Tag: adulting

Categories
Adulting Health Healthy Living Mental Health

How Your Diet Can Help With Stress Management

We all get stressed sometimes and feel like our heads are about to explode. However, too much stress isn’t good for anyone, so how you handle it goes a long way to improving your mental health. Stress management is a powerful tool everyone can leverage. And it’s even more interesting to know that your diet can help with stress management.

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

Stress Management
Source

How does food influence stress levels?

Different foods reduce stress in different ways. While some foods decrease your adrenalin and cortisol (stress hormone) levels, others boost serotonin, your mood stabilizer.

What you eat affects the brain through a complex path. This path or connection is known as the gut brain axis, and it’s all about sending signals from the digestive tract to the brain. Some of these signals are neurotransmitters that control stress and anxiety.

Keeping your good gut microbiomes healthy and active will ensure they effectively transmit signals to the brain to produce serotonin. And what you eat plays a role in the health of your gut microbiome.

That’s why probiotic supplements are recommended for people with digestive tract disorders. Probiotics are live bacteria and yeast (good ones) that improve gut health.

So, apart from probiotic supplements, what other natural foods can help improve gut health and reduce stress?

6 Foods to Include in Your Stress Management Plan

Carbs

All carbs typically signal the brain to produce serotonin, the mood calming hormone. However, complex carbs are best for stress management as they take longer to digest. So, you’ll feel the soothing effects for longer.

Old-fashioned oatmeal and whole-grain bread are good complex carbs to try. While simple carbs are generally ill-advised for health, little of them can help spike up serotonin production. Just don’t make simple carbs your primary go-to, as they can make your blood sugar skyrocket quickly.

Fruits

Certain fruits help reduce stress, including:

  • Almonds
  • Oranges
  • Avocados

These fruits are very rich in vitamin C, which studies show helps curb the stress hormone cortisol. People who take vitamin C experience a sharp drop in cortisol and blood pressure.

Vegetables

Spinach and other crunchy raw vegetables like carrots are especially good in relieving stress. The raw vegetables are more about the crunchy chew, which releases a clenched jaw and helps ward off tension.

On the other hand, spinach increases your magnesium levels. How does this help? Magnesium deficiency triggers headaches and fatigue, aggravating your stress levels.

Fatty fish

The omega-3 fatty acid is a beneficial nutrient that can help healthy skin, hair, and mental health. It can also prevent surges of stress hormones and reduce symptoms of depression. Fatty fish like tina is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Milk

A glass of warm milk will do you a whole lot of good. Studies show that calcium, which is high in milk, can help in easing anxiety and mood swings associated with PMS.

Supplements

Understandably, you might not always have avocados or milk handy when you feel stressed. You can keep supplements that are good for stress management with you, so they’re always accessible.

Stress Management
Source

Diet and Stress Management

Your diet plays a role in your stress and anxiety levels, so be aware of what you eat. Try implementing some of the things mentioned above to improve your overall well-being.

Categories
Adulting For the Home Home How To

Preserve And Prolong – 5 Ways To Protect Your Designer Clothes

You have created a beautiful wardrobe over the years, and it hasn’t been inexpensive. Preserving the beauty of your clothes, dresses, pants, coats, and woolens is essential to prolong their use. However, if you don’t know how to protect your designer clothes, you won’t be able to keep them for long.

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

How To Protect Your Designer Clothes

Declutter Your Closet

The best way to preserve the life and beauty of the clothes you have collected over the years is to declutter your closet right away. You don’t want anything sharp or unnecessary lying around inside your closet. Keep it well ventilated, and make sure that you vacuum it regularly. Assign a specific spot for all your accessories and keep them away from your woolens and other soft or hand-woven pieces.

Invest In The Right Detergent

Look for something that is more sustainable. Go for a detergent that has not been tested on any animals and is 100% plant-based. Don’t go for any harsh bleaches or chemicals. Bleaches and chemicals damage the fabric and ruin the original color. Organic or plant-based detergents are better whether you hand-wash your clothes or use a washing machine.

Use The Right Laundry Service

If you do not want to ruin your designer apparel by washing them yourself, you can always go with a laundry service. Make sure to choose a dependable Melbourne drycleaning company for this because you don’t want any tragedy to befall your beautiful clothes. A dependable laundry or dry cleaning service in your city can ensure the following:

  • The response time is fast
  • Your clothes will get cleaned in record time 
  • They also offer door to door pick up and drop off facility
  • Several such services prove to be highly affordable
  • They accept more secure online payments 
  • Their services are sustainable

Dying Your Clothes Under The Shade

Protect Your Designer Clothes
Source

Have you ever read this little direction on the packaging of your expensive clothes? They always tell you to dry your clothes in a shaded area and never under direct sunlight. Avoiding direct sunlight helps you preserve the color and texture of your fabrics. Indirect heat is always milder on your clothes, and it doesn’t lead to their color or texture deteriorating.

Try Not To Hang Your Designer Clothes

Protect Your Designer Clothes
Source

If you have any delicate clothing in your wardrobe, try not to hang them for long periods. If you can, try not to hang them at all. You must fold them up neatly and stack them nicely on one another. You can always hang your coats and blazers but not your delicate woolens and sheer fabrics.

Protect Your Designer Clothes

Once you know how to protect your designer clothes, it becomes an easy part of your process.

Categories
Adulting Mental Health Parenting

4 Proactive Ways To Manage Stress As A Parent

Manage Stress As A Parent

Parenting is a rewarding role but can also bring quite a bit of stress and anxiety some days. Life can become chaotic and overwhelming if you don’t step back and take back control of how your days play out. Learning to manage stress as a parent is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family.

Too much stress can be debilitating and cause you a lot of worries and even negatively impact you physically. You must learn some proactive ways to manage stress as a parent, allowing you to be well and optimistic and have more energy to get you through the day.

Manage Stress As A Parent
Source

How to Manage Stress As A Parent

Organize Your Finances

Your finances play a significant role in your life and raising a family. Pay attention to your finances and get organized as you prepare for all the expenses that come from being a parent. Ideally, you should create a budget and focus on living within your means. If you notice that money is tight or you’re struggling then you must take action by cutting your spending. For example, you can find an affordable dentist to reduce healthcare bills and cook more at home instead of eating out.

Try to Keep Your Life Well-Balanced

Another proactive way to manage stress as a parent is to keep your work and family life well-balanced. While it’s easier said than done, you can find balance with the right attitude and approach. Set boundaries and make sure you don’t over-commit yourself. Maintain a calendar of events to see when you’re taking on too much. It’s important that you not only work hard but that you also seek opportunities for fun and relaxation.

Find Time to Relax & Recharge

Manage your stress as a parent by finding time to relax and recharge. You may not feel great or have an easy time managing your emotions if you’re always tired and worn down. Instead, make self-care a priority, and don’t let the task of boosting your health and happiness fall to the wayside. You won’t only discover more activities you love doing and what makes you happy in life when you make time for yourself, but you’ll also be improving your wellbeing and reducing stress.

Reach Out for Support from Other Parents

It may also help you feel better when you aren’t as lonely and disconnected in your journey as a parent. Don’t be afraid to reach out for support from other parents and ask for advice when you need it. Connect with fellow parents that you can relate to and understand what you’re going through. You can be there for one another and share insights and tips so that you all can benefit from each other’s experiences and viewpoints.

Manage Stress As A Parent

These are just some ways you can proactively and effectively manage stress as a parent. It doesn’t mean your feelings will go away entirely or that your days will always be easy, but you’ll feel more in control and happier when you don’t let stress build up or take over.

Categories
Adulting Health Healthy Living Mental Health Our Family Parenting

3 Comforting Ways to Deal with Stress That Comes with Family Life

Deal with Stress

Family life is exciting and joyful as you watch your little ones thrive and grow into amazing adults. You spend quality time together, bond, and generally bring a smile to each other’s faces. But, parents also know that family life requires you to deal with stress. You must be aware of the consequences of stress and take action to avoid it wherever possible.

Deal with Stress
Source

Why Avoid Stress?

Sure, stress is a normal human reaction common to most people. It developed as an evolutionary response to help us take action to keep us out of harm’s way. For example, if there was a direct threat to our safety, such as a wild animal, feelings of stress would encourage us to fight or run. But nowadays, many of us experience stress over situations that genuinely aren’t life or death – and it can have negative consequences for our health and wellbeing.

Stress can cause physical, emotional, and behavioral changes, including:

  • Anxiety
  • Irritability
  • Restlessness
  • Sadness
  • Procrastination
  • Emotional outbursts
  • Withdrawal from social situations
  • Changes in eating habits
  • And much more.

You must take steps to reduce stress in your life to look after your children as best possible.

How to Deal with Stress

Seek Assistance

If you feel you’re at your breaking point and have noticed that stress has impacted your mental health, you must seek assistance. A medical professional may be able to help. When you visit a doctor, they can diagnose any mental health conditions that could worsen from stress. They can recommend therapy or medicine or could recommend getting medical marijuana for anxiety. There are mental health charities, support groups, helplines, and more.

Find Ways to Reduce Stress

Some situations will be stressful regardless of how you prepare for them or act, but you can avoid many stressful situations. Being more organized can help significantly reduce stress. Learn to recognize when your family needs different things so that you aren’t scrambling. Planning can reduce the last-minute pressure that gets placed on parents. Resolve conflicts and do what you can to lead a more stress-free lifestyle.

Spend Time Relaxing

You must take time to relax and recuperate. Many parents experience burnout, constantly running around and doing something for someone. Take time to relax, no matter how busy your schedule may be. There are countless ways to relax, and those that best suit you will depend on yourself as an individual, your preferences, and your needs. Some people like to take a nap, others prefer to run a bath, and some will watch a favorite TV show or movie. Whatever suits you, make sure to make time for it.

Deal with Stress

Taking the time to deal with stress and cope with family life is essential to your well-being. It also benefits your family as you’ll be happier, more energized, and better equipped to deal with daily situations. You deserve to be at your best, so take the time to relax and recuperate.

What’s your favorite way to relax or de-stress? Leave a comment and let us know! 🙂

Categories
Adulting Business Finances

A Simple Guide To Finding A Side Hustle You Will Love

So you’re looking for a side hustle. That’s great! A side hustle can be a perfect way to earn extra money, learn new skills, and do something you love. But finding the right side hustle can be tricky. There are so many options; how do you know which one is right for you? This guide will help with finding a side hustle you love.

Finding A Side Hustle
Source

Finding A Side Hustle You Will Love

Review Your Skills

The first step in finding the right side hustle is to look at your skills. What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing? Do you have any unique talents? Answering these questions can help you narrow down your options and find a side hustle that’s a good fit for you.

If you’re a great writer, you might consider starting a blog or becoming a freelance writer. If you’re good with numbers, you could begin doing bookkeeping or CFD Trading. There are endless possibilities for side hustles, so think about what you’re good at. 

Find Your Passion

The next step is to find your passion. What do you love doing? What are you interested in? If you can find a side hustle that combines your skills and your passion, you’ll be more likely to stick with it and be successful.

For example, if you’re passionate about fashion, you could start a fashion blog or become a personal shopper. Or, if you love animals, you could start a pet sitting business or dog walking business. Think about what you love and see if there’s a way to turn it into a side hustle.

Do Your Research

Once you’ve identified your skills and passion, it’s time to research. There are many different side hustles out there, so you’ll want to make sure you choose one that’s right for you.

Start by looking online and reading articles about different side hustles. You can also talk to people who have side hustles and ask about their experiences. Once you’ve done your research, you should know what side hustle is right for you.

Consider Your Availability When Finding a Side Hustle

Determine how much time you have available to devote to your side hustle. If you only have a few hours a week, you’ll need to find a side hustle that doesn’t require much time.

If you’re a stay-at-home parent, you want to look for something you can do around your child’s schedule. Or, if you have a full-time job, you might want to find a side hustle that you can do in your spare time.

Think about how much time you have available and choose a side hustle that fits your availability.

Take The Plunge

The final step is to take the plunge and start your side hustle! Jumping in can be scary, but it’s also exciting. Once you’ve leaped, you’ll be on your way to earning extra money and doing something you love.

Finding A Side Hustle

There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a side hustle, but if you take the time to think about what you want, you’ll be more likely to find a side hustle that you love. So don’t be afraid to explore your options and find a side hustle that’s right for you.

Categories
Adulting Finances

Is Car Flipping A Smart Money Making Scheme?

Are you looking for the right side hustle? A great side hustle will ensure that you have extra money to fall back on when you need it the most. It allows you to avoid a situation where you have to borrow money from the wrong source. It can also be the key to improving your quality of life. There are lots of side hustles worth exploring. One option would be car flipping, but is this the right choice for you? 

Car Flipping
Source

What Is Car Flipping?

Car flipping is just like house flipping. You buy the car, fix it, and sell it for a sizable profit. People who have a strong familiarity with cars are great at this and do it all the time. However, there are some factors that you must consider before committing to this possibility. 

Is Car Flipping A Smart Way to Make Money

Choosing The Right Cars

First, you must make sure that you are flipping the best vehicles. If you choose the wrong cars, you get stuck with a massive money pit. Don’t be afraid of choosing an expert to take with you when buying cars that need fixing up. They can help you avoid ending up with a dud.

Sourcing The Parts

Next, you should make sure that you can source the parts required to fix up the vehicles. There are various suppliers online that sell spare car parts. However, if they aren’t up to quality standards, it doesn’t matter how cheap they are. They’re always going to cause you some nasty headaches down the line. You can learn all about car stuff, including the right parts, by exploring the best guides. 

DIY?

You might also want to consider the issue of DIY. If you plan to fix up the cars yourself, there’s nothing inherently wrong with this idea. However, something to be aware of is that you need to deliver the best standard of work. If cars get returned because there’s an issue with the completed work, it will lead to a huge loss rather than a solid profit. If you hire professionals, you need to fit a service like this into your budget.

Responsibilities

Think about the responsibilities that you have when flipping cars. If you flip multiple cars, you will classify as a professional. By classifying as a professional, ignorance won’t be an acceptable excuse if you sell someone a bad car. You must make sure that a car is of standard or high quality before selling it. 

We hope this helps you understand why car flipping can be a wise money-making scheme. By exploring the options here, you can guarantee that you earn money with each flip. 

Categories
For the Home Home Organization

6 Easy Steps To Deep Clean Your Living Room

deep clean your living room

Your living room is usually where you host your guests, and the family gathers for quality time. It is crucial that you deep clean your living room from time to time to avoid dirt accumulation so that you can enjoy your time spent there. Deep cleaning your home can prove to be a challenging task, especially if your house is large. However, if you break down this task into smaller, more manageable jobs, your living room will be spotless in no time. This article will discuss ways to deep clean your living room.

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

deep clean your living room

How to Deep Clean Your Living Room

Start with the ceiling

You wouldn’t want all the dust from the high, hard-to-reach surfaces to fall on your clean floor and carpet. We recommend using a clean microfiber mop to remove dust, dirt, and debris from the ceiling, ceiling trim, light fixtures, and walls. If you come across any stubborn spots, you could use a drop of dish soap and a cotton or microfiber cloth to remove the stain. You could also dust the photo frames, making sure the cleaning agent doesn’t seep through the corners of the frame and ruin the photographs.

Clean the windows and window sills

The windows are often overlooked but can make a huge difference once cleaned and dusted. Start by washing the outside area of your windows with a glass cleaner and using a squeegee to remove the excess water. You can then move to clean the inner part of the window. Make sure you fix any streaks and wipe the window sills clean.

Get rid of clutter

Now that your ceiling, walls, and windows are clean, you can then move on to decluttering your living room. Clutter overwhelms your space, making it look smaller and more crowded. Identify items you no longer use and find a new place to store them if you cannot throw them away.

Tackle the floor

Getting rid of clutter will help expose more floor and carpeted areas. To give your floors and carpet a thorough clean, you will need to move furniture out of the way. If you cannot clean the carpet by yourself, you could hire a carpet cleaning service to lend a helping hand.

Wipe all surfaces

Use a furniture cleaner for hard surfaces such as wood and built-in shelves to get rid of loose dirt and stains. If you want to move faster, insert one hand into an old sock and use the other hand to get objects out of your way as you wipe. We recommend using a lint roller to deep clean lampshades.

Refresh your window treatments

It wouldn’t be ideal to leave dusty window treatments on clean windows. If you prefer not to take down your curtains and blinds, we recommend vacuuming them using a brush attachment while they are still in place. Another excellent alternative would be to fluff your window treatments in the dryer while getting rid of the dust on the curtain rods and rings.

Deep Clean Your Living Room

A clean home makes you feel more comfortable and relaxed. You will also be less hesitant to invite guests over to your house when your living room looks spic and span. We hope this article has been helpful.

Categories
Adulting Business Finances

Want Your Business to Succeed? Educate Yourself on the Top Reasons for Failure Here

If you want your company to succeed, educating yourself on the top reasons for failure can make a difference. It gives you the chance to avoid mistakes and helps you take actionable steps to secure your business prosperity.

Top Reasons for Failure
Source

Top Reasons for Failure Within Your Business

Financing Issues

One of the top reasons for failure is that they do not have enough funding or working capital. In most situations, business owners know how much money they need to keep things running smoothly. This number could include payroll, overhead expenses, and payments to outside vendors.

Owners of a failing business tend to be less in-tune to things like this and make mistakes that lead to debt. A second reason many small businesses fail is that owners tend to miss the mark on pricing services and products.

If you want to work around this, you need to make sure you have a solid plan. You also must make sure you have everything ready for your marketing and investments. Creating a website is a frequently underestimated cost, so make sure to work with a good company such as WebX360.com, so you can gain an understanding of your project before you go ahead and get started.

 Poor Management

Another reason why small companies fail is that they do not have a good management team. In some situations, a business owner is the only person with leadership within an organization. Although you might have the skills required to create and sell a viable product or even a service, you may not have the managerial experience required to oversee a team. Without a team like this, you may find that you have way more potential to mismanage certain aspects of your company, whether it is through marketing, hiring, financing, or anything else of the sort.

Poor Planning

Some businesses often overlook how important it is to plan everything properly. You should make sure that your business plan includes a clear description of what you offer, as well as a projection of your current and future needs. Document any threats or opportunities that may impact you within the broader market. If you are a business owner and do not formulate a plan before you begin your operation, you will set yourself up for failure. On top of this, you may find that you can’t adapt quickly enough to the market or the industry.

Marketing Mishaps

Business owners can’t always prepare for the marketing needs of their company. If a company underestimated the cost of its marketing campaign, it might find it very difficult to secure financing or redirect capital from other business departments. If you want to avoid this, then you need to assess your marketing needs thoroughly, and you also need to make sure that you are never under marketing or over marketing your company.

Top Reasons for Failure

Now that you know the top reasons for failure within your business, you can prepare for them. With preparation, you are more likely to succeed and reach all of your goals. Do you have any other tips to add? Leave a comment and let us know. 🙂

Categories
Adulting Health Healthy Living Mental Health

Keep Your Health On The Right Track Later In Life with these 4 Easy Tips

As you age, your body and mind continue to change. The changes can cause you to develop health issues that may impact your quality of life. Let’s explore some of the steps you can take to keep your health on the right track. 

Keep Your Health On The Right Track
Source

How to Keep Your Health On The Right Track

Keep Exercising The Right Way

First, you must make sure you are exercising, and more importantly, exercising the right way. You might think that you must do strenuous exercise routines such as weight lifting to gain the benefits from exercise. However, this is not the case, and putting too much pressure on your body could do more harm than good. Instead, you should make sure that you explore other options when exercising, such as yoga or even a gentle walk. Both possibilities will provide the benefit for your body that you need without the concern of a potential injury.

Get The Support You Need

You will likely want to hold onto your independence as much as possible when you get older. While this is understandable, you may need to prepare for some changes that will require you to take advantage of more support. For instance, you could experience signs of cognitive decline. If that’s the case, you may need the help of a caregiver. Consumer choice options provide you with the ability to choose the right level of support that will deliver the benefits you need. 

Train Your Mind 

Next, you should think about exploring ways to train your mind as you get older. When you age, you may experience certain forms of cognitive decline. By exercising your mind and treating it like a muscle, you can make sure that you can avoid issues here. For instance, you might want to think about completing brain teasers daily. Research also suggests that playing video games can ensure you keep your brain active.

De-Stress

Finally, you should make sure that you are taking steps to de-stress. As you get older, it’s more common for stress to impact your health in many ways. Stress can also become more damaging to your health because it’s harder to handle. To tackle stress, you must make sure that you find new ways to relax, such as meditating. Research shows that meditation opens new pathways in the brain, ensuring it’s easier to tackle concerns with tension. 

Keep Your Health On The Right Track

We hope this helps you understand some of the steps that you can take to ensure that your health remains on the right track, even in later stages of your life. By taking the necessary steps, you can guarantee that you don’t have to worry about trouble with your health declining once you reach a certain age.

Categories
Adulting For the Home Home

5 Reasons Your Planned Renovations Can Go Wrong in 2022

Planned Renovations Can Go Wrong

There are many surprising reasons your planned renovations can go wrong in 2022. War, the economy, and a still uncertain Covid-19 are just a few reasons. Understanding the potential setbacks can help you prepare for them before dedicating yourself to updates in your home.

Planned Renovations Can Go Wrong
Source

Why Your Planned Renovations Can Go Wrong

Delays and Backed-Up Jobs

Contractors, architects, and construction workers will have health problems throughout winter and into the coming spring. These can cause staff absences and delays. For example, illnesses like norovirus, arthritis, and influenza are more likely to worsen during known “flu seasons” in early winter and spring. Together, these account for missed milestones of housing projects such as roof wind damage repair. And you might become sick yourself. Additionally, Coronavirus still affects millions worldwide, as they come to terms with personal loss and long Covid.  

Supply Chain Issues

Because of the war in Ukraine, the global supply chain issue affecting the world will become far worse. Due to inflated prices, oil and gas supplies are set to spiral out of control. Much-needed materials could become unavailable due to sanctions placed on Russia. On top of that, there are global shipping problems and the current pandemic. Some materials are either too slow to arrive or aren’t available at all.

Unpredictable Weather: Reasons Planned Renovations Can Go Wrong

Every season brings different weather, and despite autumn and winter being colder, other conditions are more prevalent in the spring and summer. For example, storms bring wind and rain, which can be disastrous for a project. Renovations can be a bit tough during this time and can hurt your budget. And If you renovate houses to sell as your business, your income could be adversely affected. Therefore, you might have to put a project on hold if the weather gets bad enough. For instance, delays are possible when a clear day turns into thunderstorms and wind.

Money and the Economy

Going over budget is one of the primary causes of spiraling renovation costs. While you should include a cushion, running out of money is a disaster for renovation. Additionally, you might be tempted to use available cash for seasonal activities such as a summer vacation. As a result, you might not keep the funds you need for your renovation project. Under no circumstances should you use money earmarked for your housing because there is a slippery slope to dipping into your renovation budget.

Covid-19 Variants

Since the pandemic began, the world has lost over 5 million people. Although vaccination efforts work well, they aren’t 100% effective against contracting the virus. So, remain vigilant when working with others. Additionally, there is no guarantee that another variant won’t emerge at some point in the year. Another variant would likely cause more misery similar to what we have seen over the past two years. It might be best to factor in time allowances just in case.

Planned Renovations Can Go Wrong

War, supply chain issues, and the pandemic are likely to cause delays to your renovations this year. It’s best to plan for all eventualities and expect problems to arise. When you plan for setbacks, they’ll be easier to manage, and you won’t feel as overwhelmed during the process.