journal, use an app, or get a desk calendar and make a note of time that you put in, subgoals you've achieved, etc. Tracking your progress can help you stay motivated by highlighting your successes. It can also help keep you accountable for sticking to your routine. Keeping a journal in which you write about the process daily is also a good way to reduce stress you might feel about achieving your goals. One of the hardest parts of following through on a goal, especially in the long term, is staying motivated. Making achievable subgoals and tracking your progress can both help. But, you may need to add some additional reinforcement. Reinforcement means that you create consequences for your actions. There are two types of reinforcement. Positive reinforcement means adding something to your life. For example, you might treat yourself to a celebratory dessert for achieving a subgoal. Negative reinforcement is when something is taken away. If that something is unwanted, that can be a reward. For example, you might allow yourself to skip a chore one week as a reward for reaching a subgoal. This chore is "removed" from your life that week. Reinforcement is more effective in keeping up your motivation than punishment. Depriving yourself of things or otherwise punishing yourself for failure can work in small doses. But, stick to rewards instead when possible.

Summary: Dedicate your time. Make it a routine. Track your progress. Stay motivated.

Mention your current prescriptions, especially any blood-thinners, antibiotics, or bone and heart medications. Depending on your medical regimen, you may not want to take castor oil for your constipation. If you haven't had a bowel movement for 7 days, you need to see your doctor even if you're treating constipation. You may have a more serious condition, or constipation could cause serious complications. Note that your doctor may recommend a special procedure, depending on your symptoms. Your doctor may do an X-ray, colonoscopy, or other procedure, depending on what they think is causing your constipation. You may be able to use castor oil without experiencing side effects, however, it's possible that you will notice some abdominal pain, cramps, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, or fatigue. Fortunately, these symptoms usually fade quickly once the castor oil is out of your system. If you experience any bad abdominal cramps, bloating, vomiting, or dizziness, stop using castor oil immediately and contact a healthcare professional.
Summary: Ask your doctor if castor oil will interfere with any of your medications. See your doctor if your constipation lasts longer than a week. Call your doctor if you have side effects like vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea.