Tag Archives: fyi

Nov12

Preparing For A Long Trip

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Preparing For A Long Trip

It can be a fun and exciting prospect to embark on a long term adventure. But, it can also be a stressful and anxious time in terms of getting yourself prepared before setting off.  The great thing about long term travel, is that it brings so much variety into life, and as they say, variety is the spice of life… but with such variety comes uncertainty, and whilst this level of uncertainty can be part of the fun, it can also be anxiety inducing, which is why it’s important to ensure that you are well prepared before embarking on a long trip. This article looks at a few aspects to take care of prior to departure:

Your Home Life:

Chances are that you’ll be leaving a loving family, comfortable home, and reliable job behind. In terms of your family, it would be nice for them to have some quality time with you in the weeks before your trip. They will appreciate the fact that you’re making an effort to spend time with them rather than just abscond abroad.

With regard to your home, it’s important to leave things in a stable condition, for instance, if you know there might be an issue with pests it would be good to call pest control before you leave to take care of the issue rather than leave it to get out of control. Also, make sure that a family member, friend, or neighbor has a set of keys in order to check up on the house from time to time.

That said, if you have an animal, you might want to consider a house sitting situation where your home and pet are looked after while you are away.

Income:

If you’re traveling long-term, there’s a good chance that you’ll need to top up your income whilst away. Having something in place before leaving can reduce the stress associated with long term travel finances; for instance, you could try to keep your job but work remotely or set yourself up as a freelancer, that means you can work from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.

It’s also a great idea to look into various ways to save money throughout your travels to provide an extra cushion. This could mean purchasing tickets during non peak times or giving yourself a budget to stick to when dining out. If you are renting a car, the company you choose might offer some incentives to lower your bill and that is definitely worth checking out. To get started, simply enter a search for “car rental paros” (or your travel destination) to see how you can save on your transportation. Every little bit helps!

Travel Insurance:

Finally, the other crucial aspect to reduce the anxiety associated with preparing for a long trip is to see that you have adequate travel insurance coverage in place. This can be expensive for long-term trips, particularly if you plan to undertake adventure activities such as mountain climbing, white water rafting, and bungee jumping. But, without it, you could not only find yourself at financial risk, but that your entire life is at risk, too.

Insurance is a prophylactic measure that you can hopefully live without, but if you should get sick or be injured, it’s worth its weight in gold. The option of having to pay for your own treatment is not always financially viable, meaning you will be stuck in a “local hospital” without the ability to get home and receive the care you require.

Long term travel is an exciting adventure, but it can also be anxiety inducing if you leave with loose ends. This is why it’s important to provide as much stability and peace of mind for yourself as possible before you leave.

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Nov6

Lil Red Loves: Libraries

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Lil Red Loves: Libraries

Hi! Something that I’ve been fond of for as long as I can remember but, even more so this year, is the good ol’ local library. In my neck of the woods, there are plenty of different libraries to go to that have instilled in me a love for reading from story time as a youngin up until now as a twenty something. And, what I have learned this past year, is that libraries aren’t just for checking out books and movies.

Frequenting the libraries in the greater Akron area has become a staple in my day job, as they offer wonderful, educational, and fun programs that are all completely free. My clients and I love visiting different libraries and always end up reaping the benefits that the programs and events have to offer. From gaining knowledge and new hobbies to receiving totally free books like the ones below, the library is definitely the place to be.

books2.jpeg

The libraries in my area offer everything from reading with therapy dogs to GED classes and murder mystery dinners. I have been to excellent music concerts with clients and showings of recently released movies in a huge auditorium. I’ve also attended yoga classes, escape rooms, and lessons in meditation all for the cost of absolutely FREE.

Just last week at North Hill Library’s meditation class, there were cardboard boxes full of free books for the taking. Mysteries, romances, fiction, and nonfiction alike were all there to be sorted through and there was no limit to what we could select. My client and I had a blast looking at all of the choices and I ended up picking out all of the above horror style murder mysteries (My favorite!) to take home with me. Will I like all of them? Maybe not, but that’s no harm done, because I can always donate it so that someone else can have what might be their new favorite page turner.

Lil Red will always support establishments that better the community and I am thankful that mine has so many excellent libraries to choose from, because they do just that. Libraries are inclusive to every single person in this world and there is much to be learned and a lot of fun to be had during your next visit to the neighborhood library!

Who else makes good use out of their local library? What type of programs does your library offer to the public? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct31

Tips For Dealing With The Stress Of Losing Your Job

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Tips For Dealing With The Stress Of Losing Your Job

No one wants to go through the experience of getting fired, but these things happen in life for whatever reason. When this happens to you, it’s important that you pick yourself up and try to get back to normal as soon as possible. But doing that and dealing with the stress of losing your job isn’t easy. Here are some tips and advice to help you deal with that and come out of this experience in a stronger position:

Don’t Let it Destroy Your Confidence:

When you lose your job, it’s easy to feel down about it and lose sight of your long-term goals. That’s definitely the wrong way to deal with a job loss, though. You can’t allow one setback such as this to completely destroy your confidence and stop you from going on to do the things that you want to do in your career. Brush yourself off and know that there are still lots of successes to be had.

Start Looking for Other Opportunities Right Away:

There are always opportunities out there for you to explore and you should start looking for them right away when you lose your job. Rather than being down and out, look at it as a chance to find another role that will ultimately be even better for you. One job loss doesn’t signal the end of your career or anything like it. In the long-term, you might look back at this as a positive turning point for you.

If it Was Wrongful, Consider Taking Action:

Losing your job is one thing, but being fired for an illegitimate reason is even worse. You should get in touch with a wrongful termination attorney if you suspect that you’ve been sacked for a reason that’s not justifiable in the eyes of the law. You can fight the case, win it, and get your job back or at least some sort of compensation for the experience.

Learn Lessons From the Experience:

Every negative experience in your career and life can be learned from in one way or another. There’s always something that you can take away from the hardship so that you can try to do better in the future. It could help you to avoid failures or mistakes in other jobs and roles that you take on further down the line.

Change Course if the Career Path Your On Doesn’t Suit You:

It might even be time for you to change course in your career completely. If your career isn’t suiting you, don’t hesitate to change it and pursue something completely different. It might be just what you need in order to refresh things and revitalize your career. There’s little point in pursuing a career path that doesn’t suit you. Services like Executive Outplacement can be most helpful in easing the transition of a new career path and can be a great tool if the stress of this change is getting to you.

The stress that comes with losing your job is never easy, but it’s not the end of the world. There are always other opportunities out there for you to pursue, and they might turn out to be better for you than the job that you’ve been doing up until now. So get back on the horse and work towards success!

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Oct25

3 Mistakes That Are Damaging Your Health

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3 Mistakes That Are Damaging Your Health

Taking care of your health is difficult because there is so much conflicting information out there. Everybody seems to have their own idea about how best to look after yourself and it’s hard to know who you should listen to. Some of that advice is backed up by solid evidence while some of it isn’t quite so clear cut. But even though it’s hard to work out what you should be doing, it’s a lot easier to work out what you shouldn’t be doing. These are the biggest health mistakes that you need to avoid:

Going To The Wrong Doctor:

Finding a good doctor is tough and there are a lot of things to consider. A lot of people end up going with the doctor that is the most convenient location wise, which is an important factor, but it’s not the only thing that you need to think about. You need to find a doctor that suits your needs and knows their practice well. People think that all doctors are great and, while most of them are, there are still some out there that aren’t. Before making an appointment with a new doctor, we highly recommend seeking recommendations from friends and family. It is also most helpful to look online by entering a search for “Doctors whakatane” (or your local area). If there are several bad or lackluster reviews, trust them. The risk to your health is not worth it!

If you end up with a bad doctor, there is always the chance that they might make some dangerous medical mistakes (if you’ve been in this situation already, you should visit https://www.levininjuryfirm.com/philadelphia-medical-malpractice-lawyer/ to find out more about making a claim against them). Always look around when you’re trying to find a doctor and take time to make your decision. Asking friends and family who they’re with is a good place to start.

Not Keeping Track Of Your Health:

Most people go to the doctor when there’s something wrong, but you shouldn’t wait until you start seeing symptoms before you look after your health. Catching problems early on is the best way to stay healthy, so make sure that you’re keeping track of your health at all times, not just when there’s a problem. Things like watching your weight and diet and exercising regularly are all good ways to keep track of your health.

Ignoring Symptoms:

If you’re in a massive amount of pain, you’re going to go to the doctor and get it checked out. But what about if you’ve just got a little pain that comes and goes from time to time? Most people end up just ignoring it if it goes away after a few days. That’s never a good idea, though. Most problems start out with small issues like that but, over time, it’ll get worse and worse until you’re eventually forced to go to the doctor. By this point, treatment is going to be a lot harder and you’re putting your health at risk. It’s far better to just go to the doctor and get yourself checked out sooner rather than later. People sometimes worry about wasting their doctor’s time by going in with a small problem, but if you can get a simple treatment now rather than an extensive one a few months down the line, you’re actually saving them time.

You can spend the rest of your life trying to work out what you should be doing to look after your health, but it’s a lot easier to work out what you shouldn’t be doing with the above tips.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Oct9

What Makes Ending An Addiction So Challenging?

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What Makes Ending An Addiction So Challenging?

Recognizing that you have a problem with addiction is the first hurdle that you have to overcome. Once you’ve admitted that you’ve got a problem, it’s time for you to think about quitting. You probably didn’t expect to become addicted when you first experienced an addictive substance or behavior for the first time. However, what started out as fun can quickly become something more serious. There are several different ways in which you can try quitting, but don’t be surprised if your first attempt is a difficult feat. If you’re left wondering why you found it so hard, here are some of the reasons why:

Conflict and Ambivalence

Alcohol, drug addiction, or some other type of addictive behavior that becomes excessive will create conflict in your life. It can be within yourself because you want to change, but also have stronger urges to repeat the addictive behavior. Conflict also occurs with other people because they either want you to quit or join them in the addictive behavior. These conflicts don’t go away, and your expectations only get higher. Ambivalence is the feeling of wanting to continue and wanting to quit at the same time. Professional Interventionists are well versed in all of these different situations and emotions and are there to help you work through them in the healthiest way possible. Battling an addiction is no easy feat and skilled professionals will guide and encourage you.

If you are choosing to go to treatment, you might find that being close to the area that you participate in addictive behaviors can be triggering. Especially if these places have resulted in a lot of conflict. For that reason, some people find it helpful to travel to their treatment center. It could be completing treatment at the Scottsdale Providence Recovery Center in Arizona or simply being a few hours away from your current location. Whatever your selection might be, be sure to tour the facility first so that there are no surprises when you enter treatment. You want to set yourself up for the best chance of success when you are making such an important change.

Tolerance – a Key Symptom of Addiction:

Tolerance, together with withdrawal, are the two processes that resulted in your addiction in the first place. The two are interconnected and, without them, it would be easier to quit. Tolerance is a physical and psychological process. The first time you experience an addictive substance or behavior your tolerance is low and the effect you feel is very strong. The more you repeat the behavior or take a substance, the higher your tolerance is and the more you need to take or do the behavior to get the same effect.

Withdrawal is experienced when you aren’t able to do the addictive behavior. The symptoms can be both physical and psychological. Symptoms might include shaking, feeling unwell, upset stomach, and feeling anxious or depressed. This, in itself, can be a barrier from quitting. Safe forms of detox like this one for adderall detox can be most helpful to fight through the withdrawal symptoms and give you an increased chance of success.

Guilt and Justification:

Guilt about your behavior is a strong motivator to make changes, but it also works against you. You find yourself justifying your behavior, not just to yourself but to other people too. Examples are telling yourself it’s not a problem, saying you’ve already cut down, or using other people or situations to divert attention. Treatment centers including The Recovery Village Indianapolis can help you work through these different emotions when you are ready to take that step.

What Can You Do If You Really Want to Quit?

There are a variety of different types of treatment to help you if you really want to quit. Therapy, for example, helps you sort out and change the thoughts that are keeping you addicted. It’s not going to be an easy or straightforward journey, but the support of a good treatment program will help you move forward and eventually quit. Treatment, whether as an outpatient or an inpatient at a luxury facility such as https://healtreatmentcenters.com/luxury-drug-and-alcohol-addiction-treatment-center/, will make the quitting process much easier, but there are, of course, strategies that you can follow if you want to try to quit your addiction on your own.

Sometimes a break from your addiction might not be up to you, but to the courts. This might be the case if you were driving under the influence of alcohol. A duii program at a treatment center can help fulfill court mandated requirements and provide you with the tools you need for success through therapy, support groups, and interventions.

residential addiction treatment

Overcoming an addiction to drugs, alcohol, or some kind of behavior doesn’t have to feel like the end of the world. Admitting that there is a problem is the first step, followed by withdrawal and detox. The recovery journey doesn’t always end there, and you may need professional support for many years to come.

Sep29

October Guest Bloggers Reminder

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October Guest Bloggers Reminder

Hi everyone and happy weekend! I am just sending out a friendly reminder that I would still love to have anyone and everyone on my blog coming up next month while I’ll be out of office. If you are interested in being featured on lifewithlilred for the day, then please email me at: sarah.mush6794@gmail.com with your ideas for a fall or Halloween themed post! Thank you! ❤

Sep26

Fall Words – Høst Ord

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Fall Words – Høst Ord

Hello everyone! Today, my friend Christina of Stiina Marie is back to teach us some fall words and phrases used in Norway. If you recall, Christina guest blogged on lifewithlilred a few weeks ago and has been kind enough to return to teach us some more of a new language. As you all know, I personally love to learn different languages, so this post is right up my alley! Thank you so much, Christina! xx

Fall Words – Høst Ord

Today, I am going to teach you various words pertaining to fall that are in Bokmål – the main language of Norway. Read the pronunciation in italics as it would be in English.

There is a slight “R” roll in Bokmål. This is similar to Spanish. To properly learn Norwegian, this exercise is a great start! Try listening to Norwegian movies and music that are already familiar to you. Disney movies are almost always a hit!

Words to Practice:

Rain = REGN reh-gin

Storm = STORM  storm

Cloudy = OVERSKYET ohver-sheeyet

Cold = KJØLIG cher-leeg

Sweater = GENSER gehn-ser

Hoodie = HETTEGENSER heht-teh-gehn-ser

Scarf = SKJERF sh-ehr-ff

Coffee = KAFFE kafffeh

Soup = SUPPE sue-pppeh

Squirrel = EKORN eh-korn

Black cat = SORT KATT sort kahtttt

Owl = UGLE oooog-leh

Acorns = EIKENØTTER eye-ken-nohttter

Tree = TRE treeh

Spooky = SKUMMELT skoooommmelt

Dark (color) = MØRK murrrrk

Sentences and Phrases:

I love fall. = JEG ELSKER HØST. Yuh-eye el-skerr huhst.

I want a cup of coffee/tea. = JEG VIL HA EN KOPP KAFFE/TE. Yuh-eye vil ha ehn kohppp kahffeh/teh.

Pile of leaves = LØVHAUG luhv-haowg

I love to eat! = JEG ELSKER Å SPISE. Yuh-eye el-skerr a speeeseeh.

Any words that you would like to learn that I can help you with? Drop a message below!

Thanks again to Christina for taking the time to teach us something new! What languages can you speak? What do you think is the best way to learn a new language? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep24

Job Security: Agreed Truth To Myth To A Morphed Resurgence

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Job Security: Agreed Truth To Myth To A Morphed Resurgence

Wouldn’t we all love to not have a figurative axe swinging over our heads? If you look closely on the handle, it says ‘job redundancy’. That old familiar feeling of losing a job and not having any control to stop it from happening has plagued many of our minds most of our lives. And it’s true, your worries are justified so don’t start thinking you’re worrying over nothing. The economic crash in 2008 showed us that there are very few jobs that are recession-proof.

At any time, your job could go onto the chopping block as companies change, make cuts, and throw a role into another and merge them to only need one worker instead of two. There are endless reasons for why most jobs are able to be squashed when they are needed to, but none of them satisfies us when we have been let go. So that begs the question, should we turn away in anger at experts who talk about ‘job security’?

What is necessary:

Don’t get emotional about economics, it’s purely logical. Ask yourself what is really needed for society to keep functioning? Food, water, and power. So, any job that is necessary in these fields will be saved by almost anything to hit a company or economy. Jobs like trucking will never die because hauling loads is needed for businesses to survive. They need their freight to be delivered so they can keep functioning, providing a service or products to their customers, and maintaining certain parts of the national structure. Check out the knight transportation near me and see what kind of jobs could give you this security that cannot fail no matter what happens. They have training courses that can lead you onto different kinds of trucking jobs.

Time served is not safe:

Once upon a time when you were considered a veteran in a company, you were spared from any kind of cuts. However, nowadays companies cannot play favorites if they want to compete. Therefore, if you are one of the longest standing workers in your company, don’t consider yourself safe. What business leaders want is commitment and performance. In this regard, you’re only as good as your last working day, week, or month. They require everyone to be working their best and showing results for their actions.

Even if you have worked for the same company for decades, you need to keep your job performance levels high all of the time – and, perhaps, even higher than the average worker seeing as you’re more experienced. One way to keep improving in the company despite your tenure is to do training classes and get certified in new skills. This could be reasonable suspicion training for DOT, health and safety, or even management courses. These additional trainings can help take your career to the next level.

New wave:

A new wave of jobs are coming onto the market that may be swapping security with competition. Freelance roles around the world that are mainly online remote working are giving anyone with the skill and commitment the chance to earn good money when they want to. From writing professional CVs for clients, reviewing products that get sent to you, testing online services for companies in the build phase, and even writing hotel reviews after being paid to be a guest for a few days are just some of the jobs being created.

Job security was true once upon a time, then, it sadly became a myth and now it seems to be making a comeback but in a completely different way. The bottom line is, never rely on your job title or time served to be spared from cuts and recessions and keep working hard to stay in a positive light.

Sep23

October Guest Bloggers

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October Guest Bloggers

Hello! In October, I will be out of town for about ten days, and would love some help maintaining the blog while I’m away. Lots of spooky fun can be had in October, from Halloween makeup posts to pro tips on pumpkin carving and it would be wonderful to be able to feature more of my friends on lifewithlilred. If you’re interested in creating a fall or Halloween post, or really anything you want, please shoot me an email at: sarah.mush6794@gmail.com ! Thanks in advance! -Sarah

Sep14

Blog Maintenance Tips & Tricks

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Blog Maintenance Tips & Tricks

Hiii everyone and TGIF! While I was sick AF a few weeks ago, I found myself worrying a lot about my blog, because I was not well enough to take care of daily maintenance. But, upon returning back to a healthy state of being, I found that I didn’t have anything to worry about, because I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Daily blog maintenance is so important, even when you can’t do it daily. How is that possible? I’m going to show you how:

Prewrite, Please:

You might notice on lifewithlilred that all of my posts are published at midnight every night. That’s compliments of prewriting. At one time, I normally have three to four posts scheduled so that I don’t have to worry about three to four days of writing. That’s why, when I was sick, I could breathe a sigh of relief because I had articles on backstock being published every day. This is the perfect solution for those who don’t have the time to write daily, but might have a free evening to knock out several posts in one sitting.

But, where do you get ideas for multiple posts at once? So glad you asked, because this leads me to my next tip:

Take Notes:

This sounds so basic, I know. But, damnit, if it isn’t the most valuable tip on here. How do I get so many things to prewrite about? Because I take notes on anything and everything for inspiration for future posts. Even if I just need a reminder to write about something the following day, I make note of it, because god knows how easy it is to forget an important memo in one days’ time. My notes range from writing about a new pair of shoes that I just bought to taking pictures next time I go on a hike in one of Ohio’s amazing Metro Parks. Reviewing my notes gives me ample inspo to create daily posts, which is something that is important to me for lifewithlilred.

Create Goals:

This ties into the last sentence of Taking Notes. Creating goals for yourself and things that are important to you for your page definitely can help keep you on track. What’s important to you for your page might be different than anyone else, but that’s part of what makes your blog unique. My goals for my page are to maintain daily posts and to log on at least once per day to interact with my readers in the comments. Once you identify what is important to you when it comes to blogging, every thing else just falls into place.

What are some of your goals for your page? What are some of your tips and tricks when it comes to blogging? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah