When you’re stressed, you may find it harder to get to sleep at night. If you haven’t had enough sleep, you could find that you’re more prone to stress during the day. The result can be a vicious cycle.
Both chronic stress and repeated lack of sleep can be terrible for our health. You could be putting yourself at an increased risk of heart disease, strokes and cancer. This is why it’s so important to break the cycle.
Below are just a few ways in which you can reduce stress and get more sleep.
Don’t burn the candle at both ends
To stay healthy, the average person needs a minimum of about seven hours of sleep per night. If you have to get up at 6am, this means that you should ideally be getting to sleep no later than 11pm.
If you’re staying up late and getting up early, you won’t be getting a good night’s sleep and your body will respond by pumping your body full of cortisol (the stress hormone) in order to stay alert. While going to bed earlier may not be fun, it could be essential for breaking the cycle.
Consider your sleep quality
Sleep quality also matters. While you may be going to bed early, you may not be getting your minimum of seven hours sleep per night if you’re constantly waking up in the night.
Consider what is interrupting your sleep and how you may be able to solve this. Solutions could involve drinking less water in the evening if you keep going to the toilet or buying a new mattress if you can’t get comfortable. Not all interruptions are easily preventable (e.g. young infants waking you up) but there may still be ways of making them less frequent (e.g. sharing night feeds with a partner).
Find ways to destress before bed
A lot of people struggle with insomnia - the inability to get to sleep. There are lots of things that can cause this such as looking at too many bright screens at night or consuming too much caffeine, however stress is one of the most common causes of insomnia.
By partaking in stress busting activities before bed, you may be able to more easily get to sleep. This could include having a hot bath, listening to music or meditating. Exercise can be a stressbuster for many people, but should be avoided before bed as it could pump you full of adrenaline, making you more alert.
Many herbal ingredients can have de-stressing properties and could be worth trying. A lot of people find that CBD relieves stress for them - you could consider buying a black vapor pen and inhaling some CBD before bed. Herbal teas such as peppermint, chamomile and valerian can also be used to combat stress.
Avoid a stressful morning routine
After a good night’s sleep, it’s important that you don’t undo it all by creating a stressful morning routine for yourself. Morning stress can often be the result of not giving yourself enough time - if you’re rushing around and panicking, you’ll get stressed.
Allow yourself the option of a more leisurely morning by giving yourself two hours instead of one hour to get ready. This does mean getting up earlier (and possibly going to sleep earlier to ensure that you’re getting your seven hours sleep), however it could be the cure to stress.
*contributed post*
There is no denying that the last twelve months have been difficult for all businesses. Sure there have been some that have managed to thrive in the pandemic, but others have had to simply survive. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel and that could mean that things are going to get back to normal for your business. But what do you need to think about to get back to business normal? Here are some suggestions.
Image source - pixabay - cco license
Make sure your business is clean
One of the first things you can do is ensure that your business is clean when it comes to allowing people back in. Whether that is staff members or when you can eventually have members of the public back if you are a customer facing business. This is when you may want to think about covid cleaning services to ensure that you get this right. It can give you assurance on what is needed and also help you to get back to business as normal as you can.
Make it covid safe and secure
Another thing you might have to consider is putting different processes and things in place to ensure your business is covid safe and secure. This might mean simple things like signs encouraging people to wear masks. Having hand sanitizing stations upon entry and exit to help people stay safe and also screens and protectors for your working environment to protect staff members and yourself. The more you do to make things safe and secure, the better things will be when you can reopen.
Work from home where possible
Of course, there is no denying that the safest way to operate your business is from home right now. Staying safe and at home means that you are less likely to promote the spread of the virus. So if you can, you could look at ways to encourage remote working by investing in new software or communication systems to make it easier for you to keep on going. Or at the very least, have part of your working staff at home.
Diversify your business
A great way to carry on when it comes to your business is to ensure that you diversify in any way that you can. This might mean looking at changing the way you operate when it comes to the services you provide. It could be looking at different products or how you can supply your products in a different way. Diversifying your business can help you to move forward even when there are obstacles in the way.
Set goals for the year ahead
Finally, don’t be afraid when it comes to your business you should be setting goals for the year ahead. This pandemic will pass and as a business owner you should want to try and capitalise on that the moment you can do it. The more you focus on setting goals and moving forward the better position you will be in moving forward. One other thing you could do is to get a project team to come up with some ways to help further the business or expand into different areas. You will need people you can trust, outside of the box ideas, a sprint name generator and some funds to execute the plans.
Let’s hope these suggestions help you to get back after the pandemic.
As I also shared, this has been an unexpected and devastating blow to our mom who has already suffered so much and will also cost a significant amount of money that is truly staggering. She has also been advised that this should be done immediately for the sake of health reasons and the amount of mold.
We understand that there are so many people suffering and in the midst of this start to the new year we appreciate your kindness in joining with us to help her. Please don't stop sharing now as we are getting closer to our goal!!
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Social media has well and truly taken off over the past few years. It is now viewed as a major advertising tool, platform for news and information, customer service avenue, and much, much more. No matter what industry you operate in, it is a big mistake to ignore social media and what it has to offer. This is the reason why we are going to take a look at the influence social media has had on the health care industry in further detail.
Some Interesting Facts
Let’s begin by taking a look at some interesting facts, which really help to illustrate how popular and influential social media is at present.
On average, physicians spend three hours every week watching online videos for professional reasons.
Facebook is reported as the fourth most popular source of health information.
Physicians spend double the amount of time on the web compared to print when making clinical decisions.
Information for Patients
You would be shocked to discover the number of people that look on social media platforms for health advice. More than 70 per cent of patients look for information online before they visit a doctor. Many people exchange their medical experiences on their social media accounts and this offers a way for patients to engage with each other, as well as professionals in the industry. Research from Nortec HER indicates that every six in ten people turn towards social media if they have a health-related issue, whilst 15 per cent of people use social media when they want to share information about medical issues. Twitter is a platform that offers a great outlet for putting out breaking news stories relating to the health industry, whereas people often use Facebook to ask their friends for advice, whether it is about live-in care or a specific health concern.
Recruiting Talent
A lot of businesses and recruitment agencies are using social media channels as an effective way of recruiting staff. This includes direct advertising through professional networking websites, such as LinkedIn, as well as indirect advertising, i.e. linking to a blog via Twitter or a focused website through Facebook.
Customer Feedback
One of the key reasons why social media has proved to be such a great tool for the health care industry is because it is a platform that encourages feedback. Whether you run a GP surgery, a fitness business, an international health insurance company, or something different, social media provides a way for you to see what your customers are saying. This ensures that your business has a thorough understanding of existing pain points, as well as any unique requirements from your clients.
Brand Management
A lot of companies nowadays use the feedback that is provided via social media to monitor and manage the performance of their brand. This is something that is yet to dominate in the health care industry, yet it is likely to be the case. Health businesses will be able to keep a track of what their customers are talking about in order to improve their offering and their brand identity.
Romance isn't only about showering your partner with gifts on special occasions. A healthy relationship should make you and your partner feel happy and satisfied. However, some tendencies can make the right connection turn for the worse. They include the following:
Looking Through Your Partner's Call History or Emails
It is normal to get curious about who your better half is calling, texting, or emailing, mostly if they are occasionally glued to their phone. Even if this is the case, it is essential to restrain yourself from giving in to your curiosity.
Accept that getting curious is natural, but ensure that you fight the urge to go through your partners, text messages, and call logs. If you find yourself giving in to this desire regularly, it might be a relationship red-flag. Furthermore, if your partner were to find out that you were invading their privacy, it would significantly damage the relationship.
Keeping Contact With Exes
Many people are often tempted to be in frequent communication with their exes. Thinking of an ex once in a while, even when you are in a healthy relationship, is expected. However, contacting them frequently is counterproductive and can mean that you are still attached.
You can remove your exes from your social media platforms so that you are not tempted to communicate with them. If it is indispensable, for example, in cases where you share children, ensure that your partner is aware and comfortable with the arrangement.
Keeping Secrets
Although it is better to keep some of your personal information to yourself, keeping certain matters a secret from your partner can ruin the relationship. Ensure that you are open about any issues such as legal concerns you may have, even if it seems like a minor offense, such as a penalty for prescription fraud.
Being discreet about your legal issues will help to maintain trust between yourself and your partner. Furthermore, finding out such sensitive information from other sources could damage the relationship.
Using Work as an Excuse To Avoid Your Partner
Separating Work from home life is becoming increasingly difficult in this digital age. That is why it may be tempting to remain glued on your laptop after having an argument with your better half instead of trying to sort the issue out.
However, this shouldn't be the case. Ensure that you set aside enough time to bond with your partner even on your busiest days.
Being a Passive Listener
Your partner can always appreciate having someone to talk to, even if it is to summarize their day at work or dishing out the most recent neighborhood gossip. The next time they try to speak to you about a specific topic, take time to listen and respond instead of merely listening. Talk as you go about your other business.
A relationship is a beautiful thing. The least you can do is try to maintain it as well as you can. Avoiding the above mistakes will help to maintain a long and healthy relationship with your partner.
*contributed post*
Clearly, there's no shortage of fantastic cities to visit across the US. Places like New York and Miami spring to mind, not to forget about Las Vegas. While all of these places can create wonderful travel experiences, there's one city that always stands out as a little unique: Los Angeles.
LA is one of the biggest cities in the country, and home to lots of tourists every year. Most people love their experience in this city, but why is it so different from anywhere else? If you could only visit one US city before you die, many will say LA, and here's why:
A truly mesmerizing climate
The climate in LA is bizarre, to say the least. It is often known as only having one season: summer. It's sunny there almost the whole year, with temperatures rarely getting cold enough to warrant wrapping up warm. And yet, they have mountains to the north with snow on them. Yep, you can genuinely go skiing in LA, then spend the rest of your day down on a beach. There aren't many cities in the world - let alone the US - that boast this sort of climate.
The celebrity factor
What do you first think of when Los Angeles pops into your head? That's right, the Hollywood sign and all the celebrities that live there. You will struggle to find another city in the US that boasts such a dense population of celebrities all in one area. What's more, the weird thing is that LA thrives off this. People can look into renting a charter to tour celebrity homes in a bus, going around the city and seeing where the rich and famous live. You really don't get an experience like this anywhere else in the country!
Plus, the constant celebrity presence makes LA such a strange and unique place to be. You can be walking down the street and see swarms of paparazzi flocking to one location. In the next moment, your favorite film star has just got into their fancy car and is driving past you. Also, you can slip in the fact that so many things are filmed here, so you can see loads of cool sets if you're into that sort of thing.
So much cultural diversity
Los Angeles is home to so many different cultures, which affects the offerings it has for tourists. If you visit this city, you'll be treated to so many different and vibrant experiences. This is best reflected in the nightlife and the food. LA is a food lover's dream, bringing you cuisines from around the world. It genuinely feels like someone has manufactured this city and just picked up the best food they can find and dumped it all in one place. Ironically, you can experience so many different cultures and learn loads of new things from this American city!
You see, there aren't many places that rival LA in terms of uniqueness. Most other cities are similar - museums, monuments, and a staple cuisine. LA does things differently, which is why it's so popular for travelers.
*contributed post*
If nothing else, 2020 taught us about the importance of resilience. It showed us that events outside of our control could massively disrupt our lives and even put them at risk.
For many of us, this was a wake-up call. We suddenly discovered that things weren’t as certain as we thought they were. Economies could be shut down. Infectious diseases could kill people that we know. Politics could change. It tested our resilience like nothing else before it.
Resilience and wellness are actually quite closely linked to each other. It’s difficult to have one without the other. Feeling stressed and panicked all the time directly impacts wellness by increasing the levels of stress hormones in the body. And wellness affects your capacity to be resilient. If you feel sick or tired all the time, it makes it harder to face the challenges of life.
In this post, we take a look at some of the resilience strategies you can use for maximum wellness - both mental and physical. Many of these techniques are things that you can do right now to improve your situation and prepare yourself for when the world finally reopens.
Start Believing In Your Abilities
It can be challenging to believe in your abilities in a world like ours. There are a lot of extraordinarily talented people already out there. And everyone has a different perspective on what constitutes “talent,” meaning that they will evaluate you in different ways. Some people will love what you do, while others won’t. You can’t please them all.
Understanding this basic reality of life can help improve your resilience greatly. Your target should never be to impress everyone. Instead, it should be to add as much value as you can in your own unique way. Concentrate on improving the things that you can already do well. Don’t slave away trying to fix things that go against the grain.
Be Open To Change
Being open to change is another wellness strategy that can have a massive impact on your resilience levels.
Unfortunately, change is one of life’s great inevitabilities. Things never stay the same forever. People grow up and grow old. The economy shifts in new directions. Philosophies adjust.
Change, therefore, is something that we must learn to accept. If we don’t, we will forever have to battle circumstances outside of our control.
When you think about it deeply, change is actually a good thing, even when it seems bad. If you knew exactly how your life was going to pan out, it wouldn’t be as interesting or “real” to you. Safety, in many ways, is the enemy of authentic experiences. If you had total control, life wouldn’t have the same emotional content. You’d be missing out.
Stay Positive
If you’re feeling a little down after 2020, nobody will blame you. It was a rough year - and the pandemic is still rumbling on.
However, it is important to put all the events in your life into context. They seem like they matter a great deal right now, but will they still cause the same consternation in five years? Probably not.
Staying positive and being optimistic doesn’t mean ignoring problems in your life. Instead, it means understanding that no setback is ever permanent and that you can continue moving forwards.
Being optimistic also involves enjoying your life right now instead of continually chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It’s about being kind to yourself and taking pleasure in the simple things in life whenever you can.
Learn More About Your Health
Supporting your wellness also means learning as much as you possibly can about your health. Without a healthy body, it’s hard to have a healthy mind. The two interact with each other.
If you can, try to learn more about seasonal allergies & symptoms. Finding out what’s causing your flare-ups can have a massive impact on your quality of life.
Also, start tracking your key biomarkers using blood tests and wearable health monitors. These can tell you whether your parameters are going in the right direction or not, and what you can do to improve them.
Remember, all of us are different when it comes to health. Our genetics and environment shape how we age and change as we get older. Once you understand more about your body, you’re in a much better position to engage in the kinds of behaviors that improve your wellbeing.
Be Your Own Coach
We usually think of coaching as something another person does to us. But a lot of people learn to be their own coaches, talking themselves through stressful situations.
Self-talk can be helpful or harmful. For a lot of us, it is the latter. We ruminate about people gossiping about us at work or things our parents said on the weekend.
The trick here is to change the conversation you have with yourself to make it more positive. In many cases, you can overcome challenges and get on the path to success by talking to yourself differently.
For instance, if somebody criticizes your work, you could have a conversation with yourself about how you failed as a person. Or you could just work on improving and resolving the problem. Nothing is stopping you from gaining new skills or learning new things that could help you. You’ve done it before - and you can do it again.
Take A Hike In The Forest
While how much you exercise is important, researchers are also discovering that where you do it matters a great deal too. It turns out that location makes a difference.
Going jogging along city streets is okay, but you expose yourself to a lot of pollution and you might not run through any pleasant or attractive areas.
Researchers have found that running in the woods reduces cortisol levels and actually makes people feel better about their lives. “Forest bathing” is trendy right now because it seems to activate your body’s natural relaxation pathways. It may even help lower blood pressure and deal with mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression.
Create A Goal
When a crisis hits, it can be tempting to throw your hands up in the air and assume that there’s nothing you can do to improve the situation. Resilient people, however, use these events as opportunities to create goals. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves, they try to view the situation objectively and then create objectives that will help them escape it.
So what does this look like on a practical level?
If you find yourself in an overwhelming situation, try brainstorming all the things that you can do right now to improve it. By thinking creatively, you’ll often find that you can lift yourself out of a bad situation and move your life forwards.
Keep Working On Your Skills, No Matter What
With the economy floundering, it can be tempting to put skill building on the backburner. You don’t have as many opportunities as you did before the crisis, so what’s the point?
The truth is that building skills is more important during a crisis than at any other time. That’s because you need to demonstrate the value you can offer. With more people unemployed, the competition for available work is hotting up. More candidates are applying for the same positions compared to when the economy was better.
If you have more time on your hands, try not to waste it. Instead, focus on ways you can improve the skills that you have at the moment so that you’re in a better position to help others when the time comes. Make sure that you continue your education, even if you’re on furlough or not currently working.
Cultivate Your Curiosity
Cultivating your curiosity is another great way to improve your mental health and resilience. The reason it is so effective is that it forces you to focus on the outside world. Being curious is all about getting to know other people and things “out there” better, instead of focusing on yourself.
Cultivating your curiosity could take a variety of forms. You could, for instance, start reading more books or take an online course. Or you might try joining different groups and societies interested in diverse topics. Whatever is it, you want to make sure that you take part in something new and different from your regular activities. Opening your mind to fresh ideas helps to keep life interesting.
In summary, resilience is a skill that you can build over time, even if your basic character predisposes you to panic and anxiety. The world can be a scary place, but there are multiple techniques that you can use to cope with it better. You don’t have to feel like life is carrying you along on a wave.
Resilient people tend to have confidence in their abilities. They also use past successes as evidence of their capacity to meet future challenges. Once resilience reaches a certain point, life ceases to feel like such a struggle and can even become enjoyable.
