Tag Archives: life

Improving Your Health Within The Workplace

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Improving Your Health Within The Workplace

Depending on your job, you may not always have to be working in an office environment. However, a lot of us do work at a desk for most of the working day. Not being on your feet all the time can end up being a little unhealthy and, among other things, sometimes work can be a threat to your health. Here’s how to improve your health within the workplace:

Get HR To Do A Workplace Assessment:

The HR in your business should be doing this already, but if they’re not, it’s worth suggesting it. Everyone should really get a workplace assessment done to find out what areas of the working environment are a challenge for you and maybe causing you ill health. It’s mostly focused on the desk that you have and whether the office chair is supportive enough and how far away your computer screen is in relation to where you’re sitting. After this assessment is completed, any notes where you’ve asked for things to be purchased should then be followed up with the person or persons responsible for doing the ordering of office furniture.

Improve Your Furniture And Desk Accessories:

After your workplace assessment, your furniture and desk accessories may need some improvement. Make sure that you get a chair that has good back support to protect your lumbar spine from damage caused by poor posture. Look for ergonomic chairs from a reputable retailer such as Fenstone and think about what description best suits your needs. Perhaps you need additional lumbar support or adjustable seat depth? There’s a chair for that! Reading reviews can help you to decide if a specific model will work for you too! If they acknowledge the assessment but they’re not getting you the furniture or equipment that you require, then if you end up later getting problems with your body, there’s always a worker’s compensation doctor that you can go to.

Take Regular Breaks From The Chair:

Sitting at your chair for a prolonged amount of time can be damaging to your spine, and that’s the last place that you want to do damage to. Try and take plenty of regular breaks from the chair. Stand up and stretch your legs and other muscles throughout your body. Go and make yourself a drink, take a brief walk outside so that you can take five or ten minutes away from your screen. A lot of us don’t do this nearly enough, and we don’t realize just how dangerous this can be to our bodies over a long period of time.

Do More Physical Exercise:

To reduce the risk of injuring your back, neck, or other body parts, it’s important to do physical exercise. This keeps the body moving, but certain exercise can also improve flexibility, among other things. Try to commit to a class or exercise once or twice a week and improve on that number when you can. The more exercise you can do, the better. This will help tackle the amount of time that is spent in your chair at work.

Improving your health within the workplace is something that is definitely worth looking at seriously, and the more we can do to avoid any future problems, the better.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Self Care & Me

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Self Care & Me

Helloooo everyone! Today, I thought that we would talk a little about my self care journey. And, believe me, it’s not an easy thing to do when you run two businesses and are constantly running around like a mad woman! At first, I used to consider “self care” as going shopping and having a spending spree… and, although that’s nice, it doesn’t get to the root of true self care, which I take to mean as doing something mentally or physically stimulating to help improve your mood.

I think the main thing that has helped me become more conscious of trying to incorporate self care into my life is my weekly skating practices. Being on the ice and riding that high of an invigorating work out and doing something that I’m good at always makes me feel my best. And, since I began weekly instead of biweekly practices, it has made me realize that I really don’t do enough for myself. So, I decided to change that.

When I began my career as a service provider for people with special needs, working evenings were just part of the deal. But, now that I’m more established, I thought that it was high time to treat myself to a normal schedule. And, come October, I will only be working one evening a week!

This is a change that I have been craving for a long time now and I’m looking forward to actually having time for myself when I get home from work. Whether that be practicing my languages, reading a book, binge watching a show, or taking a bath – I finally have that option now! And, maybe *just maybe*, I could start having a regular social life. Because, trust and believe, it’s hard fitting in hang outs, errands, and skating all in one weekend. This caused me to enter my work week feeling even more exhausted and it grew into a vicious cycle.

There are so many things that I plan on doing with my evenings off but, what I’m most looking forward to is finding an American Sign Language class to attend. Weirdly enough, there are no weekend classes at the centers for the deaf in my area but evening classes are available. So, that is definitely going to be on my agenda very soon! It feels good to do for me while still maintaining my caseload at work and lifewithlilred and I am ready for work free evenings to commence!

How do you practice self care? What do you do during your free time to relax? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

NJOYing Myself

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NJOYing Myself

Helloooo everyone! So, it’s no secret that I love me a good cigarette. I have been a smoker for longer than I care to admit and I really had no intention of quitting any time soon. But, once I was introduced to the NJOY vape pen by one of my girlfriends, I decided to give it a try. Now, I’m well aware that vaping is not much better than good old fashioned cigarette smoking but, hey, it’s an improvement and I’ll take it! Check it out:

I have been using my NJOY for about three weeks now and haven’t had a cigarette since. I admit, the device in itself is pretty lame looking but it was only a dollar at the gas station and a pack of two liquid pods was ten bucks. I have enjoyed the watermelon and mint cartridges and, as opposed to smoking a whole cigarette, I can hit this once or twice and then go about my day.

It’s not like I was a pack a day smoker or anything, I had three maximum on a longer work day and none to one on a day off. But, my NJOY has saved me money and it’s nice to be able to do it anywhere without disturbing anyone or making the room or car smell smokey. I am also thankful that I’m not experiencing any of the withdrawal symptoms that I would get if I quit cold turkey right away. The last time I quit smoking, I gained weight, which is a really sensitive thing for me and it made me never want to quit again.

I don’t plan on using the NJOY for forever and I’m quite confident in being able to kick this habit, too. In fact, I’ve noticed that the longer I’ve had it, the less I’ve been using it throughout the day. It’s not perfect, but it’s a good start and I’m happy with it!

How did you quit smoking? What is your favorite vape flavor? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

“Haunted” Apartment Update

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“Haunted” Apartment Update

Hello!! Way back in May, I posted about some strange paranormal activity happening in my apartment and, since then, I’ve had quite a few people contacting me asking for updates on that spooky situation. And, I am pleased to tell all of you, that since the three occurrences that happened three days in a row, my apartment has been free of any supernatural activity. Thank goodness, because I don’t think I could handle stepping on anymore broken glass!

As an avid fan of all things horror related, I am well aware that pesky poltergeists and spirits like to kick you when you’re feeling down. This hardly seems fair, but I was definitely in a darker place during the first month or so living on my own. I felt lonely, overwhelmed, stressed out, and irritated that I was feeling all of those ways to begin with because moving out was something that I wanted to do.

So, it makes sense to me that I picked something up that wanted to stir up more feelings of unease while I was in such a delicate state of mind. And, strangely enough, the occurrences stopped once I sat down at my laptop and wrote out all of the weirdness that was happening. My mood also improved as I got more used to being in my own place, which lifted the negativity that was bringing me down.

I’m happy to report that things have been nice and normal at chez moi and here’s to hoping that it stays that way as I continue on through this thing called life!

Who else has experienced paranormal activity in their home? What made it stop? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Choose Kindness

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Choose Kindness

Helloooo! It seems like all one needs to do is turn on the news for a scary story to tell in the dark. Shootings, political unrest, and unthinkable crimes play on a loop and it can make this world feel like a terrifying place to live in. It seems like there is just no kindness left and it is something that we all need reminded of from time to time to take it upon ourselves to improve. That is why I am so happy that my mom picked out this amazing shirt for me that she found at a recent trip to the farmers market. Check it out:

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My mom is the queen of sweet surprises and she picked out this shirt for me for a number of reasons like my love for learning languages, my work with people with special needs, and the fact that a friendly reminder never hurts. It is easy to get so wrapped up in your own problems that you don’t realize you might be coming off as rude to the people that you encounter throughout your day. And, with a kind word or gesture you have the option to completely turn a stranger’s day around as opposed to ruining it for them with a snarky comment or letting the door slam in their face.

Choosing kindness takes practice, as it seems to be second nature to always look out for yourself. But, once you get the hang of it, it becomes something that doesn’t need thinking about anymore. And, remember – you have no idea what a stranger is going through, so don’t make things any worse for them. Choose kindness today and watch the world around you change for the better. ❤

How do you choose kindness? What are simple ways to make someone’s day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

3 Health Checks That Everybody Needs To Take Regularly

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3 Health Checks That Everybody Needs To Take Regularly

The best way to treat most health problems is early intervention. But a lot of health issues don’t display symptoms until they are more developed, so you might have a serious health problem that goes unnoticed for a long time. That’s why health checks are so important, especially as you get older. There are certain checks that can pick up the signs of a serious health problem so you can start treatment before it causes you any serious issues. These are some of the health checks that you should have on a regular basis:

Blood Pressure Tests:

Changes in your blood pressure can be a sign of all sorts of health problems and if you have high blood pressure, it can be a cause of serious issues like heart disease and strokes. Most of the time, you won’t see any symptoms from high blood pressure but around a third of people suffer from it. You can get a blood pressure test from your primary care doctor, so book an appointment and get it checked out on a regular basis. If you are found to have high blood pressure, you will be asked to come in for further tests. If the readings are consistently high, you will be given advice on changing your diet to lower your blood pressure and you may be given medication to manage it as well.

As you make major life changes to improve your health, it is so important to have a good relationship with your doctor. You want someone that you can go to with confidence and be able to share comfortably about the areas you struggle with. If you are interested in changing your practitioner to find a better fit for you, that is okay! Just be sure to go to someone with expert knowledge and excellent reviews. You can often learn more about the staff at a facility from visiting their website like this Sloane Street Surgery that features bios of each doctor. There is nothing wrong with shopping around until you find the best fit!

Hearing And Eye Tests:

As you get older, your eyesight and your hearing are likely to suffer. But a lot of people just accept it as a part of aging and don’t do anything about it. The thing is, if you catch it early and treat it, you can preserve your hearing and your eyesight. If you want to preserve your auditory health and maintain good eyesight, you need to have regular checks. If you have a problem, you can get hearing aids and glasses early on, and you can slow down the progress of these conditions. Losing your hearing and eyesight can have a big impact on your lifestyle so anything that you can do to preserve them is very important.

Sometimes your eyes will need more than just glasses or corrective lenses. If you are a candidate for laser eye surgery, you might have a lot of questions about the procedure and the price. You can search for something like “laser eye surgery melbourne prices” (or wherever is local to you) to help you get a rough estimate on how much the procedure will cost and what it entails.

Cholesterol Tests:

High cholesterol is very common, especially if you don’t eat a good diet. Having high levels of cholesterol has been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, so it’s important that you manage it properly. A lot of people don’t realize that they have a problem and they continue with the same unhealthy lifestyle choices, and that puts their health at risk. That’s why you need to get a test with your doctor and they will be able to tell you whether you have healthy levels of cholesterol or not. If you don’t, they can give you advice on how to change your diet to reduce your cholesterol. They may also offer you medication to help bring the levels down.

Taking these three tests on a regular basis will help you to stay in good health and avoid any serious problems so schedule an appointment with your doctor today!

Featured Image By: Pixabay CCO License

How To Find The Cause Of Your Health Concerns

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How To Find The Cause Of Your Health Concerns

Dealing with any health issue can be easier when you know the reason for it, for example, if you know that your health problem has been caused by your genetic make-up, you know that your parent suffers from something and you know there’s a chance you will suffer from it too. Or it could be lifestyle behaviors, like smoking or exposure to toxic substances such as asbestos where you can see a clear cause and reason for your struggles.

If it’s not obvious, then while there might be a sticking plaster you can put on the problem for a while, you won’t know the cause of the issue. Just because you are treating your symptoms doesn’t mean you’re healthy as your doctor really needs to address the underlying imbalances that perpetuate illness. It’s important when you speak to your doctor to tell them about all of your symptoms because they are the clues to deeper imbalances and once you find and correct them, the symptoms go will away.

If you have multiple health problems, one illness or its treatment could have lead to another. The reason for a disease might become clear after a long period of uncertainty or after going through a large number of tests or being referred to many different health professionals.

Keep it in mind that nutrition is a very powerful thing that can have a huge impact on creating or curing illness. If you are feeling depressed or anxious, remember that it could be related to a number of different causes such as vitamin deficiencies, essential fat deficiencies, or too much sugar or stimulants in your diet. Try different things such as acupuncture, which takes a holistic approach to your health and takes into consideration your whole body. Practitioners will look to treat your whole self, not just symptoms, to find the cause of your health concerns.

You could try a detox diet that gets you on whole food and off of caffeine, sugar, alcohol, processed foods, gluten, and dairy — and see how many of your health issues go away. Start taking a good multivitamin, fish oil, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D as the right amounts of these nutrients can take care of many problems. If this doesn’t work, then get help and remember that you might need someone who can look a little more closely into what’s going on. Look for a specialist in what it is that you’re going through.

Seeing different health professionals, especially an expert, could help find a more definite cause as they can often see what was going on where others had not. Sometimes people never know why they have one or more illnesses. If a medical reason cannot be found, then many people form their own ideas and might just put their illness down to “bad luck” – don’t let this be you, get to the bottom of it so that you can treat it better and prevent it from happening again.

Featured Image By: Myriam Zilles from Pixabay

4 Overlooked Tips For Being At Your Best Each Day

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4 Overlooked Tips For Being At Your Best Each Day

Life has a habit of beating us down. The list of responsibilities and chores just seem to stack up and up, and there’s rarely anything that effortlessly comes along to relieve us. However, just because life will naturally move that way if we let it, it’s not like we have to accept it, and we definitely don’t need to let it have a negative impact on our lives. There are things we can do to push us in a positive direction, each and every day. Below, we take a look at four helpful, yet often overlooked, actions that’ll make your day better:

Start the Day Right:

You’ve got to start the day as you mean to go on. If you have a terrible beginning, then it’s much more likely that things will continue to go in the same direction. On the other hand, if you take steps to make sure that your day begins well, in peace and tranquility, then you’ll be ready to step up the moment you walk out of the front door. So what does this look like exactly? It’s about not being in a rush. If you wake up early, go for a short run, take a cold shower, and then have a leisurely breakfast, you’ll find that you’re on Cloud Nine, and all before 9 AM.

Look Your Best:

If we’re going to be at our best, then we need to be confident, and if we’re going to be confident, then we need to look and feel our best. There’s real value in putting together a routine that leads towards looking your best! Take a look at hair and makeup routines, for example, and choose the ones that are suitable for you – and which you can do each morning. On the wardrobe front, it’s all about those stylish and comfortable tops for women. With a new and improved rack of clothing, hairstyle, and makeup routine, you’ll walk out of the front door confident and ready to take on the day.

Make the Commute Fun:

It’s understandable that people grow tired of the boring old routine when they have such a soul-destroying commute to the office. However, who says that the commute needs to be quite as miserable as everyone says it is? This is one of many areas where it’s better to do your own thing, rather than follow the crowd. Make the most of your time by yourself! You can listen to podcasts, sing, talk with friends, or anything else, and why not? If it’s bumper to bumper traffic that’s bringing you down, then look to see if there’s an alternative route. Even if it takes a little longer, you’ll enjoy it much more if it’s a scenic journey and there are far fewer cars.

Get Outside:

Finally, make sure you’re spending some time outdoors. Studies have shown that being in nature gives us a natural happiness boost. It’ll also provide a little breathing room between your state of mind and whatever is trying to push it down.

Every day isn’t going to be perfect, but these simple tips above can certainly make them a little better!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Leaving Room For Mess In The Workplace

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Leaving Room For Mess In The Workplace

The office is meant for work. It’s the place where you conduct business and decide the future of your company. Don’t forget that it’s also a place for employees, the people who are there to keep everything going. You want the business to go smoothly, but people can only strive for perfection. There will always be a mess, and the office must designate space for it:

To Keep Files That Are Yet to be Sorted:

First, there’s the physical mess that you need to tackle, especially if you’re moving into an office unit for rent in Ortigas Center. Any move means uprooting the old filing systems you have and relocating them. They don’t come into the new office packaged to perfection and without needing to be organized. This, of course, gets sorted into their appropriate sections in the office. After you’ve successfully moved everything, you think all has been taken care of, but that’s where you’re wrong.

There will be future documents to sort, and there will be papers coming from different departments. A desk designated for the mess pile will keep other areas organized and will give you a good idea of how much you still need to do.

To Break Away from Monotony:

When it comes to regulated environments, it’s essential to keep a professional image. That means pristine walls and desks cleaned of any clutter. It’s almost clinical if you think about it. Occupying those desks are people who will be bored and will want to have some fun, and that’s exactly what the mess room will be for. It can be the pantry or a break room, but it has to be present. In this room, they are allowed to shed their professional persona even for just a few minutes so that they can be the fun and engaging people that they are. This room permits employees to be themselves, and it communicates that you care for their well-being more than the idea of having a perfect workplace.

You might want to add a few touches to make your break room even better so your employees can return from their lunch feeling refreshed. Perhaps you will add a small TV, a few decks of cards, a Keurig, or some charging stations. You can also look into vending machine services near me and keep the machines fully stocked with everyone’s favorite snacks and drinks. Vending machines make a welcome addition to a break room and are ideal for those who need an afternoon sugar rush to beat the midday slump!

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To Leave Room for Mistakes:

Unless you’re hiring robots to run the business, there will be mistakes done in the office. A pleasant work environment accepts mistakes as a way to learn and grow, and that means not hiding them from everyone. You could designate a section of the office for ideas that have been discarded or put on hold, allowing people to revisit them and see why they failed. It might spark innovation.

Fresh eyes might also solve problems that the original contributors couldn’t crack. Think about old cases that new investigators look into. This section could also serve as a reminder to everyone that it’s okay to make mistakes as long as they admit to it and are willing to make things right. You are hiring employees for their skills, but even the most skilled manager has their shortcomings. A mess table will remind them that you also appreciate their humanity.

The mess you make at work should not be shunned. With the right goals and vision, past messes can become drivers of business growth.

Eco-Friendly Beauty: Saving The Environment By Upgrading Your Routine

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Eco-Friendly Beauty: Saving The Environment By Upgrading Your Routine

Beauty comes in different forms and can be seen in various places, and appreciating it means that you should be aware of these shapes and sources. One of these is the environment that we all live in and live with. This is not just something that we can take a look at and admire, but this is also where we get important materials we need to make the products that we use to improve our appearances. Sometimes, we abuse nature in our pursuit of beauty, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

Pick Eco-Friendly Products:

A beauty regimen is not without your trusted products, but this is often where the problem lies, environment-wise. Many commercial brands use chemicals that may be okay for your skin or hair, but can be harmful when they reach the soil and water and the rest of nature. You can do your part in helping the environment by being selective with your beauty products. Find brands that use mostly natural and eco-friendly ingredients and don’t harm animals during production. For example, if your scalp is less than healthy, there is the herbal shampoo for hair loss available in the Philippines. There are also soaps and cosmetics that use natural essences to beautify your body.

Live Healthily:

Looks don’t just depend on the products that you use. The various rituals and procedures that you do are also important, and this is not just limited to how you put on your makeup. When you adopt a healthy lifestyle and habits, you improve your appearance as well. Instead of just putting moisturizer on your skin, keep yourself hydrated, and drink enough water. Make sure that you eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and exercise, which will definitely help you achieve a better body overall, both physically and emotionally.

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Support From the Kitchen:

You might be thinking that eco-friendly products are going to cost you a lot more than the conventional ones. They might, but the extra you pay for is small compared to the good that it will do for your body and the environment. In case you’re in a financial pinch, you can go the DIY route and whip up some treatments from the natural ingredients that you have in your own kitchen and pantry. There are plenty of recipes that you can find online. In fact, even if you do buy some products, you can use some of these in conjunction with them.

These are but a few of the simple upgrades that you can apply to your everyday beauty regimen. And even if they’re small changes, they can make a bigger positive impact on the environment than you think!