Workaholic Much? How to Leave Your Work at the Office

March 26, 2012 by

Work FrustrationDo you find yourself sitting at the dinner table, lying in bed, or trying to relax on vacation while stressing out about your responsibilities at work?

Is it hard to chill out and enjoy your hobbies without the stress of the workplace and your responsibilities in the back of your mind?

In our culture the workplace is becoming even more important and with how email, cell phones, and other devices have made us more connected it is even harder to leave it behind at the end of the day.

If you want to learn how to leave your work at the office and enjoy your free time more, here are a few tips.

  • Shut off your devices. As soon as you arrive at home, turn off your Blackberry and don’t check your emails until the next morning. The emails will still be there tomorrow and this is not the time to respond to them.
  • Make a happy playlist and listen to it in your car on the way home. Music is a great emotional trigger and when you hear your favourite songs you will feel much better.
  • If you have had a stressful day, ask your partner to allow you 15 minutes to vent. You can set the timer to stay on track and once your time is up, you are not allowed to say anything else about work for the rest of the night.
  • Spend time with your family. Go outside and play a game of soccer with the kids, watch a movie with your partner, or take the family and the dog out for a walk in the park. You will quickly forget about your work worries and focus on the people you love instead.
  • Sometimes we get worn out and stressed because we don’t take enough time for ourselves. Schedule in a hot bath, a favourite TV show, or a quiet moment to sip a cup of tea and read a good book.

The most important thing to remember is that if your workplace continues to be stressful and consumes your thoughts for too long, it might be healthier to seek work somewhere else.

Life is too short to spend feeling stressed out about your job!

Filed Under: Personal Development Tagged With: , ,

How to Deal With an Angry Person

March 24, 2012 by

Angry BoyIn a perfect world we would all deal with our issues by calmly discussing them with each other and using logic and understanding to come to a fair conclusion.

However, unfortunately this is not a perfect world and throughout your life you will encounter many people who will take out their anger and frustration on you.

Perhaps it’s your landlord insisting that he has the right to change your rental agreement even when he doesn’t, maybe it’s your boss getting frustrated when something goes wrong at work, or it might even be a total stranger who you accidentally bump into while driving your car.

Perhaps they have a point and often they don’t, but the problem is that they deal with the issue in a way that involves shouting, confrontation, threats, and tantrums of all-out rage.

How can you deal with these intimidating behaviors and make sure that the situation is resolved in a fair way?

Keep Your Cool

Remember that it is likely that most of this person’s shouting and bravado is just a show to try to intimidate you. They will hurl threats and insults in your direction because they are trying to make you scared of them so that they will get their way.

If you stay calm and don’t let what they are saying affect you, this will take away a lot of their power.

Discuss the Plain Facts

When someone is angry they will want to make the issue into something emotional and will be trying to blame you, upset you, or make you angry as well. Try to cut emotion out of the issue altogether and think about the basic facts of what happened.

Either they have a point about what you have done wrong, which is when you can admit to your faults and apologize, or they are wrong and you have not done anything inappropriate. In this case, stand your ground and don’t let yourself get bullied or harassed into admitting fault when you did nothing wrong.

Speak calmly and clearly and defend your position. Hopefully they will soon see the logic in your argument and they will back down.

Protect Yourself

If you are ever in a situation where you feel like the angry person is a threat to you, make sure that you seek safety. Angry people can be dangerous and unpredictable and might become violent, especially if they are frustrated that they cannot use their anger to control you.

Know where you can get help if they start to attack you and remember that if they physically hurt you this is assault and you can call the police.

Good luck dealing with the angry people in your life and resolving your conflicts in a confident and positive way.

 

Filed Under: Personal Development Tagged With: , ,

How to Boost Your Energy Level

March 21, 2012 by

TiredAre you feeling lethargic and tired?

Having low energy levels can make even the most basic tasks seem daunting and can really negatively affect your productivity.

When we are at work and we feel our energy levels start to drop we are more likely to get distracted and be lead off task, or make errors and mistakes in our work.

How can you lift your energy levels so that you can get more done and take on life?

  • Get some exercise. Go for a ten minute walk, do some yoga, or dance around the room to a good song. Getting your body moving will increase circulation, boost happy endorphins and give you a burst of energy.
  • Take a quick nap. This doesn’t work for everyone because some people find that sleeping in the middle of the day makes them feel even groggier. However, if you can lie down for a quick 10-30 minute snooze this can sometimes really reinvigorate you.
  • Talk to someone who inspires you. When you speak to a positive friend this can really boost your energy.
  • Choose something small and easily achievable on your to-do list and get it done. The satisfaction of checking off that item will make you feel great and give you more energy.
  • Avoid reaching for sugary snacks to give you a boost of energy. Sure, they will make you a bit hyper for a while but then you will get a post-sugar-binge crash and that is not pretty. Instead, look for healthy treats such as granola bars, fruit, nuts and water which will give you lasting energy.
  • Breathe deeply! You might be feeling less energetic because you are not getting enough oxygen, so sit up straight and take a few deep breaths in through your nose and exhale slowly out through your mouth.

These are just a few ways that you can revitalize yourself quickly and get your energy levels high again so that you can achieve something great today!

Filed Under: Health and Wellness Tagged With: , ,

Did You Know Your Friends Can Make You Sick?

March 19, 2012 by

Angry GorillaWe all know how having a frustrating friend or negative roommate can be annoying, but did you know that it can actually be bad for your health?

Bad Interactions Increase Inflammation

A study from the University of California in Los Angeles has linked negative social interactions with increased inflammation, an immune system response to fighting infections.

Inflammation itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it can lead to health problems further down the road. If the body suffers from chronic inflammation it can lead to several health issues including hypertension, coronary heart disease, depression, diabetes and even cancer.

How the Study Worked

The study had 122 healthy young adults keep a diary of their social interactions, such as conflicts with messy and rude roommates, competition with others at school, and time spent with friends.

They then measured the levels of cytokine in their bodies. They found that the study participants who had the most negative or stressful interactions with others had a higher level of cytokine which is a protein that causes inflammation.

Effects Accumulate Over Time

The researchers hypothesized that repeated exposure over many years to a negative social situation could cause serious health problems especially in people who are genetically predisposed to heart disease or arthritis.

So how can you avoid negative social situations from having an adverse affect on your health?

One strategy is to surround yourself with supportive, positive, and encouraging people who you get along with.

However, you can’t always control who you spend your time with and you might end up with an irritating co-worker or neighbor that you are forced to interact with.

When you do have to deal with a person who grinds your gears, approach the situation as calmly as possible and try not to focus on your negative feelings.

Deal with them in the best way you can and don’t dwell on how much they stress you out.

Filed Under: Health and Wellness Tagged With: , , ,

Are You Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day?

March 17, 2012 by

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Do you know the story behind this Irish holiday?

The History of St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patricks DaySt. Patrick was born in the 4th century, to parents who were the deacons of the Church. He was kidnapped as a teenager by Irish raiders and made a slave.

He claims that he was visited by God in a dream, who told him to run away from captivity and head towards the coast, where he would find a ship that would take him back to Britain. He later joined the church and became a priest.

Many years later he was called back to Ireland once he had become a Bishop, to convert the Irish people from their native beliefs of polytheism to Christianity.

The shamrock has become a symbol of St. Patrick’s Day because St. Patrick used it to explain the Christian concept of the Holy Trinity to the people of Ireland.

March 17 was the day that he died and was buried at Downpatrick.

St. Patrick’s Day in the USA

Since there are so many Irish descendents in the USA, St. Patrick’s Day is a much-celebrated holiday here.

There are many celebrations all over the country featuring parades, displays of green shamrocks, large feasts, religious observances, copious amounts of alcohol, and lively parades.

People who are participating in Lent are allowed to break their sacrifices for one day in order to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, making this one of the leading days for alcohol consumption in the USA.

The tradition is to wear green clothing on St. Patrick’s Day and those who are caught without an item of green clothing are pinched by their friends as punishment.

Tips for Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day

If you are going to be joining in the Irish fun this year, here are some ideas of what you can do on March 17th:

  • Head to an Irish Pub for a drink and a bite to eat. You don’t have to go all the way to Ireland, as almost every city in America will have at least one Irish drinking establishment. Try a hearty glass of Guinness or a fine Irish whiskey to wash down a traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage or Irish stew.
  • Don’t forget to wear green, unless you want to get pinched! Anything green will do, even a scarf or a hat.
  • Go to a parade. There are hundreds of St. Patrick’s Day parades all around the USA, from Boston to New York to Chicago. The city of Savannah, Georgia even dyes its downtown fountains green during the celebration.

Have fun celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this March and enjoy this ancient Irish tradition!

Filed Under: National Holiday Tagged With: , , ,

Want Beautiful Skin? Foods to Eat to Make Your Skin Glow

March 16, 2012 by

Beautiful SkinHave you ever heard the expression “you are what you eat?”

When it comes to beautiful skin, it couldn’t be truer. The healthier your diet is, the more your skin will look firm, even, clear and healthy.

If you have a poor diet it can leave your skin looking blemished, sallow, dry, red, irritated or otherwise unattractive.

No matter how many expensive face creams and cleansers you spend your money on, changing your diet will have a much greater effect of the overall look of your skin.

Here are a few delicious and healthy foods that will give you glowing and beautiful skin:

Water: The number one change you can make to your diet to improve your skin is to drink more water. It will help your skin look moist and soft, and it will flush out toxins from your body.

Cantaloupe: High in antioxidants, this delicious fruit will help your body to absorb free radicals and reduce skin problems.

Broccoli: This vegetable is very high in Vitamin A, which is the vitamin which encourages your body to create new skin cells. If you eat more broccoli, your skin will be renewed more quickly and the healthy and fresh skin will show through.

Salmon: This tasty fish, as well as other fishes such as tuna and sardines, is full of Omega 3. This is a type of “good fat” which our body needs, and it will help to reduce inflammation in the skin.

Grapefruit:  This zesty breakfast treat is high in Vitamin C, which helps to delay or reduce wrinkles in the skin.

Lean Red Meat: If your skin is looking pale and sallow, you might have an iron deficiency in your diet. Lean red meat which is low in fat is a healthy way to increase your iron intake. If you don’t eat red meat, eggs are an alternate source.

Almonds: This snack is filled with Vitamin E, which protects your skin against sun damage.

Include these healthy items on your next supermarket shopping trip, and see if they make a difference in the health and appearance of your skin!

Filed Under: Health and Wellness Tagged With: , , ,

How to Make Your House Look Clean When Last Minute Visitors Drop By

March 14, 2012 by

woman cleaningThe phone rings. It’s your relatives.

They are in the area and they thought they would drop by to say hello.

Is it OK if they come to visit in about 15 minutes?

You say that is fine and hang up the phone, and then look around in horror at the state of your house. How will you ever make it presentable for guests at such short notice?

While you might keep your house generally clean, there are always times when it is a bit cluttered or grimy. If you have last minute guests on their way and you need to make your house look tidy even when it is not, here are some quick-clean tips:

  • Clean the shiny surfaces of the house, such as mirrors, stainless steel sinks, and stove handles. These shiny objects will make the house look cleaner and will attract attention away from the other not-so-clean surfaces.
  • To avoid streaks on your mirrors, use a squirt of window cleaner and wipe it dry with newspaper.
  • If you need to clear away a lot of clutter quickly before your guests arrive, find a shoebox or some other container and sweep everything into it, then place it out of sight. When you have more time, you can sort out all of the clutter and put it where it needs to go.
  • Your guests will almost always use the bathroom at least once during your stay, so give this room a quick once over. Wipe the sinks and mirrors and give the toilet a quick scrub. Clear away all hair brushes, toothpaste, and other clutter from the counter so that the surface looks more spacious.
  • If you have a pile of dirty dishes and don’t have time to clean them, just hide them in the dishwasher for now. Don’t have a dishwasher? You can hide them in the oven, but don’t forget about them and turn the oven on!

Above all, don’t worry too much. If your guests are stopping by on short notice they will understand if your home isn’t looking absolutely perfect and they will forgive you. Do the best you can, and then relax and enjoy their company.

Filed Under: Home Care Tips Tagged With: , ,

What The Heck Is South by Southwest?

March 12, 2012 by

Austin TexasHave you been noticing a number of people on Twitter writing hash tags for #SXSW and wondering what these letters stand for?

SXSW refers to South by Southwest, which is a huge festival which takes place every spring in Austin, Texas.

This conference lasts for ten days, is one of the biggest events of the year in Austin and includes trade shows, music, film and interactive networking opportunities for innovative and creative people from all over the world.

This year’s festival takes place from March 9-18th, 2012.

The festival brings together the worlds of music, film and interactive media in order to facilitate cooperation and innovation in these fields. Basically, it is a chance for artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, techies, filmmakers and celebrities to collaborate together to create something new and exciting.

Musical Performances

The music component of the festival is one of the largest music festivals in the United States, with more than two thousand bands and performers playing live in more than 90 different venues throughout the city.

This year Fiona Apple will be one of the featured performers and there are rumors that Kanye West and Jay-Z will be surprise performers as well.

New Films

Alongside this is also the SXSW Film Festival, where brand new films by emerging directors are showcased.

One of the much anticipated films to be shown at this year’s festival is “21 Jump Street” which is a comedy featuring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as cops undercover at a local high school investigating a drug ring.

Engaging Lectures

Another fascinating event on this year’s schedule is a lecture by Frank Abagnale, the real life mastermind that the film “Catch Me If You Can” was based on. His stories about cleverly dodging the FBI are sure to be entertaining and intriguing.

These are just a few of the exciting events which will be happening during this year’s SXSW Festival, so why not head to Texas to join in the fun and get connected with creative people from all over the world?

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: , , , ,

Spring Break Travel Ideas for Families

March 10, 2012 by

Spring break can be a great opportunity to spend quality family time with your little ones and enjoy the sunshine.

There are many great destinations to visit during this week off from school and you and your family can enjoy many great activities and attractions.

If you are planning a spring getaway with your family, here are some great ideas of where to go and what to see:

Moody Gardens Swimming PoolMoody Gardens in Galveston, Texas

This family friendly park has everything that children could wish for in a dream vacation: a water park, discovery museum, aquarium, paddle wheeler, and even a rain forest where two-toed sloths and bats can be found!

The enormous swimming pool proves that everything is bigger in Texas and the spa is a nice place for parents to relax while children are busy with the kid’s club activities.

Barbados

Barbados is a great destination for older children and teenagers, as there are many thrilling water sports for them to enjoy.

You can take a ride deep beneath the sea with Atlantis Submarines and go scuba diving through a sunken ship at Folkestone Marine Park.

You can also explore a subterranean wonderland at Harrison’s Cave, with stalagmites, stalactites and even underground waterfalls.

Washington, DC

Every American child should visit the nation’s capital at least once in their lives, so why not head to the beautiful city of Washington this spring break to take in some of the excellent cultural attractions there?

Spring break will take place in Washington during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival and during this festival the thousands of cherry trees which were given to Washington by the city of Tokyo, Japan will burst into bright pink blooms.

The festival has many family activities such as live performances, special bike tours and origami workshops, cumulating in the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade which is one of the biggest events of the year in Washington.

These are just a few of the exciting spring break travel experiences that you can enjoy this year with your family.

What will you be doing for Spring Break 2012?

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Bike Week Revs Up in Daytona Beach

March 9, 2012 by

Hundreds of thousands of bikers are making their way to Daytona Beach this month to soak up the warm Florida sunshine and celebrate Daytona Bike Week.

This huge motorcycle rally is held every year on the first week of March in Daytona Beach, Florida and the festivities include motorcycle races, parties, live music and street festivals. It is one of the most popular motorcycle events in the United States.

The 2012 Bike Week will be held on March 9-18th.

A Long TraditionVintage Daytona Bike Week

Daytona Beach Bike Week began back in 1937 as the Daytona 200 motorcycle race, which took place around the 3.2 mile pavement and beach course.

The winner of this first race was Ed Kretz from Monteray Park, California who rode an Indian Motorcycle and averaged 73 miles per hour.

Although the event was not held from 1942-1947 due to World War II, it resumed in 1947 and quickly skyrocketed in popularity.

A Wide Variety of Events

There are many great events that motorcycle-lovers will enjoy during the festival. For example, there is the “Alligator Road Tour” which is a guided bike ride that takes participants to a mystery destination.

The Daytona Supercross is also held, where the world champion riders battle a very demanding and challenging course at the Daytona International Speedway.

Some of the best bikes in the USA are on display at the Rat’s Hole Custom Bike Show, which is held at the Water Park on Daytona Beach.

There is also live music playing all week long at the Bank & Blues Club, such as Mike Dugan & Dirty Harry, The Razorbacks and Selwyln Birchwood.

This year marks the grand opening of the Museum at the Original Harley-Davidson store on Beach Street. This fascinating museum has a variety of rare motorcycles on display as well as many interesting artifacts from the life of the Bruce RossMeyer who was an important player in the motorcycle industry.

At the end of the week, the grand finale of the festival will be the race that started it all, the Daytona 200. Enjoying America’s most historic motorcycle race on a beautiful Florida beach is truly a dream experience for any motorcycling enthusiast.  

Filed Under: Current Events Tagged With: , , ,