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des-ic-cate

verb :: To dry up; to deprive or exhaust of moisture; to preserve by drying.

"Climate changes and/or overgrazing around 8000 BC began to desiccate the pastoral lands of Egypt."

Here is an exercise to help you practice your visualizations.

Visualize each person that you interacted with today. Focus on each person individually and try to form a clear picture of him or her in your mind. Some things to pay attention to: hair, eyes, height, weight, age, clothing, and mannerisms. If this is your first time visualizing people, you will probably find that faces are difficult to reproduce accurately, but you will get better with practice.

There are two types of Absentmindedness.

1. Forgetting something that you did. "Where did I put my keys?"
2. Forgetting whether you did something at all. "Did I return the book to the library?"

If you find that you frequently forget something that you did (like where you put your keys), you could try to build a habit around that activity. For example you could install a hook or place a dish near the door where you always put your keys. If you get into the habit of doing this then you will always know where your keys are.

If you often forget whether you did something, you should pay more attention to yourself as you do certain activities. One way to do this is to speak your actions out loud: "I am returning the book to the library." Another way is to look around and notice something that you never noticed before. Maybe there is a pretty flower next to the library return slot, or maybe the handle has a rust spot on it. Noticing something about the activity will give your mind something to remember.

Try to remember some times in the past when you were totally relaxed. Maybe it was a recent vacation or a nice sunny weekend. What do these situations all have in common that might contribute to you being in a calm state? While you may have your own unique requirements, there are four common conditions that most people find contribute to calmness.

Physical Comfort
Pay attention to how your body feels and try to make it as comfortable as possible. Is your clothing comfortable? Is the temperature ok? Is your chair comfortable? Try to make changes to your environment to make yourself as comfortable as possible.

Fresh Air
Getting fresh air is a very important condition for calmness. This is one reason why the mountains or the beach are more relaxing than the city. Try opening a window to get a little fresh air.

Silence
People always try to find a quiet place to relax. As you go through your day, you are bombarded with noises. Traffic, people talking, babies crying, electronic equipment, radios and televisions all contribute to the noise pollution that can cause unnecessary stress. Eliminating noise from your daily life can help make you a calmer person. One way to do this is with noise canceling headphones or earplugs.

Stimulants
Caffeine, nicotine, sugar and other drugs all act as stimulants on the human body. You will never be able to fully relax if you are charged up with sugar and caffeine. Try switching to water, herbal tea or a diet caffeine-free soda.