Tag Archives: fyi

Aug14

Basic Space: Creating Your Songwriting Haven

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Basic Space: Creating Your Songwriting Haven

Do you remember the early days when you were locked away in your room learning the guitar or piano and finding out there is no such thing as B-sharp? It was your continual curiosity that piqued your interest in becoming a musician in the first place. And if you are moving on to that next stage where you are trying to create your own music and writing songs, it’s important to get back to that metaphorical head space where you were curious. But it’s also important to get a good physical space in which to create, so here are a few things to think about:

Learn From The Best: The greatest thing about being a songwriter is that you have thousands upon thousands of people to get inspiration from and you can spend countless hours learning from others. You could spend your time reading books and listening to other artists to help you keep fresh when you are in a creative lull. If you are ever feeling dry, it’s very likely because you’re not assimilating enough inspiration.

Create a Space Conducive to Songwriting: If you haven’t got somewhere that you can tune out the world, you’ll be lucky to get any semblance of songwriting completed. But it’s also vital for your practice that you have somewhere where you can be free to experiment in a place that’s your own, but also be surrounded by a constant source of inspiration.

A good place to start in your space is with the classic vinyl records that are clearly pointed out to be a superior listening experience (which we all know deep down). It’s important to be surrounded with the right materials. New Order’s recording studio had a poster on the wall with a lot of old film titles which ended up being the basis for a lot of their songs in the 80’s including Cries And Whispers. So if you have the right environment in which to create, with adequate inspiration from books to posters and, yes, records, it will start you off on the right foot.

Throw The Rule Book Away: Thom Yorke (by way of Tom Waits) said that it was the ignorance of certain instruments that made them more infinitely fascinating. Noel Gallagher has been using the same 4 chords for 20 odd years but is still able to make them sound like new. So sometimes it’s important to unlearn what you have learned to free you up. If you are bound by structure, it can be inhibiting in certain ways, which is why it’s important to be able to make mistakes and play a bum note because you are in the experimental stage.

People place a lot of pressure on getting things right the first time especially if you’re in a band, but even a band like Genesis (love them or hate them!) made the vast majority of their later songs out of studio. The musicians were freer with each other by this point to experiment. Your own worst critic will always be yourself and when it comes to songwriting and creating the right atmosphere in which to do it, it’s important to create this space inside of your mind as well as in a physical location.

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Aug11

The Fallout: Steps To Take After Suffering Extreme Damage To Your Home

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The Fallout: Steps To Take After Suffering Extreme Damage To Your Home

It’s never something we would like to think that would affect any of us, but with the rise of inclement weather all over the world, it seems more and more likely with every passing year that your home will be involved in some kind of disaster. Whether it be a flood, tornado, earthquake, or a fire, it is a terrible situation to be in. But what happens after the event to your home and to you personally? Let’s try and address the issues about how to repair all the damage after a disaster.

The First Thing To Do:

The first sort of call when it comes to a disaster happening to your home, once everybody is safe, is to get in contact with your insurance company and file a claim. Depending on whether you are renting your home or not, you would still need to make a claim based on the damage to your property or your worldly possessions. It’s your prerogative at the start whether you would want to use a public adjuster to deal with the entire process of the claim, which could help with the building insurance, contents insurance, as well as providing emergency accommodation. These experts work on behalf of policyholders’ interests, so the sooner you are able to engage with reputable Public Adjusters, the bigger the burden they can remove from your shoulders. Once you have met with the public adjuster, they will undertake a fact-finding mission throughout your property, and based on the circumstances of the claim, forensic specialists may be called to undertake an investigation, especially if this was a house fire to determine the cause.

The Next Steps:

Once you have met with the loss adjuster, they will submit a report to the insurance company based on the circumstances surrounding the disaster and they will also recommend whether the insurer should pay your claim or not. They will make a decision on whether the policy you have is sufficient enough to cover the damage, which is a big problem a lot of policyholders have, being “underinsured”. From there, the emergency contractors will be appointed to carry out any works that are urgent, and this could include water damage restoration companies, which will provide their own investigation into the causes. If you have issues in your home with things like running water, they will provide a restoration plan for you. If you live in an area where water damage is a threat to your home, it is advised to have a professional in mind as you never know when you will need them. To find a team near you, simply enter a search for “water damage restoration in Sacramento” (or your local area) so you always have an expert on standby.

Other companies may weatherproof your property or make your home more secure by boarding up the windows or covering the roof. These practical fixes can provide an extra boost of protection. Businesses like Restoration 1 (Or a similar one in your local area) could tend to issues like mold or restoration from fire or water damage.

Should the damage have come from a natural disaster like an earthquake, you will need a professional to assess your foundation and make a plan of repair. The team you choose might recommend soft story retrofitting with a custom tailored plan to ensure long term structural security. This is also a good thing to have ahead of time and not after the fact. To get started on this renovation, simply enter a search for “soft story retrofitting in LA” (or your local area) to find a well reviewed team for the job.

It’s important to note that the insurers might not pay for this work until the claim has been processed, so it would be your responsibility in the meantime to prevent additional damage to your property. After this, the surveyor will assess the overall damage to your property and put together a plan for the reinstatement of it.

The Contents Claim:

If your home was very badly damaged and all of your possessions have been destroyed, it’s important for you to make a detailed list of all of your contents including the cost for replacements. A lot of insurance companies act on a “like for like” basis. But if you are claiming for things like clothes and bedding, they are replaced on what is called an indemnity basis, meaning that there will be a reduction in their value based on the wear and tear of your original items. And if you’ve got a lot of high-end items such as electronic equipment or designer clothes, you need to provide the proof, the makes, models, etc., before the insurance company will accept the claim completely.

The Personal Impact:

As it would be expected, the process of dealing with loss adjusters and the insurance company can be a trying one, especially if you are without a home. During the process, you will be in temporary accommodation, and this could be the emergency accommodation provided at the outset of the disaster. After that, you would have to find long-term temporary accommodation that suits you and your family during the restoration of the property. This can be difficult to acquire, especially if you have a big family or have pets.

It’s at this point where the stress can get the better of you, as you’re not in your own home. During your dealings with the insurance company, you may feel like you’re being passed from pillar to post, but this is a fact of the situation, unfortunately. If your claim is in limbo, it can take some time. And during your negotiation with a loss adjuster, you may not get everything that you wish in terms of suitable emergency accommodation, as you need to agree on a budget with the loss adjuster.

The Final Pieces Of The Puzzle:

Once the ball has been rolling after the tense negotiations, the process of tendering will begin. At this point, the contractors will be appointed to do the work on your home. The contractors are usually specialist ones appointed by the insurance company, but if you want to use your own contractors, you need to be careful with your choice as there are many out there who may not have a good track record. It is at this point where the surveyor will meet with the contractors to solidify the final parts of the work, which will progress until your home is fully restored. It’s important to note that at this point, you may wish to make some alterations to your home, pending the approval of the surveyor. After this, your contents claim would be agreed, items are secured, and you can return home.

While we all hope that it doesn’t happen to us, it’s important that if your home suffers from any type of disaster that you have the right policies in place. If you don’t have any insurance, it is recommended that you get something for peace of mind. If your home is ever going to suffer a disaster, with the right insurance policies in place you know you can, at least, rebuild your life.

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Aug10

Are You Management Material?

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Are You Management Material?

Why is it that young people are always overlooked for the opportunities to lead? Age should never have anything to do with it. If you have a natural flair for coming up with new ideas or you’re good with people, why shouldn’t you have the chance to show that off? This is why more and more young people are setting up shop for themselves. Entrepreneurs can get the experience that they need on the job.

So what do you need to do to excel when you haven’t had a chance to prove yourself yet? There are two routes. You could set up your own business and work hard to make it happen. It doesn’t matter what you’re interested in. If you have the right approach and can sell your products effectively, then you can be successful. Over time, you’ll need to recruit people to help you tackle the workload. That’s when you get to become a manager.

Another route to try is to train for the job and qualify. There are plenty of courses to choose from. You might find it easier to take on an online BBA in Management, though, if you need to continue working. It also frees you up to run your business and you can immediately apply the things that you learn.

What does it take to become a good manager? A methodical approach is often best. As with any leadership role, an ability to keep a clear, professional head is essential. Ultimately, it’s about resolving problems. You may need to delegate tasks to the best person for the job. You might also need to resolve conflicts. This is why you need to know your team very well and know how to motivate them to work their hardest at all times.

Managers are busy people, but they also need to make the tough choices. If you have a board to answer to, then you might have to manage budgets and accounts too. A good head for numbers is essential! As a decision maker, you might prefer to take your time and consider your options. This is fine if you have the time. Sometimes you need to make a decision right on the spot. The consequences of that will rest on your shoulders. Yikes!

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Sometimes managers have to be responsible for hiring and firing. A job is a crucial part of anyone’s life. Telling someone that they haven’t got the job which they applied for or even letting someone go can be very unpleasant. You can’t delegate that sort of thing. Don’t forget, you can always practice away from the workplace. Why not video yourself to see how you come across?

Does experience help? Yes. But a good course will give you plenty of case studies to examine so you can learn from others’ experiences. Does age help? Only if age brings wisdom! Anybody can lead others if they approach it correctly and know what needs to be done. If you’re ambitious and talented, then chances are you already have the drive to tackle any challenge that comes your way.

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Aug9

What Are Your Choices For Taking Care Of Your Most Senior Relatives?

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What Are Your Choices For Taking Care Of Your Most Senior Relatives?

All of us are getting older and none of us can escape it. But for those in our family who are much more experienced and wise than us, life can become a little harder. The body can wear out and the mind can let us down. Aging goes far beyond the odd wrinkle and gray hair. Do you have any senior members of your family that are starting to struggle? It might be worth considering what your options could be in the not-so-distant future:

Independent Living For Longer: We all want to be independent for as long as possible. To achieve that we must be fit and healthy. That’s where things can get challenging. If you haven’t worked hard to take care of your body over the years, then it can be more difficult starting later on. Still, it is possible to improve your balance, strength, stamina, and coordination. Like everything else in life, it just takes a little bit of work, patience, and practice!

There are far more senior fitness and activity groups around today than ever before. Why not encourage your relatives to participate? While many groups might attract older people, there is usually nothing stopping you from joining in, too. You could have a lot of fun and enjoy spending more quality time with your relatives.

There are also things you can do around the home to help your grandparents live there for longer. Single story living is ideal as we get older because balance can be more tricky on steps. Climbing stairs and descending them can be challenging as knees and hip joints start to age. Safety switch devices for hobs, ovens, and faucets can also be quite handy if you’re willing to invest in them.

Some older adults with underlying medical conditions may also suffer from incontinence. If your grandparents have such a condition, try to convince them to wear incontinence pads. Be kind and patient when suggesting this solution. Encourage your loved ones to confront the issue head-on, and use respectful words. Try to be in their shoes, and be sensitive to their thoughts and feelings. No one wants to be embarrassed over something they can’t control. Everyone, including grandparents, wants to grow old with dignity and grace.

You can also arrange for personal or emergency alarms to be installed should your older relative be vulnerable. Home visits can also make an enormous difference for someone who has to live alone. This can be performed by a qualified nurse or by a volunteer from the community trained in keeping seniors company.

Career Change For You? Of course, there is nothing stopping you from taking on a completely different role in this. If you’re looking for something new to do in your career, why not consider caring? If you already have experience in taking care of your relatives, then this might be a natural progression. There will always be jobs in this line of work and there will always be a need for people with your skills.

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If you’re willing to put in the extra study, you might be able to pursue a career in healthcare. There are many benefits to this aside from being able to better oversee the care of your relatives. Good pensions and pay are on offer for some of these roles. There are also good prospects for promotion. Perhaps most importantly, you can find this kind of work in every state.

There will, of course, be ethical considerations should you choose to undertake any part of your family member’s care. The more personal the needs are, the more difficult this decision can be. Ultimately, your relative will want to retain her dignity. Both of you will want to trust the people that are caring for her. And you will undoubtedly want to know exactly what is happening with her care plan. Professional knowledge, even if not directly applied, can give you and your Nanna peace of mind.

Nursing Home: Has your grandparent become particularly unwell? Perhaps they are suffering from a degenerative condition like dementia? You might have to consider the option of an assisted living and memory care facility or a nursing home. Maybe you’re worried about the cost of this? Government backed initiatives exist to help those who are most financially vulnerable.

It’s important when you start your search for a placement that you find nursing homes you can trust. Use a reputable search facility online that will also give you plenty of information about what you should be looking for. Sometimes seniors are not best placed to make the final decision about their choice of home. As the closest relative, that can put a lot of responsibility on your shoulders.

So what should you look for in a nursing home? First, consider the facilities that your Nanna will need. Her long term health plan will be the biggest factor here. If your relative needs the medical attention a nursing home can provide, ensure that you will be kept up to date with their ongoing health plan.

Other considerations will include the type of senior accommodations on offer. Is the room shared or private? Are child visitors welcome or are pets able to visit? Are there mentally stimulating activities? Are the meals being provided nutritious and tasty? What about physical and fitness-based activities on offer? You might prefer to have your grandparents in a nursing home that is close to your address. However, sometimes it’s worth the long journey to a home that is just right.

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Ballin

Dementia and other long-term illnesses can bring about behavioral changes. These can be deemed challenging or even violent. Make sure that you are up to speed with the home’s code and policies for managing these more volatile situations, as some nursing homes are not well equipped to deal with this.

Always visit the nursing home that you are interested in a few times at different times of the day. Bring your senior relative to at least a couple of these visits. This can be a little upsetting, but it can also be quite assuring if your Nanna seems engaged and comfortable in these surroundings. It can be hard to leave your beloved relative in a nursing home, but if a care plan is necessary, it can be the safest option.

Bringing Your Relative To You: Another option is to adapt your home to have your senior relative live with you. There will undoubtedly be a need for care in the community appointments, so you need to make yourself available for that. You may find that you and your relative lose certain rights to state benefits with this living arrangement, so consider it carefully.

There are, of course, many benefits to having Nanna live with you. You can keep a close eye on her care and you can take over many of the more challenging day-to-day tasks like cooking for her. You know she will be as safe as possible under your roof, too. Best of all, she will have all of the company she needs to stay mentally stimulated and socialized.

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Aw :*)

Sharing The Caring: Of course, if there is extended family out there, then you are certainly within your rights to expect them to share the caring. Your relative is the matriarch or patriarch of the family so the rest of the family must contribute. Obviously sharing the accommodation responsibilities can involve a lot of upheavals. That isn’t always practical. But you should expect other family members to come by and spend time there.

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CAT!

Financially, there is likely to be more expenses for you than any siblings might have. Your senior relative may well be contributing from their pension. As for other expenses, ask everyone to chip in a fair percentage. You probably don’t expect to be paid for your hospitality or care, but medical bills on top of that shouldn’t all be on you.

By sharing the caring, all of the extended family can get involved to make sure your most senior relative is comfortable in their twilight years. Time is precious, so the others should be doing all they can to make every moment count.

Every person is different and every care plan will differ, too. In fact, they can change from one month to the next if ill health is involved. Consider all of your options before committing to something long term. What suits today may not be right for you tomorrow.

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Aug7

Friendly Reminder!

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Friendly Reminder!

Hi everyone!! Just so all of you know, I am still on the hunt for a few more amazing guest bloggers for my Falling For Fall series, which premieres at the end of the month while I’m on vaca. From beauty and fashion to travel and lifestyle in the name of celebrating my favorite time of the year, I want it all. If you have any fall themed posts in mind and are interested in being featured on lifewithlilred for the day, please email me at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com for more info! THANKS. -Sarah

Aug7

Monday Update: This Week’s Lineup Edition

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Monday Update: This Week’s Lineup Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday! This week on lifewithlilred is going to feature a particularly fun post lineup. Not only will I be announcing my guest bloggers for my Falling For Fall series and showing off my new nails BUT I have a new mini series premiering. Read on to find out more:

As all of you know, I have a deep passion for all things skin care. Keeping my skin radiant and extra pasty pale is something that I take very seriously and a new tool that I’ve added to my skin care arsenal in the past few months is the face mask. These products have been all over the blogosphere as of late and I thought I would join in with my Face Mask Festivities mini series, which will discuss the three face masks that I’ve been alternating between. These posts will contain pictures of the products and my MUG as well as in detail reviews of my face mask experiences. Can’t wait to share my findings with all of you!

What was everyone up to this weekend? What is your favorite face mask to use? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug3

Wanted: Falling For Fall Guest Bloggers

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Wanted: Falling For Fall Guest Bloggers

Hi everyone and happy Thursday! I know, I know it’s not anywhere close to fall yet! BUT, I’m sure all of you know by now that when a new season approaches, I like to welcome it on lifewithlilred with one of my guest bloggers series. Starting August 29th through September 6th, I am looking for a crew of bloggers to share their favorite things about fall with the world.

From MOTDs and OOTDs to fun fall activities and your homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte recipes, I’m hoping for a wide range of unique posts special for autumn. If you are interested in participating, please shoot me an email with your name, blog name, and post ideas to sarah.mush6794@gmail.com ! THANKS! ❤

Aug2

How To Create An Aromatic Atmosphere In Your Home

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How To Create An Aromatic Atmosphere In Your Home

There’s a lot that can be determined about a home based solely on the smell of it. You can tell if kids are present or not, if the owner likes to bake in their spare time, how often they clean, and what products they are partial to to get it smelling the way that they want. Our sense of smell is a powerful tool. It lets us know if something is bad or good, but also helps to take us back in time to a nostalgic point that we associate with certain scents, bringing back memories that we want to indulge ourselves in or would otherwise wish to forget. So, in essence, it’s quite an important thing to get right in your home; to help us feel safe, to feel comfortable, and happy with where we live.

Eliminate The Bad Odors: It can be particularly hard to pinpoint a scent if you don’t know where it’s coming from. A lot of offensive odors aren’t immediately obvious to us because they’ve had to take time to develop to get to what you’re smelling – so they often aren’t within our sight or a place that we can easily reach. One prime example is a toilet; a lot of odors are stopped within a plumbing trap, but if it’s defective or there is something else wrong in the system, then it can be hard to get to the source of the problem; there is more information about different types of plumbing traps at http://theplumbinginfo.com/plumbing-traps/ to give you more of an idea as to what can be done to solve the problem.

Just fixing this one issue could completely get rid of the smell that was causing the disruption to your home. This is just one example, so try and think outside of the box when it comes to narrowing down where a smell is coming from, especially when there are pipes involved. Always hire a professional to come and deal with the problem at hand so as not to create more work for yourself.

Focus On Your Favorites: Think of your favorite scent; the one that makes you happy but would also appeal to others who are visiting your home. It’s this that you need to aim for and spread around your house. It’s available to do in a lot of different forms; candles, wax melts, air fresheners, and so much more, so there really is no excuse not to have some on hand to give you that extra boost. There are a good selection of different smells for you to peruse at https://yankeecandle.com that aren’t just limited to candles, so you don’t have to worry about the safety aspects of ensuring that a flame is correctly put out in order to get your home smelling amazing.

If you don’t have a favorite scent, shop around! There are countless stores and products to take an olfactory tour of to help you determine the perfect scent for your house. If you’d like a more personalized experience for that must have scent, you can find a scentsy consultant to bring that boutique feel. Your consultant will be able to pinpoint the fragrances you like and find a product to match.

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Candles are a must!

Consider Your Hygiene: Unpleasant smells are more likely to jump out at you than nice ones, but often our noses are trained to accept them if we don’t deal with it straight away. It may take a good time away from our home to realize that that’s what our abode actually smells like to other people, so it’s always important to keep on top of a good cleaning routine in order to ensure that you are keeping the space that you live in not just smelling good, but hygienic for you. There are certain things around the house which trap odors within the fibers, such as carpets, rugs, and curtains, so it’s imperative that you are keeping on top of the cleaning of these items. That way, you are ensuring that you are removing any staleness that may be clinging on as well as caring for your fabrics.

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Lather up!

Mental Health: There are certain scents that have been proven to relieve stress and anxiety that you may be feeling. It’s been long said that lavender helps you to relax and drift off to sleep more easily, so why aren’t we using this knowledge in other rooms of our home? Vanilla candles are the most common scented ones that you can buy, and these have been cited to help put us in a better mood and even combat some pain signals that are being sent around our body. There’s never been a more important reason to get your home smelling nice and fresh, if it’s impacting your health directly!

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Beach scents are also very popular!

Focusing on the scent of your home will make for breathing easy for your family and guests!

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Aug1

4 Surprising Truths About Coming Off Of Birth Control

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4 Surprising Truths About Coming Off Of Birth Control

Birth control has offered women more freedom than our forebears would have ever been able to imagine. Not only does it give us the chance to take full control over our reproductive choices, but it can also be used to ease the suffering that painful periods can cause.

However, with every up there tends to be a down – and birth control has its downsides. For some women, the side effects can be severe. Rather annoyingly, those side effects can be similar to the hormonal problems that they were hoping birth control would help – there’s never any predicting with synthetic hormones! The much-vaunted male contraceptive injection actually had its trial stopped as the subjects were struggling so much with the same side effects that female birth control can produce (Boohoo!)

Side effects aside, there are other reasons for coming off of birth control. The most obvious, of course, is in an attempt to get pregnant.

Whatever your reason for ditching the birth control, it’s not as simple as letting it run out and going back to normal. While using the medication, having the injection, or implant – your female hormones have been being controlled in a synthetic manner. Your body is thus going to need a little time to adjust back to normal – which can be quite the shock if you’re not expecting it. So in an effort to ensure that no one comes off of birth control uninformed, here are a few of the problems that you might find yourself experiencing:

#1 – It’ll Take a While to Become Fertile Again

If you have come off of birth control in pursuit of pregnancy, then you’re going to have to be patient. It can take up to six months for your body to regulate itself and settle into a reliable menstrual cycle. Only at this point can you begin to think of conceiving. The clock doesn’t start the moment you get rid of your birth control, it starts six months down the line.

This is important to bear in mind when it comes to worrying about a perceived failure to conceive. What seems like seven months of trying without success can actually be only a month. There is still plenty of time before you need to think about delving into resources about fertility medications and taking medical advice. It’s advisable to wait at least a year after you have ceased using birth control before worrying about a lack of conception. While 20% of women are able to fall pregnant within a month of stopping birth control, medical professionals are unlikely to want to investigate too far until the oft-quoted six months has passed.

#2 – Hormonal Acne Makes a Comeback

One of the more pleasant side effects of birth control is that it can help reduce acne, especially if you’re taking the so-called “mini pill”. Of course, the moment that you stop using the medication, there’s a chance that your acne will return.

Hormonal acne is one of the more stubborn forms of acne. If you have more than a few zits per month or the ones that you do have are deep, cystic, and cause a lot of pain – then there’s no point continuing to suffer through it. Speak to your doctor about your options for managing the condition and start a skincare regime, with a specific focus on using BHA, a form of acid found in skin, to help get to the root of the problem.

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Whomp whomp

#3 – Be Aware of Your Need for Vitamin D

Rather surprisingly, scientific evidence has shown that women who stop using birth control are liable to see depletions in their Vitamin D levels. It’s important that you get to know the symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency, so that you can be ready for action should you begin to display any signs of them.

Of course, you can also just skip right to the obvious and begin taking a Vitamin D supplement when you finish your last round of birth control. If you decide to go the natural route, then Vitamin D is primarily derived from sunlight – but make sure that you keep exposure short, and continue to use an SPF when out in the sunshine for long periods.

#4 – You Might Experience Some Emotional Upset

Most of us are well aware of what hormonal changes can do to our moods. When you stop using birth control, you may find that you have a couple of weeks where you feel like you’re in permanent PMS. It sounds miserable, but it will pass. You just need to ride it out; eventually your natural hormonal rhythms will take over and you’ll return to feeling like your usual self.

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There’s no doubt that coming off of birth control can mean changes for your body – but it’s definitely a storm that you’re going to be able to weather!

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Jul24

Identifying When Your Friend Might Need Your Support

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Identifying When Your Friend Might Need Your Support

Despite the immense potential and beauty that life can offer, and does offer all of the time, sometimes we all must enter periods of sadness, sorrow, and doubt. This can trigger from a range of different problems, and we all experience it now and then. Not everyone can be functioning at 100% all of the time, and periods of depression or isolation can actually serve for the greater good in the long-term. If you’re going through a period of depression, that previous statement must be apologized for in terms of its bluntness, but not it terms of its message.

Trivializing depression is always wrong, but robbing it of all complete perceptive value would be wrong, too. Overcoming a depressive episode can make you a stronger, more down-to-earth person. Remember, a tree’s branches can only reach as high as its roots go. A person who has successfully made it through a depressive episode is likely to come through the other side better off in some ways. It can be a purifying fire, that forces you to prioritize what is important to you, who is important to you, and how you can best live your life with wisdom and foresight.

However, this doesn’t mean that being depressed isn’t real. If you’ve been through feelings of despair yourself, you’ll know about the support that you hope for but usually can’t articulate your desire to retrieve. As a friend, it’s important that you keep an eye on your other friends or roommates to make sure they are okay and doing well. Here’s what to look for if you notice a change for the negative in your loved ones:

Change In Physical Appearance: Depression can rob you of many things, not the least your physical vitality. If you’ve noticed that your friend lacks their usual vitality, they could be deeply depressed, or even worse, they might be turning to substances to overcome their issues. This never works in the short or long term, but is a tempting process for someone who feels that they have no escape.

Communicating your concerns can be difficult to approach in these circumstances without seeming hostile. Living with a prescription addict can be even worse, because they can often get a sanctified, legal way to obtain their habitual maladies. To overcome these issues, try and help them get help through any means necessary. Inform their GP and family. Be there for them. If you have to, organize some form of stay-in recovery. Depression culminates in many ways, and people take it differently depending on their personality. Another sign to look out for is:

Withdrawing From Social Life: Withdrawing from standard social discourse is a good sign that tells you that someone isn’t functioning at 100%. Another sign is keeping an odd schedule, such as replying to your messages on social media at the early hours of the morning. A symptom of depression is late sleeping and late rising, so be sure to look out for this. Even introverted people need social contact, so complete withdrawal, especially if said person used to be social, can be taken in a number of ways.

Communicate clearly to the person that you harbor no ill-will for them limiting themselves or withdrawing, but let them know that you are worried about them. Never stop inviting them to places. Consider doing activities inside with just the two of you. Try and open up conversation as much as possible without being annoying. See what you can do to be present. Even if they don’t show it, they’ll likely need you far more than you think.

Sometimes, the best remedy as a friend is your simple presence. However, sometimes it requires more than that. Be sure to identify which one will be more helpful and take further action when needed. What matters is your observation and your willingness to help your friend through thick and thin.

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