What Are The Best Ways To Practise Self-Care?

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What Are The Best Ways To Practise Self-Care? 

Self-care offers many benefits, making it important to prioritize. Indeed, it helps to improve your physical health while reducing stress and the risks of developing anxiety and depression. What's more, it boosts your confidence and self-esteem, leading to happier relationships and increased daily productivity. It's no wonder that WHO considers self-care as an effective aspect of national health systems. Here are some helpful ways you can prioritize self-care. 

1. Prioritize exercise 

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An inexpensive yet effective way to practice self-care is to exercise daily. Regular exercise comes with many perks that improve your life significantly. It triggers changes in the brain parts that regulate anxiety and stress, for starters. Besides, it boosts the production of endorphins that induces positive feelings while increasing your brain's sensitivity to norepinephrine and serotonin, which combats depression. Furthermore, it increases your energy levels, tones your muscles, and aids weight loss. That said, you'd want to include working out in your daily routine if you haven't already. 

Fortunately, several workouts are specifically designed to address certain areas, so keep this in mind. For instance, exercises like walking, gardening, dancing, pilates, and circuit training effectively reduce stress. Likewise, push-ups, lunges, sit-ups, arm raises, etc., are effective at toning your muscles. As a tip, choose the activities that you're comfortable with to prevent working out from becoming a chore. You can also get a workout partner to make the experience more enjoyable. 

2. Don’t skip sleep 

Sleep is a crucial aspect of daily life that helps your mind and body recharge. This leaves you feeling refreshed and mentally alert for the day. Besides, people who have enough sleep are less prone to illnesses and chronic diseases and can maintain a healthy weight. What's more, good sleep helps you make better decisions, as your mind is more active. Therefore, you might be doing yourself more harm if you haven't been sleeping well. The CDC recommends that adults sleep for at least seven hours nightly. 

Fortunately, you can take practical steps to ensure that you don't skip sleep. For instance, it's best to avoid consuming caffeine late in the day, as it can stimulate your nervous system, preventing your body from relaxing. You also want to avoid taking long daytime naps if it constantly messes with your night sleep. As a tip, prepare your room by decluttering and reducing noise. By all means, avoid using your smart devices before sleeping, as they emit blue light that prevents you from falling asleep. 

3. Go for regular check-ups

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Your health is paramount, and going for regular check-ups is a sure way of ensuring your wellbeing. Regular check-ups help you detect and treat potentially life-threatening diseases earlier. Moreover, it limits complication risks by constantly monitoring existing conditions, increasing your lifespan ultimately. Routine check-ups depend on your age; people aged 19-21 can go once every two to three years, while those aged 22-64 can go once every one to three years. Adults aged 65 and above can go once annually for the best results. Therefore, it's best to consult with your OBGYN and other health providers to create a suitable check-up routine for you. 

Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Marketing

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There are three main options for marketing for any business. You can hire an in-house marketing team, you can make marketing a responsibility of one of your employees, or you can outsource and hire an external agency to help you with yours. Researching your options to figure out what could work for you is the best step to take before you finalize that decision. 

When you choose to outsource your marketing, it’s important to note that you don't have to outsource every single avenue. In fact, if you only wanted to get help with a white label SEO reseller, you can do that. Outsourcing your marketing and giving this part of your business over to someone else isn't always an easy step, especially if you prefer to have control! However, there are some pros and cons to outsourcing your marketing, and we’ve got them all listed for you below.

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1. No more issues with human resources. When you choose to outsource to an agency or a consultant, you don't have them become an employee. In fact, you save yourself a lot of money and grief by not hiring someone permanently at all! Instead, you avoid vacation disputes, sick pay, long term leave and any issues with staff. 

2. You don't have to hire for long. Let’s say you have a particular project due on a certain date for a client. When you choose to outsource your marketing strategy, you aren't obligated to hire that person full time. In fact, you can choose to hire someone just a day or two at a time as you need them. The cost up front is easier, too.

3. You get specialist expertise. You can have a specialist working with you for the particular marketing help you need. If your business needs a specialist, you can find one by simply looking to outsource. 

4. You can closely monitor the agency. Whoever you outsource to, you can monitor them and learn of their history and which clients they have used in the past. If they’re a new company, there may not be enough information, though.

5. A con: you may have less face time. When you have a job to be done, you might worry that you don't get enough face to face time with the agency you hire to get the job done for you. It’s vital that you consider this if you prefer to have some semblance of control over the process.

6. Another con: you don't have someone in the office, too. If you need a heavy job done, then not having someone in the office with you can make it harder to manage the entire process from start to finish.

7. Is it right for you? The last thing to think about is whether you will be in or out of the loop with your marketing agency. You want to be involved in the conversation, adn that can take some time to figure out! Should you outsource? That’s the last decision that you have to make when it comes to your marketing.

Christmas On A Budget: Tips For A Fun And Affordable Holiday

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Giving gifts during the holidays can be stressful, both mentally and financially. I've compiled a list of ideas for spending less money on Christmas this year.

As you get older, your attitude toward the holiday’s shifts. Even though your feelings of happiness and friendliness should remain, your attitude toward gifts should shift.

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It goes from being something you are looking forward to being something you dread doing.

Maybe not, but when you're expected to give as much as you receive, gift-giving takes on a whole new meaning. When you're working with a limited budget, spending a large sum of money on a large number of people can feel like an imposition. It should come as no surprise that so many Americans end the year with credit card debt, unable to pay it off before the next holiday season rolls around.

Christmas shopping, on the other hand, does not have to be expensive. There are a number of strategies that can be used to reduce or eliminate holiday expenditures. All that is required is an openness to new ideas.

Make A Plan

When shoppers fail to plan ahead for Christmas, their spending often exceeds their budgets. Determine your Christmas spending budget, and then make a list of all of your responsibilities, including gifts, travel, and decorations, and stick to it. Add a monetary value to each item, erring on the side of overestimating.

Saving money this year may be difficult, but consider this: it will allow you to get a head start on your debts next year if you spend less this year.

One of the best ways you can create a plan is to read some budgeting tips on frugal living blogs. 

Look Out For Extra Savings 

A long list of gifts to buy? Here are a few favourite ways to look out for savings:

• Look for coupons.

• Join a store's mailing list

• New subscribers usually get an extra 10%-20% savings. Even creating a new email address to receive several discounts.

• Use a rewards card

• Credit card with a cashback offer

• Buy used gift cards

Talk To Your Loved Ones

If you are struggling to make ends meet, Christmas may seem like an imposition. Stress during the holidays may cause people to harbour ill will toward their more prosperous relatives and friends.

Discuss with your loved ones the possibility of skipping the gift exchange or spending less money. You don't have to tell them everything; just enough information to make sense to them is sufficient. Your brother-in-law who has recently become a parent might appreciate a year off from the madness of holiday gift-giving.

Summary

As an adult, purchasing gifts for friends and family members become a chore. Although it's not really enjoyable, coming up with non-traditional gift ideas is.

Remember that there are many different ways to be creative, so continue to think beyond the box.

Do you have any other ideas that could help? Please share some of them in the comments below. 

4 Worthwhile Investment Opportunities for Keen Investors

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If you are a keen investor, this is the blog post! In it, we will be discussing four worthwhile investment opportunities that can generate significant returns. Moreover, these investments are all safe and have minimal risk associated with them. So if you want to make more money in your spare time, keep reading!

 

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The Stock Market

The stock market is an excellent opportunity for investors looking to make money. Although there are risks involved, if you play your cards right and invest in the right companies, these can be minimal. Another great reason investing in stocks can be so lucrative is compound interest. Compound interest means that as your investment starts to generate more returns over time, those returns will also begin to develop their income! In other words, this could mean a lot of money being made from minimal effort on your part.

Real Estate

Real estate is another great investment opportunity. The beauty of investing in property is that there are many different ways to do it. For example, you can invest in a property and let someone else rent it out, or you could become a landlord and take care of the renting yourself. Real estate can be a very lucrative investment, whichever route you decide to go down. In fact, over the past few years, the average return on investment for properties has been around 11%. Not too bad! So even when you don't have cash in hand, consider different Mortgage Quotes to make that investment leap you've always dreamt of.

Cryptocurrencies

If you are not careful about investing in cryptocurrencies, then your capital can be at risk. The price of this type of investment is incredibly volatile, and the market can be easily manipulated by those who know what they're doing! However, if you decide to invest in them, make sure that you only ever put money into something that you would feel comfortable losing. For example, don't sell your house or car to have more funds for cryptocurrency investments! Cryptocurrencies being an emerging asset class, also means a lot of research is required before fully diving into one. So try starting small with someone like Bitcoin before moving on to larger ones such as Ethereum or Ripple.

Commodities Trading

Commodities trading is another excellent opportunity for keen investors to make money. Many different commodities can be traded, but some of the most popular ones are oil, gas, and metals. This type of investment has been around since ancient times! For example, in China, trade routes were established as early as 2000 BC, where goods were exchanged using gold, silver, or silk coins, which would later become known as "hard currency." So if you have any spare time on your hands and want an extra income stream, then these opportunities could work well for you. Remember, though friends don't let friends buy cryptocurrencies without talking with a financial advisor beforehand!

The Stock Market: One of the most popular investment opportunities in the stock market. This involves investing in shares of companies, and over time your investment will grow as the company becomes more successful. The key to making money in stocks is to research before investing; make sure you understand what you are buying into!

Smart Features To Boost Your Home's Exterior

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The exterior of your home matters as much as the interior. It will help sell the home as well as act as a safe haven for you to relax and spend your time. If you feel that you have neglected your garden over the years, then don’t worry. Today, we are sharing the best features to add to your home’s exterior to boost its appeal.

Image by Stanly8853 from Pixabay 

Lights

Lighting up the home will make it more inviting. It will also ward off intruders when you are not in during the evening. 

Furthermore, adding lights to your back garden is a great way to increase the time you spend there. The best solar landscape lights will light up your garden and make the work you’ve put in stand out no matter the time of day. You will be able to show off your garden day and night when the grass and surrounding flowerbeds stand out. You will be able to host a gathering or simply sit and enjoy nature yourself in the evenings. When the evenings draw in the garden will stay alight and enable you to spend as long as possible out there.

Utilize the spare space to produce

Growing your own produce couldn’t be easier if you have spare space in the garden. Even if you have a small flower bed spare, you can grow enough vegetables to feed a small family. There, you can grow your favourite fruit and vegetables. 

Adding a produce patch will encourage you to spend more time in your garden, boost its appeal, and increase the sustainable solutions in your home. Sustainable solutions will make your life more eco-friendly and be great for future buyers. Furthermore, it will also educate you on how to plant, grow, and harvest.

Tidy up the path with stones

A messy pathway will not look attractive to you, guests, or future buyers. The best way to maximize its appearance and your time is to add stones. You won’t need to attend and cut down stones as you would grass. 

Adding stones will make the pathway clear and inviting. It will act as a guideway to enter the house, which will boost its overall appearance. If you align the colour of the stones with the rest of your exterior, it will tie in well and make your home look well kept.

Along with the stones, you could add small flowers. These will brighten the pathway and make it appear more inviting. Faux plants may be ideal for those with little gardening skills or time.

A fresh front door

Your front door is one of the first features that you and your guests see. Thus, refreshing it will make a huge difference. A quick paint refresh will make it look brand new. 

Furthermore, you could add smart features to enhance the modern feel of your home. You could add a smart doorbell that allows you to see who is at the door from your phone. These features will also enhance the safety of your home as you can always keep an eye on your front porch.

The Benefits Of Having Social Media As A Blogger

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Social media helps to keep us all connected in this modern world. However, for those who have careers that are linked in with the online world or perhaps require them to network, social media can be a tool that can offer you more than just casual conversations between friends and family. With that being said, here are the benefits of having social media as a blogger.

7 Health Worries You Shouldn’t Have to Deal With Right Now

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Struggling with one specific health issue every day can seem daunting and overwhelming; you may even feel as though there is no way to escape. There is nothing more debilitating than waking up with a continual symptom, ache or pain that you just don’t know how to get rid of.

When you’re struggling with aspects of your health, life can seem like too much to manage. Try not to enter panic mode right away as this will cause more stress and may even heighten your symptoms to another level. Luckily, there are a number of ways in which you can deal with these unwanted health hang-ups and pains. Going to the doctor right now is nearly impossible; surgeries are busier than ever and you simply don’t have time in your schedule to leave the house. Although medical advice is highly advised, there are several ways to alleviate symptoms yourself. With a mixture of professional advice and some tried and tested home remedies, you will be back on track with your health in no time.

1.Your Eyesight

This is something you definitely take for granted on a daily basis. You have never had to deal with any eyesight problems before, so why would they cross your mind? At the moment you might be experiencing some rather unusual symptoms that might prompt you to visit an eye doctor near me. Booking regular eyesight tests are so important as this will not only keep your eyesight in check, but it will help to detect wider health issues too such as diabetes and high blood pressure. If you find yourself straining to see the television or signs on the road when you’re driving, you definitely need to book in for an eye test as soon as possible. Like many people right now, your job probably relies heavily on staring at a computer screen all day. Without the proper measures in place, your eyes will be put into regular stress and strain. Do as much as you can to rest your eyes when possible; look away from your screen every twenty minutes and focus on something that is further away. These daily habits will protect your eye health and prevent your symptoms from getting worse. Remember that postponing appointments with your optician can lead to more harm than good, so it’s definitely worth getting checked out as soon as possible to put your mind at ease.

2. Sore Back

Dealing with daily back pain is something you can’t forget about when you’re trying to get out and about or complete daily tasks around the house. Back pain can transform into something so severe that it even prevents you from going to work or taking care of your loved ones. Although there are many pain relief methods out there in the form of tablets, you could consider other methods. A chiropractor or osteopath will be able to provide you with some in-depth information about what’s going wrong inside your body right now. With a few sessions of professional treatment, your aches and pains might even disappear altogether.

3. Hearing Problems

Being unable to hear conversations properly is not only frustrating, but it is hindering your ability to create connections with people. You might not be able to hear people talking during meetings at work and you may need to turn the television volume right up every evening. Living like this isn’t sustainable, so why not look into hearing aids? No matter how young or old you are hearing aids come in all sorts of discreet and effective styles. Speak to a medical professional if you think you’re in need of hearing aids; they will be able to advise you on which ones to choose.

4. Skin 

When you’re going through skin problems it can be very difficult to go about your life as normal. You can’t always cover up your blemishes with makeup; very often it stems much deeper than this. Whether you have cystic acne or eczema, you need to seek out advice from a dermatologist if you can. Reading about the latest skin care tips online won’t do you any good, because they are not tailored to your unique needs. When your best friend recommends a life changing skin product to you, it may not necessarily work for your skin type. This is why it’s so important to book an appointment with a registered skincare specialist. Not only will they be able to carry out an in depth analysis of your skin cells, pigmentation and surface appearance, they will also be able to offer you tailored advice that is specific to your skin type.

5. Hair

Your hair is such a huge part of your identity, when something goes wrong, you don’t feel like yourself. There are so many people living with alopecia, which is when your hair falls out of your head, eyebrows and even parts of your face if you’re a male. This can be embarrassing and knock your confidence. Although there are no cures for alopecia there are a number of ways to mask the side effects. Opt for a hairstyle that makes your hair loss less obvious or even try extensions or wigs if it will give you a boost in confidence.

6. Headaches

Suffering from ongoing headaches and migraines can be extremely painful; a lot of over the counter medication doesn’t even do anything to alleviate the symptoms. Persistent headaches in the same spot may be a sign of an underlying medical issue, so try not to pop too many painkillers if this is the case. You should definitely seek out advice from a medical professional and they will be able to conduct further tests.

7. Anxiety

Although this is a hidden health problem, anxiety is so real amongst many people. So many members of society are suffering from anxiety right now and they aren’t opening up about it in an honest and healthy way. If you think you have depression or anxiety, you don’t have to go through this alone. Confide in a friend or family member that you trust and they will be there with a listening ear. If you don’t think any of your immediate loved ones will understand the problem, you can speak to therapists and online counselors who will guide you through various techniques. Obviously, every individual is completely unique so it depends on your circumstances. As soon as you start opening up about how you feel, you will start to make slow and gradual improvements with regards to your mental health.

All in all, you don’t need to deal with any of these ongoing health issues. Not only are they irritating, but they are also highly inconvenient. Many of these health problems can prevent you from feeling confident or going about your day to day life. Your first port of call should always be seeking medical advice. Whether you call up your medical practitioner on the phone or you make an appointment online; this will always help to put your mind at ease during these rough times with your health. Your symptoms may worsen if you don’t take action and do something as quickly as possible. So make sure you don’t keep dealing with these health hang ups; try at home remedies and seek out professional advice as soon as you can. Once your mind has been put at ease, you will feel happier, healthier and so much more content in your life.

Image from Pexels - CC0 Licence

Image from Pexels - CC0 Licence

Health Checks to Keep Yourself In Top Condition

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Most of us have busy schedules that largely revolve around our work life, social lives and home lives. It’s not all too surprising that many of us don’t pay sufficient attention to our overall health and wellbeing. But we really do need to keep our health at the forefront of our minds at all times. Good health can lead to a better quality of life and a happier you! Attending a variety of health checks regularly can help to ensure that you’re in good condition. If any problems are identified, you can tackle them sooner rather than later! Here are just a few you should add to your schedule!

Eye Tests

You only need to have an eye test every two years. No matter how busy you are, you should be able to fit this short appointment into your schedule within that time frame. When you have your eye test, an optometrist will check the health of your eye from the front to the back. This could identify warning signs of serious eye problems like glaucoma, cataracts and displaced retina. Your eye test can also help to identify illnesses like diabetes by evaluating the health of blood vessels inside of your eye. On top of this general health checks, you will be able to receive a prescription for glasses or contact lenses if your vision seems to have deteriorated and is anything but perfect!

Hearing Tests

We don’t tend to think of hearing tests as much as eye tests. For one, we don’t have them as regularly. Generally speaking, you will only book in to see an audiologist for a hearing test if you notice a change in your hearing. But it’s absolutely essential that you do get checked if you have any concerns. A hearing test can help to identify a deterioration in your ability to hear clearly and will be able to recommend any hearing devices you might need to rectify any issues.

Dental Check Ups

You should see your dentist for a check up at least once every year. If possible, go once every six months. A regular dental checkup will allow the dentist to have a check of your mouth and its overall health, including the health of your teeth and your gums. If you have any issues with decay, they can be resolved early on with simple procedures, such as fillings. This will prevent you from having to face a more complex procedure, such as root canals or tooth extraction, which become more likely when problems are left unchecked. Your dentist can also conduct a scale and polish, which will see you leave their surgery with a gleaming, clean smile!

These are just three health checks you need to add to your diary. Sure, they may seem routine - and they should be! But so many people neglect them that it’s always worth reminding you to book in and be seen by the professionals!