Christmas 2021 Planning (& No, It’s Not Too Early After Last Year’s Disappointment)

August 29, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Let’s face it; Christmas 2020 wasn’t our greatest. While normality hasn’t truly returned, there is no doubt that this festive period is set to be far better. 

If you truly want to make up for last year’s subdued celebrations, now is the time to get planning. Here are some items that should be on your checklist to ensure that this festive period is just like the ones you used to know.

Dress To Impress

Looking festive will put you in a festive mood. So, checking out Christmas t shirts for women, men, and children is highly advised. You can also wear festive hats and jewelry to heighten the experience. In truth, a lot of families couldn’t see the point in wearing festive items last year, especially if they couldn’t see friends. However, it’s one of the best ways to spread some cheer in the weeks leading up to December 25th. 

It is very likely that there will be a rush. So, it’s probably wise to buy the items in advance.

Decorate The Home

You probably added some home decorations last year, but it’s likely that you were a little more subtle than usual. After all, you wasn’t going to host anyone else. The situation has changed for 2021, which makes it a great time to think about getting a new tree and decorations. Festive garden lights and wreaths are great too. Last year, seeing those items actually felt disappointing. This year, it will fill you with joy.

Family meals and watching festive films will feel better than ever.

Make The Most Of Markets

Many attractions were closed last Christmas for obvious reasons. They will return in 2021, however, and their previous absence has made the heart grow fonder. Visiting Christmas markets can provide some truly magical moments. Cocoa, handmade gifts, and carol singing recitals will all bring the magic back to our lives. And it will go a long way to making life feel normal once again after what has been a very testing 18 months.

Local events that promote a united community should be a key feature of Christmas 2021.

Plan The Ultimate Meal

Whether it’s Christmas Day or another date in December, the big group meal is vital. You may find that you want to do something completely different with a winter BBQ. Even so, being surrounded with people that you saw very little of in 2020 will feel extra special. And knowing that members of your household are back to enjoying life to the max is rewarding too. It’s something we took for granted before, but will adore this festive season. 

You may also want to think about purchasing some games for the festivities.

Giving Back 

While last year’s festivities were subdued, they taught us to gain some perspective. The heightened sense of gratitude and appreciation for what we have should encourage you to give back. Families have lost loved ones while refugees have had to flee warzones too. There are many ways that you can show altruism this festive season. And when you do, the benefits for your personal mindset are clear.

And when you end 2021 in such a positive way, it’ll help you start 2022 in style too.

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6 Tips for Magnifying Meaningful Moments in Your Life

August 29, 2021 by Leave a Comment

In life, we all rely on moments of meaning in order to maintain a sense of purpose, and to thrive to the greatest possible extent in one way or another.

photo via heyweddinglady.com

The sense that life is meaningful is one of the most important things of all, when it comes to helping to establish and safeguard an overall sense of well-being, and to help us to thrive, experience the best of life, and withstand the negative and challenging experiences that always arise from time to time.

There are all sorts of different meaningful moments that are likely to occur in your life, ranging from things like your wedding, or the birth of a child, to somewhat more everyday events like starting a new job, buying a house, or achieving some particular personal goal or milestone that helps you to feel your best, and to experience a sense of positivity and pride.

While there are already likely to be all sorts of positive and meaningful moments in your life, taking whatever steps you can to enhance that meaning and magnify it, and to really appreciate it to the greatest possible extent, is certainly something worth doing that can be deeply rewarding in and of itself.

Here are just a few tips for magnifying meaningful moments in your life, and putting yourself in a situation where you are better able to appreciate and engage with them.

Be present to actually enjoy those moments, instead of being distracted

First things first: any meaningful moment in your life is bound to be exponentially more enjoyable and positive, if you’re actually able to be present and engaged in the moment, as opposed to being overly distracted and caught up in concerns or considerations of other things.

In life, a simple inability to actually be present and to appreciate what’s right in front of us, is often at the heart of much frustration, dissatisfaction, restlessness, and an overall sense of a lack of meaning.

Something similar could happen on vacation trips, for example. Imagine that you are visiting a beautiful and scenic locale that has the potential to be deeply positive, moving, and inspirational in a variety of different ways – but instead of actually being there and appreciating the experience fully and directly, you arrive at your destination with a huge number of different presumptions, expectations, and assorted preoccupations.

In this kind of situation, you may be so distracted and wrapped up in your own assumptions, mental projections, and assorted concerns, that you are barely even aware of the experience itself – never mind being present enough to really enjoy it and let it unfold to you without excess concerns and preoccupations.

If, instead, you can let as much of that other stuff “go” as possible, and be present in the moment, you’re likely to have a much more positive overall experience – and are likely to find a lot more meaning in the experience than you otherwise would.

Use appropriate props and ornaments to highlight the experience

Whenever you’ve got a great life event coming up, such as your wedding, using custom-made and beautiful invitations from a company like MagnetStreet is just one way that you can help to magnify and highlight the meaning and significance of the experience, and make it as positive as possible.

As human beings, we all tend to be deeply influenced by things of a symbolic nature – whether that’s something like a particular ornament that we use to highlight the significance and value of a particular event, or whether it’s something like a particular routine or ritual that we use for the same purpose, among other things.

There’s a reason why the majority of people enjoy celebrating things like birthdays and annual holidays – it because taking the time to actively commemorate these things and appreciate the fact they stand out as having heightened significance and meaning, is a great way of getting in touch with the deeper and more positive and engaging aspects of life as a whole.

So, whenever you want to really magnify the meaningful moments in your life to the greatest possible extent, keep these sorts of things in mind.

Orient and align yourself with meaningful paths and courses of action in everyday life

It is always possible to live life in a more or a less meaningful way, depending on the basic choices that you make on a daily basis – and, as a general rule, the more that you focus on pursuing courses of action on a daily basis that connect you with a higher sense of meaning, the more this will spill over and influence your other experiences as well, and your life as a whole.

Magnifying, highlighting, and fully appreciating the most meaningful moments of your life – occasions like weddings, birthdays, and so on – is always going to be a bit more difficult to achieve, as a rule, if you feel that the basic course of your life as a whole, on a daily basis, is more or less devoid of meaning and is frustrating in and of itself.

On the other hand, if you put yourself in a situation where your day-to-day habits, the direction of your career, and the way you interact with each day and the moments it contains, all feel meaningful, the likelier it is that those more significant moments will be magnified even more.

So, it’s important to ask yourself certain questions – such as, for example, are you satisfied with your everyday experience and circumstances, or are you stuck in a rut, and are just allowing things to stagnate as you go with the flow?

The more you can address and correct features of your everyday life that end up diminishing your overall sense of meaning, the more you’ll be able to properly enjoy life as a whole, and feel a sense of thriving in both the big and small moments alike.

Get your loved ones involved

All meaningful events, ranging from weddings to the birth of a new child, or birthdays – to name just a few – are bound to be significantly more meaningful, positive, and enjoyable, if you have your loved ones present to share in those experiences with you.

Human beings have been described as “social animals,” and it’s certainly the case that everyone – even the most introverted among us – needs a certain amount of close social contact with those we cherish most life, in order to truly thrive and feel as though we are living our lives in the most meaningful and positive sort of way.

Although it’s not necessarily going to be feasible – or even possible – to get all of your loved ones together in order to share in every potentially significant moment that you experience throughout day-to-day life, it is likely to be possible to get your loved ones involved in at least some of the most significant moments that you experience over the course of your life.

What’s more, it’s certainly worth making the effort to do this, in order to really highlight and underscore the significance and meaningfulness of those moments.

Take steps to actively reduce your overall stress levels

It’s probably fair to say that almost everyone realises that chronic and excessive stress is detrimental for overall health, and for experiencing an enduring and positive sense of well-being in life.

Nonetheless, chronic stress is still unfortunately very common – and its negative consequences can be even more insidious and detrimental than you might at first imagine.

For example, when you are highly and chronically stressed, you might really struggle to actually be consciously present and engaged in those moments that should, ultimately, feel the most meaningful to you in a range of different ways.

When you have all sorts of concerns on your mind, and all sorts of things that are stressing you out and exhausting you, it is just likely to be a lot more difficult for you to actually enjoy and connect with those meaningful moments in your life, in the way that you will ultimately want.

In the case of a wedding, for example, you’re meant to be celebrating your love, commitment, and connection to your significant other – a person who means the world to you, and vice versa. But if your mind is constantly going to something like upcoming bills, or a project that has been frustrating you at work, the entire day may pass you by without you really spending it in the right frame of mind.

Taking steps to actually reduce your overall stress levels can really help to highlight and deepen the sense of meaning in everyday life.

Get in touch with the voice of your inner intuitions

Often, when we end up straying from paths and directions in life that feel innately meaningful to us, it will be – at least in part – because we have lost touch with our inner intuitions and sense of what’s really meaningful and significant.

If this is the case, pausing and paying attention to what that little voice inside you says, and the direction it points you in, can be an extremely powerful and significant thing to do in order to highlight and deepen your sense of meaning in life, including in those especially significant moments.

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IVF Calculations: How To Calculate Pregnancy Weeks After IVF

August 25, 2021 by Leave a Comment

One of the first questions a parent-to-be will ask after discovering they are pregnant is ‘when is my baby due?’ And this is the same for IVF parents as it is for those who fall pregnant naturally. But while the due date for a natural pregnancy is based on the menstrual cycle, for IVF it is normally based on what is known as the ‘embryonic age’. 

Here’s all you need to know about IVF calculations and how to calculate pregnancy weeks after IVF. 

Due date based on menstrual age

The average gestation for a pregnancy is generally taken to be 280 days, or 40 weeks. For a natural pregnancy, the pregnancy weeks are taken from the start of a woman’s last period, assuming she ovulated 14 days later. This gives an estimated due date for the baby based on the menstrual age and is the guide most obstetricians work to. 

Due date based on embryonic age

However, when it comes to calculating the due date for a pregnancy that is the result of IVF treatment, things need to be done a little differently as you don’t always know the date of your last period. But what you do have is a more organised calendar in terms of ovulation, egg retrieval and implantation. And it is all of this information, plus the general recognition of a 280-day pregnancy gestation, that is used. 

Calculating a due date after IVF

As IVF – or in vitro fertilisation – occurs outside of the body and in a lab, it is actually possible to know exactly when the egg was fertilised, which can also be translated as the date a woman conceived. However, this is not the start date when calculating the due date of an IVF pregnancy.

Due dates for an IVF pregnancy are actually based on the date the embryo was transferred back into the uterus.  So, working with the 280-day gestation period, plus the 14-day ovulation period and the day you had the embryo transferred, you can work out your baby’s expected due date.

Here is an example: your embryo was transferred on day 5 after IVF, which means your baby’s due date will be 261 days later. 

There are also numerous online calculators which can help you work out your IVF pregnancy calendar. 

Due dates are not set in stone

As well as doing the calculations based on the embryonic age to work out your expected IVF pregnancy due date, your fertility clinic will also closely monitor your pregnancy to ensure the foetus is developing as it should and is reaching its key gestation phases.

However, when it comes to any pregnancy, the anticipated due date is not set in stone, and this also applies to IVF. Premature labour is also a risk of an IVF-assisted conception, particularly with a multiple pregnancy. And more sluggish levels of the hormone progesterone can also mean you may give birth earlier than your calculated due date. 

So, the take-away on IVF calculations is that they are intended as a formulated guide, and your fertility specialist will also work closely with you to assess and monitor your pregnancy’s progress, right up to the birth.

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Why De-Stressing Is More Than Just A Lifestyle Choice

August 25, 2021 by 4 Comments

relax

The experience of stress is presented to us these days almost as something that we need to accept as part of life. Indeed, even the concept of de-stressing is viewed as a lifestyle choice: call it what you want, be it self-care, pampering or anything else, but it often feels as though you’re just expected to accept that stress is going to be there. It’s a negative experience and we all wish it didn’t happen, but hey, it’s a good excuse to buy scented candles.

The truth of the matter is that stress really isn’t something we should accept and wave away with the promise of self-care. The truest form of self-care is seeking to eliminate stress altogether. And that sounds difficult, because it is, but let’s imagine for a moment that you had asbestos in your loft. You know how dangerous asbestos is, and all the health issues it can cause, so even if it took a lot of time and money to have it removed, you’d go ahead and get it out of there. Well, let’s look at some of what stress can do to you, and why it’s important to see de-stressing as more than just a lifestyle step, but an essential decision.

Stress messes with your hormones

One of the primary responses to a stressful situation sees our bodies produce more of a hormone known as cortisol. Cortisol has its uses – it stimulates our energy production and our focus, allowing us to act decisively in perilous situations. However, it is not meant to be produced in large quantities on an ongoing basis, and when it is present for a prolonged period it leads to imbalances – the results of which can get pretty serious.

Particularly in men, an overproduction of stress hormones can lead to increased hair loss. While this is something that can be handily treated with a course of Regaine or similar, it’s no surprise that the issues don’t end there. Weight gain and high blood pressure are both significant risks from stress-related hormonal imbalance. So, too, is insomnia. And even if all of these sound like quite nebulous threats, bear in mind that these hormonal imbalances can cause you to be more prone to infections – something you can’t battle with positive thinking. For women, there is also the significant concern of what stress can do to the menstrual cycle – periods can be delayed, lighter, heavier or even missed entirely.

Stress can cause and aggravate digestive issues

It’s thankfully less prominent these days, but there is a mindset that considers stress to be something that is “all in the mind”. Even if that were true, something that affects your mind can be awful to deal with. But also, it’s definitely not true. Stress has been proven to affect human digestion in a number of ways, and it shouldn’t even be a surprise given how we often refer to stressful situations.

We all know the phrase “to have butterflies in your stomach”. It refers to a situation of nervous anxiety where it feels as though our stomach is unsettled and jumpy. The reason it feels that way is that our digestive system is home to a system of nerve endings and neurons that is larger and more intricate than any outside our brains. In times of particular stress, the blood flow is redirected away from the stomach, compromising its ability to process food, and this can cause and aggravate a wide range of disorders from IBD and GERD, all the way through to stomach ulcers – which can be serious enough to have fatal consequences.

Stress affects the heart

As we’ve already noted, the impact of stress on the mind and body has far-reaching consequences, many of which are to do with hormones and other compounds. These ingredients make their way around the body in the bloodstream, and when we are experiencing stress and its myriad health effects, it should come as no surprise that the heart is performing at a higher intensity than usual. Monitor your pulse during a time of extreme stress and you’ll see that it is hugely accelerated. It won’t be a surprise to learn that this affects the functionality of the heart itself.

For one thing, overwork is detrimental to the function of any bodily organ, including the heart. The organ itself is weakened, but that’s just part of the issue. With increased cortisol production, along with the increase in blood pressure will come higher levels of blood sugar, triglycerides and cholesterol. All of these are potential contributing factors to both heart disease and an increased likelihood of heart attacks. The narrowing of blood vessels that results is also a factor of concern for other serious issues including strokes. All in all, prolonged stress has serious consequences.

So what is the solution?

De-stressing is a vitally important aspect of life, far more important than the way we often talk about it may make it seem. Self-care has come to mean occasional spa trips and binge-watching something new on TV, and both of those things are worthwhile, but won’t make much of a difference on their own. Truly de-stressing will mean a change of mindset: yes, work is important, but it must remain within work hours and not be brought home; problems need to be brought out into the light and solutions found, rather than trying to suppress the worry you’re going to feel no matter what.

It may be impossible to live a life that is free from stress – it’s a downside of having emotions. The essential lesson you need to learn is that stress does its real damage when it is allowed to build. You may not relish the idea of talking to a boss or a friend and asking for help or understanding about a commitment you might need to rethink. However, think about it in terms of the stress you can lift off of you, and the health problems that stress could otherwise cause. It’s not weak or selfish to focus on yourself when you’re stressed – it’s for the best, for everyone.

Filed Under: health Tagged With: ,

6 Back to School Necessities

August 20, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Summer is many people’s favorite season of the year, and for a good reason too. You get to soak up the sunlight, visit beaches, stay up late, see your favorite shows and spend quality time with your family. However, as the summer starts winding down, you want to slide back into work and school mode gradually. 

kids back to school

The back-to-school season is fast approaching. The earlier you make plans, the better the transition is. There are several items that can help families transition seamlessly and put everyone in the right frame of mind. 

  1. Alarm Clock 

After getting used to waking up and sleeping at odd hours, families struggle to make that adjustment to the routine lifestyle of the back-to-school season. However, investing in a good alarm clock can make all the difference. One key to productivity is developing a consistent sleep schedule. An alarm clock comes in handy, especially after all the late-night shows and parties.

Sleeping and waking up at a consistent time helps the internal biological clock. Often, people need help to transition back to this. This is where an alarm clock is useful. 

There are smarter alarms that use vibrations and bright lights rather than the disturbing sound from the typical clock. Some brands now design alarm clocks that mimic the sun. These wake-up lights simulate the dawn and dusk pattern of the sunlight, helping us wake earlier and naturally.  

  1. Vitamins 

The summer season is synonymous with a sedentary lifestyle of binge-watching movies, altering sleep patterns, and dehydration from alcohol use. It is also a season when so many people break their workout routine. Lack of exercise and other patterns affect the immune system. It is thus essential to find the right vitamins to boost the immune system in the back-to-school season. 

The back-to-school season also opens and exposes people to different germs. Vitamin C, E, A, and D help improve the immune system by preventing and fighting off infections. They support biochemical reactions and are a potent source of antioxidants. Sources of these vitamins are almonds, spinach, bell peppers, carrots, pumpkins, salmon, among others. 

It can often be an uphill task to get the recommended amount of vitamins the body needs from food. Nutritionists often recommend supplements. Supplements come in capsules, tablets, soft gel, powders, and gummies. Gummies are an increasingly popular choice because they are convenient and easy to take on the go. Immune gummies improve the amount of vitamins in the body while strengthening your immune system.

  1. Workout Equipment

It is important to develop a workout routine and stick to it. Knowing your fitness goals will make this easier. Do you want to lose weight or add some muscles? 

Once this is clear, you can focus on being consistent by registering at a gym or buying workout equipment. Equipment like the treadmill or the magnetic exercise bike would make wonderful additions. Also, find activities that would be more engaging for you, such as hiking, swimming, and strolling. This way, you nurture the need for consistency.  

  1. Glass Tupperware

Glass tupperware is an effective food storage container. You want a storage container that can preserve your kids’ food for the longest possible time. They are safer than plastic containers. 

Glass containers are also stronger than plastic and hold heat better. They don’t leak unwanted chemicals into food when heated. They are transparent and more hygienic, making them appropriate for storage. Another alternative is to purchase a lunchbox with adequate insulation. 

  1. Water Bottle

Regular water intake helps prevent infections, regulates body temperature, and delivers nutrients to cells to aid organ functioning. It is important to have a water bottle at work, school, or workout sessions. Stainless steel bottles are a fantastic option for kids to avoid damage. It is also important to purchase a reusable bottle to cut down on plastic waste and environmental pollution.   

  1. Comfortable Shoes

Another item to get off your bucket list for the back-to-school season is comfortable shoes. Work has resumed, and there will be a lot of running around and standing. You need to have comfortable shoes that can handle all that walking. Comfortable shoes are stylish, making them ideal for parents and children. 

Manufacturers make comfortable shoes with breathable materials that prevent foot pain. They aid body posture and prevent leg problems, such as joint ailments. There is a shoe option for every individual need.

Good Health, Good Productivity

Planning for the back-to-school season helps ease the stress and smoothens transition. The aim of the summer season is to resume work feeling rejuvenated. For this to happen, it is essential to prepare and take care of your health in the process. 

    

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How To Get Your Furniture Ready For Moving Day

August 20, 2021 by 4 Comments

No matter if you’re going the DIY-way or have professional movers at your disposal – you need to get your furniture ready for moving day. Unfortunately, moving isn’t just done with packing a few boxes. You also want your furniture to arrive intact at your home. You can do quite a lot to make your move a little easier from the beginning. Don’t forget to schedule a pickup for furniture removal with items you want to let go of.

packing

All Good Preparations Start With Decluttering

Your furniture is most likely filled with all sorts of stuff. But have you looked at your clutter? Packing is actually the perfect opportunity for some serious decluttering. You’re pulling everything out anyway. What you haven’t used in ages can as well leave your space. It’d be a dead weight you’d have less to move.

Go room by room and start packing on time. It’s usually best to start packing a couple of weeks before moving day. Start with the items you need the least over the next few weeks. Go room by room, furniture by furniture. Pull everything out and organize it into keep, sell/donate, and junk boxes. Label the boxes accordingly. 

Do the same with your closet. With drawers you can take advantage of a small trick: declutter the drawers and wrap them up before moving day. You can easily transport every single drawer and save on annoying boxes. 

Since Your Furniture is Empty…

Give your furniture a wipe before the move. Firstly, it’ll be easier to transport and you don’t get dirty hands (or the movers, respectively). Secondly, you don’t carry dirt or grime into your new home. 

Then take a good look at it. Do you really want to take all of it with you? Are there items that’d be ready for furniture removal? You certainly have a good idea already where to put which item in your new home. It should also be mentioned that the less you have to transport, the quicker the move is done. 

And the cheaper it will get, too. If it’s wobbly and hard to repair, drop it. If you were thinking of an upgrade, get new furniture delivered to your new home. Drop the rest of it and let the furniture removal take care of the old. 

Disassembly is Crucial

Take each furniture item apart that you can take apart. With some older models, it might not be possible, but more recent furniture can usually be disassembled. For this task, it’s handy to still have the assembly instructions. 

Always keep them, if you can. When you look at the assembly instructions, you basically only have to follow them in reverse order. If not, you’ll have to find your way through each item. 

Collect all screws in a sealable bag for each furniture item. Label it accordingly and either tape it on a piece of the furniture or keep it in an additional small box. If you can, remove legs from tables, too. Also, remove knobs from drawers so they’re easier to stack during transport. 

The reason for disassembly is rather easy to understand: your furniture is not as bulky and easier to transport while it takes up less space in a moving van. You can start disassembly as you pack from each furniture item. Bookshelves are usually very easy to disassemble as well as bed frames. Of course, it’ll be near to impossible, if it’s glued. 

If you’ve chosen to let go of some furniture, you can disassemble it as well. The furniture removal guys could certainly do it, but you’d make their task a little easier. Pay attention that no nails sticking out. 

Wrap it All Up

To make sure your furniture arrives sound and safely in your new home, wrap it up. Use moving blankets and bubble wrap for the more delicate pieces made of glass or ceramics. Moving blankets are perfect for any wooden furniture. Plastic wrap is great to wrap up upholstery to avoid damages. You never know if it might start to rain during the move. Or maybe someone spills a drink. At best, you don’t want to have to call for furniture removal twice.

To save on wrapping material for the smaller bits and pieces, you can wrap dishes in towels, for example. Even though it appears a little chaotic, putting vases or lamps in between bed linen might be as effective. On the upside: you’ll be looking for both items rather soon.

When to Schedule Furniture Removal

Theoretically, the removal team can be around at any time between today and tomorrow. Practically, the guys tend to be rather busy during spring and fall. That’s when most people for a spring or a fall clean and also needs removal. Hence, you might benefit from arranging a pickup in advance. If you’ve got a set date for it, you can easily fit it into your moving schedule. Check your home the day before removal collection for any items you might want to drop. If you forget an item, you’ll have to call them back and pay additional fees.

Fortunately, you usually have a rough idea of which items you’re going to take into your new home. Try to sell your clutter before the guys come around. You won’t only have made a few bucks on the side. What you couldn’t sell can be taken care of by the same team. Such services don’t only remove furniture, but also junk removal.

Parting Words

Since time is likely not on your side during the preparations for your move, hand them your items for donation, too. Almost all services have partnered with charities. They noticed, they often pull out stuff that’s still good to use. What better solution could there be than to hand it to people in need?

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3 Ways You Can Improve Your Confidence Today

August 20, 2021 by 2 Comments

Your confidence has likely been through ups and downs in your life. Nobody is confident all the time; life knocks us down sometimes, either physically or mentally, and we have to do the work of climbing back up. Even people who appear to be confident all the time struggle with their self esteem behind closed doors.

yoga with kids

If possible, you should see if you can figure out what the root cause of your confidence issues is. Sometimes this is easier said than done, but there might be a concrete reason while you’re struggling. For example, if you were recently injured, then the change in your lifestyle and circumstances might have knocked your confidence.

The upside with finding a reason is that you can do something about it. For example, if your injury is because of an accident at work, then a workers compensation lawyer might be able to help you to get compensation. It won’t solve everything, but it does help. However, sometimes you can’t find one single cause for your low confidence. The good news is that you can still do something about it.

If you are experiencing a downturn in your confidence, it’s time to start making changes. While there’s no quick-fix to a period of low self esteem, the following tips can help strengthen your resolve and make baby steps towards confidence progress.

Make the changes you’ve been wanting to make for a while.

If you have wanted to make changes to your life for a while, and they are weighing on your mind and affecting your confidence, there is no time like the present. You could have been putting off a big shift because the idea of it is just too scary.

Whether this is a small change, such as getting invisible braces or dying your hair; or larger changes, such as leaving an unhappy relationship or moving house; you deserve to have a life you love. Making changes is never easy, but the trade-up for these scary moments is getting a life you actually want to live. 

‘Fake it til you make it’ with your body confidence.

Body confidence is one of those lifelong challenges that never stops being tricky. Sometimes, the best policy is to fake it til you make it. Ask yourself, ‘What would I wear today if I loved my body?’ then wear the outfit. Ask yourself, ‘What would I do today if I weren’t self conscious about my body?’ then do that activity. Try to act like you love your body, even if, right now, you don’t. You’d be amazed at how much this mindset can help actually shift how you feel about your body in the long term. 

Seek guidance to figure out the cause of your self esteem problems.

If you have been struggling with your confidence for a long time, perhaps this is a sign you need more professional help. Counselling and psychotherapy have been instrumental in changing so many people’s lives, and you could be one of them.

Speaking to a professional about your deepest, darkest fears is tough. It’s not easy to open yourself up to a total stranger, even in a safe environment. But digging deep and realizing that you deserve to have a wonderful, shame-free life might be the motivation you need to start this scary, but worthwhile journey. 

Searching for a therapist can be tricky; there are different types of therapy that all have specific price tags and requirements. Speak with your doctor to find the best type of therapy for what you are going through.

Final thoughts…

Feeling like you lack confidence? Use this guide to help you out. You deserve to feel great about yourself, but sometimes you need to take a journey before you reach that place. 

 

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5 Tips to Create a Seamless Transition between Interior and Exterior

August 20, 2021 by Leave a Comment

When it comes to the interiors and exteriors of your home, it’s certainly possible to make it flow. The transition of indoors going out is something that many homes around the world do in warmer climates. You don’t even need to live in a year-round warm climate to achieve a seamless transition between indoors and outdoors. This guide will help you feel more connected to nature and create healthy air flow by creating a seamless transition.

large windows

Large windows

If you look at pictures of cabanas, you’ll notice there are giant walkways (such as arches) or large windows. Large windows would be the best way for most houses. This is a great way to open up your home to the outside world by bringing in more natural light and fresh air. Removing your walls between the backyard and your house and placing large windows, will result in the indoor space having a large appearance.

Sliding Doors

Both sliding doors and concertina doors perfectly complement large windows. This will also create the illusion of a larger interior while also bringing in more natural light. This also continues the flow on the wall that the large windows create. The “walls” between the inside and outside disappear once the door is open, which then beautifully combines the two elements. The larger the opening, the better the transition. This will also help encourage you to wander outside as well.

Lighting

Light has the power to blend spaced. Natural lighting brings the outdoor lighting in, but the same can also happen for the artificial lighting in the house. Proper lighting can make both interior and exterior lighting feel cozier and create a nice atmosphere. There are plenty of ways to make this sustainable and energy effect such as looking into community solar in MA to help utilize that method. Having steady lighting between both spaces will create a nice blend that can then help illuminate particular parts of the space such as the use of fairy lights.

Decorative accents

Decorative pieces can be both flexible but can also be a great way to help with organizing your home. You’ll want to find decorative accents and even furniture that can be used both indoors and outdoors. This tip is a great way to create a seamless transition while looking stylish too. A great example would be wicker material. Wicker chairs and wicker décor such as baskets are extremely flexible as they can be used both indoors and outdoors while also looking completely fantastic.

You will however want to consider what other materials that you use as it will need to be durable when it’s outside. Another great idea would be to incorporating textiles such as cushions and rugs since these are flexible enough to be used in bother spaced.

Floor levels

This may be an odd tip, but if you’re able to avoid any floor level changes between the interior and exterior transition, then this could be a way to make it seamless. Steps are usually the dividers when it comes to these two spaces. But having the floor levels not change, as in no steps, will help prevent both a visual and mental break between the interior and the exterior of the home. 

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