Not only is it a very bad idea to start putting things in your ear, as you might damage an eardrum, this also doesn't work. Your ear is no more able to be tickled than the rest of your body. Scientists have done experiments where they tried to trick a person's brain into believing that a plastic hand on a table in front of them was their hand. Even when the person's brain was under the illusion that the plastic hand was theirs, they still couldn't tickle themselves. However, often people with schizophrenia can tickle themselves, possibly because their brains have difficulty predicting the sensory actions of their own movements. The problem with this idea is that it operates under the notion that the reason you can't tickle yourself is because of your brain registering that it's your own fingers doing the tickling, so if you use your fingernails, your fingers won't register the sensation. This is wrong because it isn't the sensation, it's the brain already knowing what is about to happen. Tickling has to do with surprise and we can't surprise our own brains.

Summary: Don't tickle yourself by putting something in your ear. Don't tickle yourself by pretending your hand doesn't belong to you. Don't rub your nails on your sides.

Write down your attempts to control your impulses, including both successful and unsuccessful attempts at increased willpower. Be sure to include details that may help you evaluate the situation later. For example, you might write, "I ate five cookies at an office party today. I skipped lunch to work, so I was quite hungry. There were many other people there, and Sally made the cookies and kept encouraging me to have another. Another example is, "I went to the mall today with my husband to buy new jeans for our son, and I resisted buying a dress that I saw, even though it was on sale. I came out with exactly what I went in for and nothing additional." In addition to detailing situations in which you resisted or gave in to impulsive behavior, comment on things that were going through your mind. You may want to include your emotional state, who you were with, and where you were. Once you have established several journal entries, you should begin to read over your entries and try to find patterns in your behavior. Some questions to ask yourself include: Do I make better decisions when I am alone or around other people? Are there certain people who "trigger" my impulsive behavior? Do your emotions (depression, anger, happiness, etc.) influence your impulsive behaviors? Is there a time of day that you find it more difficult to have impulse control (such as late at night?) This may sound silly, but some people respond better to a more concrete visual representation of their progress. If you have something that you can look at to show you how far you have come and how far you have left to go, it can help you stay motivated. For example, if you are trying to lose 40 pounds, you could put a quarter in a jar every time you lose a pound. Seeing the level of the quarters grow as you lose weight can give you a concrete idea of how much progress you've made. If you are trying to save money, you might draw a picture that looks like a thermometer and color in the level of money you've saved; when you get to the top, you have reached your goal. (This is commonly used for fundraisers to show fundraising progress.) By using your journal or just thinking about your success or setbacks with impulse control, find what works best for you. You may find that giving yourself weekly rewards helps; you may need to have a visual to focus on; you may find that giving each day a written rating of your willpower scale helps. You might find that being alone is a trigger for your impulsive behavior, or that by going to a certain place or being with a certain person can act as a trigger. Tailor your approach to increasing your willpower to your specific needs and situation.

Summary: Keep a willpower journal. Comment on factors that influenced your decision-making. Look for patterns in your behavior. Consider making a visual representation of your progress. Find what works for you.

This day will be similar to the day prior to the cleanse - you will eat only salads and fruits. Stick with small portions so as not to overwhelm your stomach and digestive system. After the easing-in period, you can gradually return to your regular diet by introducing foods such as eggs and dairy products, wholegrain rice and cereals, and lean meats. You should still try to refrain from eating processed foods, to avoid undoing the good work you did during your cleanse. Eating pizza or other processed foods immediately after finishing your cleanse is not a good idea, and may even leave you feeling ill. Doing a juice cleanse once a week will help you to maintain the level of detoxification you reached while doing your fast. It is actually quite simple to do as you can divide the 24 hours over a two day period. Start by having an early dinner one evening, then eat nothing for the rest of the night. Sleep through 8 of the 24 hours, then have a juice for breakfast and lunch that day. You can then eat a solid meal for dinner that night. Once you have done a three day fast, you can move on to doing longer cleanses periodically, progressing towards a 7 day or even 14 day juice fast, if desired. Although this may seem daunting, many seasoned fasters claim that the fasting actually becomes easier the longer you go without solid food. Your body trains itself not to feel hunger, as it recognizes that it is getting all the nutrition it needs from the juice. Be warned, however. With longer fasts, your body will start eliminating toxins through the skin and lungs and you may notice a funny or unpleasant smell emanating from your body. With longer fasts, you may want to include protein and iron supplements in your juices, to give you more energy and prevent yourself from becoming anemic. These supplements can be found at health food stores.

Summary: Take a day to ease your body out of the fast. Gradually return to normal food. Think about introducing a 24 hour weekly juice fast into your routine. Try a longer fast next time.

Consult with the instructions that came with your pan to see how often, if at all, you should season your pan. Rinse and dry the pan completely. Rub a teaspoon of oil on the inside of the pan with a paper towel. Put the pan in an oven preheated at 300F (149C) for one hour. Once the pan has cooled, wipe off the oil with paper towels. If your pan has a nonstick coating, it may wear off with use over time. Seasoning your pan can make it last longer. For example, you may want to completely season your pan semiannually. Rub it with a small amount of oil every time before you use it. Allow the pan to cool naturally after it's been heated. Don't run your pan under cold water while it's hot, or vice versa. Sudden temperature changes can cause nonstick cookware to warp, preventing heat from evenly distributing in the future. Hang your pans to store them, if possible, with decent space in between. If you must stack them, do so away from hard corners and sharp objects. Put a paper towel in between your pan and other cookware. Padding your pan with a paper towel will help you to take the pan out without scraping it against other cookware.
Summary: Season your pan with oil. Don't subject your pan to sudden temperature changes. Store your pan with care.