Category Archives: Mental Health

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Awake At Night? The Reasons Stopping Your Slumber

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Getting a decent night’s sleep can be difficult for the best of us. But, getting the amount of shut-eye we need is vital to our productivity the following day. Sleep enables our body to recuperate from the day, to rest our minds and should leave us feeling rejuvenated. But often our sleep can be disrupted. Many of us can wake in the night for one reason or another. So I thought I would explore this and discuss some of the reasons that could be keeping you awake at night.

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Work stress

Being stressed because of work can keep you awake at night. Especially if you can’t get away from work due to emails coming through on smart phones. If you have things going on it can cause you to feel worried and keep work on your mind. This could wake you up all at all hours of the night. Wondering what you are going to do and how you are going to fix the issues. If it keeps happening, maybe the best thing to do would be to speak to a manager in work and explain how you are feeling. Adding tiredness into the mix isn’t going to help.

Financial worry

It has been known that worrying about your finances or debt can be one of the major factors of sleep loss amongst adults today. You may be worrying about how you are going to pay your bills, or pay off outstanding debts. Or maybe something has broken down and you just don’t have the money to fix it. Coming up with long-term solutions is important, but often we lose sleep over the short-term issues and this is when something like 1800CarTitle car loan could you get you out of a tight spot. Perhaps you have lost your job recently or generally your finances have taken a bit of a beating. Unfortunately, staying awake at night is doing you no favours. So instead, focus on your efforts to changing this situation once and for all.

Adrenal fatigue

You may not realise you are suffering from this. But Adrenal fatigue is a condition upon where your adrenal glands become tired. This can be due to a whole host of reasons. There are many symptoms, but the lack of sleep could be one of them. Along with your weight fluctuating, a low sex drive and hair loss. If you are suffering from any of the symptoms, then seek some advice from a medical professional.

Pain

You may be suffering from back or neck pain. Or any pain in your body for that matter. This could be the reason why you are waking up at night. This could be because you can’t get in a comfortable position. There are many preventative things you can do to make things easier. Taking a long relaxing bath before bed could be one of them. Or seeking advice from a pharmacist who may be able to supply some over the counter pain killers.

Depression or Anxiety

Perhaps you are suffering from depression or anxiety. These are other reasons why you could be waking up in the night. When you feel low, you can feel all alone. This can be heightened at 2 am when all you want to do is sleep, like everyone else in the house may be doing.

Whatever may be keeping you up at night, the best thing to do is find the reason and try and solve it as best you can. We all need our sleep.

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5 Ways To Improve Yourself In Your Spare Time

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As people, we love to grow. From childhood, to teenager, to adult, we grow physically, but as humans we love to grow personally. We are a species that pushes the boundaries to learn new things about the world, each other and the way things work. The digital age has rushed upon us and we are making new discoveries all the time thanks to the developments in technology and the web. It makes sense that while we are developing and improving everything from the mattresses we sleep on, to the televisions we watch, that we want to add ourselves into the mix.

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The human potential can often feel limitless and when you know how to push your own boundaries, you can really harness and maximise your own personal growth. Improving yourself doesn’t just mean within business, although it’s a good place to start and build your confidence. Your personal wellbeing and relationships matter, too, and if you are spending time working on your own development, you can become a happier, more secure individual. We’ve put together five ways you can use your personal time to work on yourself and make improvements in your self-esteem.

  • Learn More. When you are working hard in your career, you can often forget your overall goals or pathway to the top. Take the time to enrol on an Online RN to BSN Degree Program. Doing this in your spare time literally adds to your brainpower and can help you develop into other future roles. This type of development can work with your confidence and self-esteem, as well as make you satisfied with your daily life at work.
  • Read More. Different from the above point, literature isn’t just about self-help and learning. Devour a book a month and challenge yourself to new genres. Expanding your horizons can open up so many doors into conversations with new people, and reading is diving into the imagination of someone else. Appreciate it and embrace it while you learn what you love.
  • Talk More. You don’t have to be the most confident person on the planet to learn a language, but learning a language can unlock different cultures and appreciations for other civilisations across the globe. Opening your mind to new experiences with languages is important and it’s a great way to build your confidence talking to new people.
  • Paint More. Look around your home and make a list of all the decorating changes you could make. The inspiration you find from the world around you can be implemented into your home and you can make as many changes as you like, as it’s your space. Let your creativity ooze out around you!
  • Sleep More. One of the biggest things that people forget is to sleep enough. We need at least six hours sleep a night to function well, so teach yourself to sleep and feel your mental health improving.

Self-improvement starts with you and your own desire to push yourself to the max and once you start on that train, you never have to get off!

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A Guide To Creating The Perfect Bucket List

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Have you made your bucket list? The process is simple. Basically, it is a list of everything you want to do before you die. Sounds a little morbid, we know, but as we only have one life to live, the bucket list is a great tool to inspire us to live this life to the fullest. One of the most famous examples is this bucket list created by John Goddard. Sadly, he is no longer with us, but he checked off 109 of his 127 goals. Truly incredible. So what about you?

We can’t tell you what to put on your list. It is entirely dependant on your tastes and lifestyle, so you need to take the time and brainstorm, writing down your ideas on a piece of paper or your computer. Admittedly, it’s difficult to know where to start, so consider the following headings.

New experiences – is there anything you have never done before, but would really like to? This may be playing a particular instrument, taking part in a daredevil activity, or driving a fancy sports car around a race track.

Travel – is there anywhere in the world you would like to visit? From sailing the British Virgin Islands to exploring the Australian outback, think about the places you are desperate to see.

Relationships – for many people, getting married often rates highly on a bucket list, as does having a family and making new friends.

Career – we spend most of our time at work, but this can still feature highly on your list. You may want to progress up the career ladder, make more money, or even change your job and work somewhere that has more meaning to you.

Physical endurance – most of us resolve to spend more time keeping fit at the start of the new year, but your list should be more adventurous. You might want to climb a mountain or take part in a marathon, pushing your endurance to the limits.

Don’t be limited to our examples. As we said, you may have ideas of your own, whether they are big or small in scope. However, making the list is the easy part. Many people’s bucket lists go unfulfilled, for one very simple reason. They aren’t achievable. Items such as ‘going to the moon’ or ‘become a famous movie star’ are possible, but not within most people’s reach. You need to make a list of items you intend to do, rather than a fanciful wish list which is mainly fantasy.  Consider the following:

Be realistic – think big by all means, but choose things you actually intend to do, and not a list of daydreams.

Don’t be vague – writing down items such as ‘getting healthier’ is okay, but it is rather vague. Be specific, and include items of relevance, such as exercise ideas or particular foods you want to try.

List your passions – don’t write down anything because you think you ‘should,’ such as reading every play by Shakespeare or watching the entire directorial works of Ingmar Bergman. You want to be excited by the things on your list, and not be put off from doing them.

Don’t worry if your list changes over time. You can add or take away from it as appropriate. Your life will change, which may mean you won’t be able to do certain things, or you may replace items according to your lifestyle as you get older. It doesn’t matter. The key is ensuring you get to achieve as much as you can over your lifetime, living a life where you can be proud to say “I did that” and be glad about it. The rest of your life begins here. What do you want to do? We wish you every success and happiness.

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Trying To Be Wonder Woman? Here’s Why You Should Be A Wise Woman Instead

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It’s only natural, and you’re definitely not the only one, but as women, we often feel like we have to do it all. Have it all. Experience it all. It’s not just enough to do one thing or be one person. We have to do everything and be everyone. But when you’re trying to do just that, you may find that you’re heading down a slippery slope to burn out. Or, you’ll start to age. Because trying to be Wonder Woman and have it all can make you ill. Instead, you need to start shifting responsibility and ask for help – for the sake of your own sanity. It’s so much smarter that way.

House Chores

So, you’re a mom, an employee, a wife, and also a cleaner. Aren’t you exhausted? Wouldn’t you prefer to drop at least one of those titles? Namely, the cleaner! When you’ve got a full-on schedule, and you’re a busy working mom, you could use house cleaning services to help you breathe a bit easier. And even if you’re house proud and enjoy the cleaning process, just think about the extra time you’ll be able to spend with your kids when you’re not vacuuming and scrubbing. You may even get to take a candle lit bath once or twice too!

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Parenting

Okay, so it’s highly unlikely that you’re going to want to actually hang up your mom uniform, but at the same time, you might want to loosen your leash a little. If you’re at home with your kids 24/7, or even if you’re the primary caregiver, you may need to take a break every now and again. You might not want a full-time nanny, but a babysitter twice a week or one of your own parents taking the kids off of your hands and hour here and there could give you a moment or two to get yourself together.

Work

Work is called work for a reason. And even if you love your job or even run your own company, you might want to think about stepping back or balance things out a little. When you’re a mom, your kids will always come first. You may have loved the long hours once, but now’s the time to commit to your family. So offload some of your workload onto others, cut your hours, or even hire an assistant and give yourself a break.

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Running Errands

If you constantly feel like you’re running errands, you’re not the only one. Sometimes, they can even take up the entirely of your day. And when you’ve got a lot going on, this is the one thing you could often do without. So do without it. Get someone to run your errands for you instead. You’re probably wondering why you didn’t think of this sooner!

Cooking

And then, of course, there’s also cooking. Now, you may love it (you may also hate it), but with everything else you’ve got going on, trying to come up with incredible, tasty, and healthy meals, shop for them ingredients and then cook these delicious dinners is often too much for the modern family. So, go for a home recipe box instead. You get the ingredients, the recipes, and more often than not, everything is super easy to make too!

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Wise Moves To Make Growing Old A Little More Comfortable

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None of us can escape the physical impacts that time will have on our bodies. Frankly, those deteriorations are sure to erect new obstacles and challenges as you get older. While you cannot stop the effects, you can at least reduce their influence on your daily activities.

They say we get wiser as we get older. Prove it once and for all by taking these simple steps to a more comfortable future. You will not regret it.

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Adapt the home: Once you reach retirement age, there’s a good chance that you’ll be spending more time in the home. Even if this isn’t true, bathroom upgrades and other jobs built for your comfort can make a world of difference. In some situations, you may find that relocating to a ground floor apartment is best. Alternatively,y downsizing to an easily managed property could be the answer. The solid foundation of a good home environment truly can set you up for a far brighter future.

Look your best: Growing old will take its toll on your skin and natural features. But this shouldn’t be an excuse to ignore your looks. Adding a little color to your skin with the right makeup can work wonders. A winning smile, natural or otherwise, can have an equally telling impact. Meanwhile, the fashion choices available on the market are far greater than ever before. Looking good makes you feel good no matter how old you get. Do not forget it for a second.

Get the right help: Retaining a sense of independence is high on the agenda. Nonetheless, there is nothing wrong with seeking a helping hand in life. This could range from finding the right hearing aid to gaining financial support. Assistance is often available, but you must take the first steps by actively seeking it. Those little pieces of help could make everyday life a lot less stressful too. After the amount of people you’ve supported throughout your days, it’s the least you deserve.

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SPOKANE, Wash. (Aug. 8, 2008) Rear Adm. James A. Symonds, commander, Navy Region Northwest, visits with a resident of the nursing home care center at Spokane Veterans Administration Hospital. Symonds is in Spokane to celebrate Spokane Navy Week, one of 22 weeks planned across America in 2008. Navy Weeks were designed to show Americans the investment they have made in their Navy and increase awareness in cities that do not have a significant Navy presence. (U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Gary Ward/Released)

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Stay social: Loneliness is a major problem among older citizens, especially when far away from family members. Thankfully, there are plenty of opportunities to meet new people. Whether it’s signing up for local community events, attending bingo events, or connecting online doesn’t matter. Furthermore, it’s never too late to fall in love, which is why you should always remain open to this. Whatever you do, human interaction is a key ingredient in the recipe for health and happiness.

Learn to rest: Taking care of the body and staying active is great. Nonetheless, the body cannot do the things it used to do. Following exhausting days, it’s especially important to get a good night’s sleep. Creating a bedroom fit for royalty should be a key item on your home upgrade list. Meanwhile, getting to bed a little earlier gives your body and mind a chance to wind down. The reward of waking up fresh and ready to take the day ahead will surely vindicate those decisions.

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4 Genius Ways You Can Relax At Home

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Relaxation is something everyone can do with now and then. Our society seems to be built around stress, stress, and more stress. The cost of living is on the up, meaning we have to stress about having enough money to survive. There are terrorist attacks and tragedies every month, which causes us to stress about our safety. And we have the normal stressors in life such as children, education, work, weight, health – the list goes on and on.

To put it simply, the more time we have to relax, the better. One of the best and most effective ways of relaxing is getting a nice deep tissue massage. Alternatively, you can visit a spa and spend the day having a detox to cleanse your spirit. Unfortunately, you can’t do either of these things every day. Some people can’t even afford to do them ever, so there needs to be other options.

Have no fear, there are a lot of ways you can relax, and most of these things can be done without leaving your home. So, if you’ve had a stressful day, or you just have some free time and want to de-stress, here are a few genius ideas you can steal:

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Gaze At The Stars

This is a wonderful way of relaxing at home, and there are many ways you can go about it. If the weather is nice, you can sit outside or lie on a mat and gaze up at the stars from your garden. In fact, if you have a sunlounger or deck chair, then that’s even better. Doing this is so effective because you can lose yourself in the sky. You get to stare at all the stars and see them twinkling. It gets your mind racing as you think about what else could be out there or you attempt to draw things with the stars. Factor in the fresh air filling your lungs and all your stress seems to fade away.

This is the best way of doing it, but you do have two other options. The first is to get a telescope so you can look at the stars from inside. This is really fun as you can try and identify certain stars or planets, and you get a better view of everything. The second alternative is to get a virtual reality space game or app. I think there’s one on the Google Play store for Android devices, it basically gives you a tour of space, but you feel like you’re there because it’s virtual reality.

I don’t know why, but the stars and space are just a very relaxing thing to think about. Maybe it’s because we concern ourselves with things that are millions and billions of light years away from our own problems on earth.

(Picture from: http://bit.ly/2fp3AiJ)

Chill Out In A Bean Bag Chair

Relaxation is all about letting all tension leave your body and just getting comfortable. You want to be able to sit down, stretch out, and hear a huge sigh leave your body. Some people have a favorite armchair that they sit in to relax, but I find conventional chairs and sofas to be a bit hit and miss. Instead, you should get your hands on a bean bag chair. If you visit Fombag online, you’ll see a huge range of bean bag chairs that are filled with foam. This type of chair is ideal for relaxing in, as you get maximum comfort levels. With bean bags, you pretty much just sink into the chair and become part of it. You melt down into the bag, and it’s incredibly relaxing.

Get yourself a bean bag, and just sit in it while listening to music, reading a book, or watching TV. The effect will be instantaneous. The only bad thing is that you might struggle to get back up because you’ve relaxed so much your body now feels part of the chair.  

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Take A Long Bath

Don’t worry if you can’t make it to a spa, you can give yourself some spa treatments in your bathroom. One of my favorite ways of relaxing is running a nice hot bath. Sometimes, I drop in a bath bomb, so it smells and looks really nice. Then, I turn the lights off and have my bath in candlelight. Bring in a radio or some speakers, and you can listen to some relaxing music as well.

The warmth of the water helps with circulation and can soothe any tight spots in your body that have built up through tension. It’s a good way to help relax your muscles and get yourself ready for a long night’s sleep. If I could, I’d do this every night before bed. Those of you without children should do this as often as possible before it becomes hard to do regularly!

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Stretch Every Morning And Evening

Staying on the topic of relaxed muscles, tight ones can be a source of stress for everyone. When your muscles become tight and knotted, they develop trigger points that cause pain and soreness. It means you wake up every morning with a stiff back or neck, and this soreness stays with you throughout the day.

Getting into the habit of stretching can help you get rid of a lot of tension in your body, and relax a lot more. My advice is to find a stretching routine online and do it every morning and evening. It will be the perfect way to start the day by getting your body moving and loosening up all your tight points. Then, a stretching session in the evening can relax your muscles and get you ready for bed. It doesn’t have to be a long routine, I say five minutes minimum and maybe thirty minutes max.

As you can see, there are plenty of genius ways you can relax at home. The best thing about all these ideas is that they’re easy to fit into your routine. Everyone can find a spare ten minutes or so to relax in a bean bag chair or do some stretches. We’ve all got time for a bath once or twice a week, and you can stare at the stars whenever you like. Give everything a try, and you can relax more and see so many health benefits as a result.

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Reduce Your Road Rage

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We all have moments while driving that irritate us, no matter how good we think our driving is. It might be something that another driver does, the feelings of irritation we feel when we encounter roadworks, or just the simple fact of having a bad day coupled with negotiating busy roads. While we might all know in practice that cool heads should prevail when we’re behind the wheel, in practice, that’s not always the case.

If you find your irritation with other road users to be a frequent occurrence, then there’s a chance you’re suffering from road rage. While not a diagnosable medical condition, road rage is nevertheless a mental state that has the propensity to cause serious harm– to you, and other road users. Given that safety should be your number one priority every time you drive, it’s worrying to consider that road rage may make you less safe– so it’s definitely a topic worth diving further into.

Below, let’s explore some of the most common questions people have about road rage– and how you can manage yours, to ensure an extra layer of safety when you’re behind the wheel.

What Is Road Rage?

Road rage is a feeling of anger or frustration when driving. It is often explosive, resulting in serious altercations between motorists. There have even been murders attributed to road rage.

Road rage can be a chronic problem, which occurs every time you enter your car. Or it might be acute, only happening occasionally. Both are problematic, though there is a particular urgency to seek assistance if you have a chronic problem. Not only does road rage endanger you on the road, but constant exposure to stress could cause you real health problems in the future.

Why Does Road Rage Happen?

There are two possible reasons:

  1. The need for control that many people experience while driving can lead to road rage if something unexpected happens. People feel they have been threatened by another driver’s behavior and react disproportionately to the stimulus.
  2. Road rage is also a manifestation of fear when driving. For example, drivers get angry with cyclists, but it’s more from fear of causing harm than irritation.

Who Does Road Rage Happen To?

Anyone. Road rage is often seen as a male problem, but there are plenty of cases of female drivers engaging in typical road rage behaviors. Even if you’re the most placid person in the world, there’s still a chance you could succumb to road rage once behind the wheel.

What Situations Are Likely To Cause Road Rage?

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Roadworks are a major irritant for any driver, which can potentially put you in a bad enough mood to experience road rage. If roadworks tend to set your teeth on edge and make you drive more aggressively, then it’s worth going to the effort to modify your route until the work is complete.

The majority of road rage incidents involve the behavior of another driver. If you’re already in a bad mood — due to roadworks or just having a bad day — then another driver making an error can send you into a frenzy of annoyance. Being cut off, overtaken, or someone driving aggressively can be enough to make you see red. Other drivers ignoring stop signs or properly observing who has the right of way can also be triggered. Often, the event that causes the anger is relatively small, but is blown up out of proportion due to your existing irritation.

Sometimes, road rage doesn’t really have a cause; it’s just a driver in a bad mood, looking for somewhere to vent their frustrations. Driving when you’re in a bad mood is generally a terrible idea.

Why Is Road Rage Such A Bad Thing?

Being annoyed at something that happens while out on the roads is understandable, to an extent. If someone cuts you off or behaves in a way that you otherwise see as problematic, then your temper flaring may seem like a reasonable response to such a scenario.

However, there’s a huge problem lurking beneath this oh-so-justifiable response: the angrier we are, the less likely we are to pay attention to the road ahead. If you get distracted by swearing at another driver, then that means some of your attention is diverted from the road. All it takes is for your road rage to intersect with another driver not paying attention, and disaster happens. You could find yourself in need of a car accident lawyer to help unpick who is at fault for the damage of the resulting crash– because you were too distracted by anger to take evasive action regarding the other driver’s negligence. Road rage is literally that serious; if you fall victim to it often enough, then you’re going to increase your odds of being involved in a collision– endangering yourself and other road users.

How Do You Cure Road Rage?

There is no possible technique that can cure road rage instantly; the process of recovery tends to be more of a work in progress. If you want to try and manage your road rage yourself, then you’re going to need to investigate common anger management techniques and try to apply them to your own experience behind the wheel.

It’s also important to note that a lot of road rage is more a response to fear, rather than actual anger. If you feel uncomfortable while driving, or are not 100 percent sure of your skills, then these are issues you need to investigate. It might even be worth taking a few advanced driving lessons, which can help bolster your confidence and thus reduce your fear experiences while driving. This, in turn, should make you less likely to lose your temper in future– confidence and calmness have a tendency to go hand-in-hand.

If you ever experience road rage, then learning how to cope with the condition is vital. The angrier you get, the more likely it is that your frayed temper will be the cause of an accident. Acknowledging you have an issue with anger while driving is the first step that will eventually lead to a more careful, safer you.

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A Bitter Pill: The Effects Of Giving Your Children Tablets & Smartphones

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It’s a common part of society now, everyone has their smartphone glued to their hands, and people would rather flick of their finger back and forth on a small screen rather than engage the person next to them in conversation. But the biggest place where it’s having an impact is at home with your family, and, more specifically, your children. A lot of young children are already addicted to tablets. And it seems that by the age of two, most children already know how to use a smartphone or a tablet, so is this a little premature? But also what are the negative effects of your child having a smartphone or a tablet at such a young age?

 

It Becomes Their First Addiction

As we all know, it’s very difficult for us to put down or smartphone for any lengthy period of time anymore. Think about this in terms of an infant, where between the ages of 0 and 2 years old, their brain will triple in size. And if their brain space is taken up by an allegiance to this electronic device, not only do they become addicted to it, but it also doesn’t teach them how to control their impulses or to even challenge themselves, both of which are traits of an addictive personality.

 

Your Relationship With Your Child Can Be Fractured

If the tablet becomes their priority, this gets in the way of any young child developing proper personal bonds, which means they will struggle to utilize their emotions, and they will struggle to form bonds with other people down the years. In addition to this, any time you take away their tablet or smartphone, it will result in temper tantrums, which aren’t pleasant to deal with. We tend to think that we are keeping them quiet for 5 minutes by giving them a tablet. However this kind of behavior will self-perpetuate itself, and you may find that you have got into a desperate cycle of pacifying your child with a tablet for an excessive amount of time.

 

The Health And Safety Concerns

It has been widely spoken off that if you go to bed with your smartphone, it will suppress your melatonin, known as the sleep hormone, and therefore it becomes a struggle to have and maintain good quality sleep. Couple this with the all too real concern of mobile phones and tablets catching fire, this is something for every parent to be concerned about. If, heaven forbid, your child fell asleep with their tablet under their pillow, and it caught fire that would be a terrible thing to endure as a parent. There may be some sense of redemption in hiring accident lawyers to fight for a product liability claim, but this would be low on your list of priorities if your child were severely hurt by their tablet. We all think nothing of plugging in our phones to charge at night, but this is the time when you are most at risk.

 

It’s Incredibly Distracting

Children growing up with a smartphone are being distracted in many ways. It is argued that these devices can have an impact on the hands on approach to completing tasks. So, for children in school who are solely relying on their tablet or smartphone, their sensorimotor or visual motor skills may be very underdeveloped. By being distracted by their phones, there’s a high chance that they are not being as creative or imaginative as the average child used to be. In fact, with the wealth of information at your fingertips now, it means that there is less engaging with the brain, and the ability to recall information is not used as much as it used to. A good example is that instead of trying to remember a fact for the purposes of debate, they can simply look up the information. This can be argued as a good thing in one respect, but on the other side of the equation, this means that everyone, not just children, are not using their brain the way it was meant to be used.

 

It’s Stopping Interaction

This is all too obvious to everyone, but if we as adults are not interacting with people more, how is this affecting our children? And if you think back to the playground in school, you actually played; you didn’t sit in the corner on your phone. This lack of interaction and engagement with other people is showing in the increase in obesity in our children, but it’s also a critical signpost of how future generations may be ill-equipped to deal with basic human emotional processes.

 

You may have already given your children that smartphone or tablet, but with these, and many other dangerous symptoms of being glued to a screen, it’s time to take them back. It is, indeed, a bitter pill to swallow.

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How To Get The Most Out Of Life

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Pixabay Image Source: Looking off into the distance

 

If you realise you want to make the most out of your life – it’s about time! Your life is whatever you make it, and the possibilities are endless. The first thing you need to do is figure out what you want to accomplish. What are your hopes and desires? Remember that there is no right or wrong answer, and if you don’t know – that’s fine too. It just means your journey will be even more exciting because you have no idea where you may end up!

Whatever it is you end up doing, here are all the tips you need to remember, to help you get exactly what you want out of life.

 

No one is any better than you.

That person you see as being inferior to you? They’re not; they’re just another simple human being surviving in this world. Their brain isn’t any different to yours, nor their heart, or their blood. They have not been blessed with a set of skills that you’re incapable of developing, nor do they deserve anything more than you do.

Remember this; you can’t lose until you quit… So just don’t quit.

 

Creativity wins every time.

Albert Einstein said it first – “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” and indeed it is. The most magnificent minds weren’t full of facts, but creativity instead. Anyone can be factful nowadays (thanks, Google), so don’t waste your time on the little things when you could be building up your creativity. That on the other hand, is something that not everybody has, so if you have it – be ready to rise above and use it to your advantage.

 

The rules are meant to be broken.

Let’s put it this way, if you stick by all of the rules that are set, you’ll end up missing out on a whole bunch of fun. Sure, rules have been put in place for a reason, but why should you follow them without questioning their validity first? Don’t ever be put down or put off for questioning things. It shows strength and curiosity, and that’s what everyone needs within their lives. How else are you going to learn?

 

Don’t be scared to ask for help.

Whether you’re battling an inner demon, or can’t manage your thoughts and feelings – ask for help. People get it into their heads that doing so is a sign of weakness – but it isn’t at all. There are plenty of ways you can get the help you need, click here for more information. The most important thing to remember is that you’re human, and if you’re struggling, just ask.

 

Slow down and enjoy.

Why is everyone always in a hurry? Before you know it, you’ll be ninety years old and wishing that you looked at the trees properly, counting every leaf it owned.

Speeding down the road in your car to knock two minutes off your journey time really won’t make any difference. Neither will pushing in line at the grocery store. – Take time out to see all the beautiful things in this world! Who knows how long they’ll last for, so take a chill pill.

 

Regret nothing.

Go all out and never regret a thing. Talk to that person you can’t take your eyes off at work. Quit the job you hate and try something new. Decide to be an artist for a year. Travel around the world alone. Get up on stage and sing Whitney Houston like you know you can. – Whatever it may be, go out and enjoy. Who cares if you fail miserably – it was fun while it lasted. Now onto the next.

 

Upset about something? Do something about it.

If something is eating you up inside, do something to make a difference. It’s no good whining about it on social media – you need to get out and take a stand. Join a movement that you’re passionate about, or create a website, or a vlog about the issue and what you’re trying to do. If you’re not willing to make the effort, stop complaining.

 

Be grateful for what you already have.

It’s very easy sometimes to forget how lucky you actually are. The biggest thing being – you’re breathing. Sure, we all look around us and compare our lives to one another, but what advantage actually comes out of that? Be grateful for what you have, and cherish it, because you don’t know how long you’ll have it for. If you’re thankful for your family, or the relationships you have within your life, it doesn’t hurt to be vocal and tell them. It will surely come to them as a surprise to hear, and it will mean an awful lot.

 

Stay true to yourself.

One of the most important things, and also one of the hardest, is to stay true to yourself. This means owning who you are, and not being ashamed, embarrassed or scared to reveal your true self. You’re amazing, and people are lucky if they get to know you even a little, so never feel as though you can’t be yourself. Some people are rude and arrogant, and they aren’t trying to hide themselves away from the world, so why should you?

 

Less thinking, more doing.

Who cares what people are going to think of you. The ‘what if’ words are the most harmful thing you can say to yourself, because it has the potential to hold you back from the things you want to do in your life. What. If. You took too long stressing about it, and now the opportunity that was once right in front of you, is gone forever? You’ll be so disappointed that you didn’t just take the leap. You don’t want to spend your life being stuck in a state of limbo. So when making a decision, get the essential information you need, and then just go for it. Swap out what if to why not. That’s a damn lot more exciting.

Image Source: New Life – chapter two, typewriter

 

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Identifying And Coping With Hearing Loss

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Hearing loss has a way of sneaking up on you. While it’s something that we traditionally write off as an inevitable part of aging, there are numerous causes of hearing loss although many are degenerative and in many cases we don’t realize the extent of our hearing loss until it’s gotten pretty bad. If you find yourself asking people to repeat themselves over and over again. If people accuse you of not listening to them or you have trouble realizing that people are talking to you half way through a conversation then these can be telling signs that you have hearing loss that you may not even be fully aware of.

 

Hearing loss can be a cause of embarrassment and anxiety to sufferers that is only exacerbated when it is left ignored and untreated. As people get more impatient with having to repeat themselves and the world around them feels more remote and alienating, sufferers of hearing loss can find themselves suffering severely damaging psychological effects. Here we’ll look at spotting the signs of hearing loss, the psychological and emotional impact that sufferers may undergo and the importance of identifying the cause and the effects that it may have on treatment as well as how people with hearing loss can help themselves and others around them better understand their condition.

 

Spotting the signs

 

Hearing loss in adults doesn’t just happen overnight. It often takes place over a period of years in increments so small that sufferers don’t even notice it day by day. While we may associate hearing loss with advanced age, it can be experienced at virtually any age, regardless of our general health and fitness. If you notice any of the following occurring on a daily basis then there’s a good chance that you’re experiencing hearing loss.

 

  • You struggle to hear people talking to you on the phone
  • You frequently feel that others are mumbling and often need them to repeat themselves
  • You struggle to be part of conversations in busy places like malls, cafes, bars and restaurants.
  • Your partner and friends accuse you of not listening.
  • Your family often says that you have the TV or radio on too loud.
  • You can’t tell where sound is coming from.
  • Conversations require a great deal of conversations and become exhausting.

Image by Pixabay

 

The psychological effects of hearing loss

 

The psychological impact of gradual hearing loss cannot be underestimated. It can alienate you from your partner and friends and leave you feeling isolated. It can cause people to become frustrated and irritated with you, negatively impacting your self-esteem. Moreover, coming to the realization that you are in fact losing your hearing is a genuine bereavement that requires emotional and psychological adjustment. As with any loss you can expect to feel anger, resentment and you may well be in denial of the existence or extent of your hearing loss. Once you’ve come to accept it as a reality of your life, however, you must not suffer in silence but seek help in identifying the cause of your hearing loss as this will be the first step to treating it.

Image by Flickr

 

Identifying the cause

 

Hearing loss can have a seriously detrimental effect on not only your ability to live your day to day life but on your mental health if left untreated. Thus, it’s important to seek the advice of an audiologist to correctly identify the cause of your hearing loss. In some cases it may even be something that can be reversed. Most common cases of hearing loss are attributed to either nerve damage (sensorineural hearing loss) or obstructions in the ear canal (conductive hearing loss). Many cases of hearing loss can be reversed by removing waxy buildup in the ear or removing lodged foreign objects from the ear canal. Likewise infections or pus buildup in the ear canal can be treated with an antibiotic. Some obstructions, however like perforation of the eardrums or Otosclerosis (an abnormal bone growth in the middle ear) cannot be reversed. Hearing loss caused by nerve damage, however, has a more diverse range of causes. It can be caused by aging, regular exposure to loud noises, viral infections, hereditary conditions like Meniere’s disease (which also affects your balance) and even lifestyle related conditions like obesity or excessive smoking can cause sensorineural hearing loss.This kind of hearing loss requires more comprehensive treatment that will likely remain with you for the rest of your life.

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Treatment and tech

 

An audiologist will likely want to prescribe you a hearing aid. There was a time when hearing aids were ugly, bulky inefficient things but the advent of digital technology has made hearing aids much more discreet and effective. Whether you opt for a hearing aid that clips behind the ear or one that sits discreetly in the ear canal, most digital hearing aids are hard to detect, though it’s important to note that hearing aids require a period of adjustment. When you first start wearing a hearing aid you’ll likely experience a tinny buzzing in your ears. Over time your brain (which has gotten used to compensating for your hearing loss) will start to recognize these vibrations as sounds and adjust to the hearing aid over a period of weeks. It’s important to allow yourself this period of adjustment and stick with your hearing aids as frustrating as the transitional period may be. If your hearing loss makes phone conversations difficult the good news is that there are many phones for the hearing impaired available. They have hardware and software built-in that can not only elevate the volume but clarify speech by reducing background noise and even slow down talk speed to make speech easier to understand.

 

Openness and honesty

 

When you hearing loss has been diagnosed it’s important to take ownership of it and not to feel embarrassed. Being open and honest about it with friends and family will prevent them from getting impatient and irritated with you when they have to repeat themselves. They’ll also know that your hearing loss is outside of your control and that you’re not deliberately ignoring them.

Those around you can help by being patient and trying to speak more slowly and clearly in your presence.

 

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