Brain Wave – Page 24 – Sasha Says…

Brain Wave, Education & Teaching, Life in general

How To Find Out If Going Back To School Is Right For You

June 10, 2020 No Comments

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For many people, going back to school is always a passing thought or something wedged in the back of the mind. Sometimes you realize the job you are in is terrible, it does not make you enough money or it no longer interests you.

Going back to school seems like a good option to build upon the skills you already have, allowing you the chance to make more money. Maybe you have enough money, but you are not doing what you are passionate about. Either way, if you are debating on whether or not you should go back to school, here are some things to think about before you take the leap.

What Are Your Motivators For Going Back To School?

Be very careful about your motivation for going back to school. If you hate your job and you are simply just looking for a way out, going back to school may not be the best option because it can get really expensive and you have to commit a lot of time.

Going back to school is a good option if you want to switch fields, you need college to advance your skills or your employer will pay for all your higher education. Other than that, you may be setting yourself up for more misery.

What Do You Want To Study?

There are tons of options to choose from, but this is where intimately knowing what you want and who you are will make this part easy. Do you want to study physical therapy, creative writing or computer science? It also helps to know where you should go to study. Do some research on some programs and weigh your options. Keep tabs on the program’s graduation rate, how likely those graduates get jobs and the kinds of jobs they have. Getting the full picture can better help you decide not only what you want to study, but where.

Do You Want A Certificate Or A Degree

Certificates allow you to learn more about a subject you may already know about or know nothing at all without putting up so much money toward a degree program. You could also opt for professional or trade certifications that allow you to perform a niche job. These are typically for jobs in technical, medical and education fields. Degree programs allow you to train for a specific job or may give you a broader education in an area.

Online Or In-Class

Going back to school may not be as seamless as it was when you were an undergraduate. You are an adult now and you have all types of things pulling at your attention. Because of this, it is important to pick the best program that fits into your lifestyle. For doctor of physical therapy degrees, for example, there are many flexible options. Some programs allow you the option to do classes partially online and in-person. Determine what your needs are and find the right program for you.

Brain Wave, Family and Home living, Life in general

Things To Do After A House Fire

June 4, 2020 No Comments

If there is anything scarier than a house fire, we’d like to know what it is. Whether you are awake or asleep, a fire in the home is terrifying. It can wipe out your memories and your sense of stability within moments, and it’s not easy to recover from. A house fire can hit you hard in the wallet, but it hits you in the heart more than anything else. You’re losing everything from the walls and roof to the belongings that you have spent years building up – it’s a big loss.

With the right steps taken after the fact, you can make sure that you recover your losses and heal properly from the damage. Asking people in your life for a helping hand isn’t weak, nor is it something you should avoid. You need to be able to get back on your feet after a house fire devastates your family and your life, and to be able to do that you need the following steps to get back to normal.

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1. Having the right insurance is so important

insurance company or a public adjuster who can help you with your case

2. The fire department has to clear the area

3. Assessing the damage

4. Find a place to stay for you and your family

5. Look after yourself as best you can.

fire is a traumatic event

Brain Wave, Health and medicine, Life in general

4 Reasons You Could Be Feeling Stressed

June 3, 2020 No Comments

Do you constantly find that you feel stressed and overwhelmed? It’s important not to underestimate the impact that stress can have on your life. Stress can impact your mental and physical health in both the short and long term. That’s why you need to find ways to cope with it effectively. However, to do this, you need to understand the cause of your stress. So, let’s explore the potential issues that could be at play here.

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No Outlet

It’s possible that you are feeling stress because you have no way to work off the tension. This will usually be the case if you don’t have an outlet in your life. One of the best outlets that you might want to explore is exercise. A solid workout can definitely help you tackle the tension that you might be feeling. You can leave it on the road running or you can even work out in the comfort of your office. It’s entirely up to you but it’s important that you don’t let the tension that you are feeling continue to build up over time.

Trouble In The Office

Of course, it could be the case that your stress is due to an issue in the workplace. Perhaps the environment that you work in isn’t providing the emotional support that you need. This will be due to the failure of your employer to deliver a healthy office environment. If that’s the case, then you might want to think about switching jobs or even switching careers. Remember, we spend more than a third of our waking lives in the office or at work. As such, it’s important to find a position that makes you happy and that you love or enjoy. It’s never too late to move towards a change in your career.

Deep-Rooted Problems

You might find that you can’t quite pinpoint the cause of your stress. If that’s the case then it’s possible that the issue is more deep-rooted than you might want to admit. That’s why you may want to explore therapeutic solutions. With a telehealth solution, you can get the support you need in the comfort of your home and ensure that you don’t have to worry about needing to take extra time in your day to see a therapist. Instead, this can easily be fitted around your personal schedule.

People

Alternatively, it could be that the stress is being caused or at least made worse by the people who have a strong presence in your life. In your social group, you might have people who provide the support you need and others who drain you. It’s important that you are not surrounding yourself with people who are constantly depending on you to provide support. This is going to mean that you feel overwhelmed. You may even have toxic people in your life who take and take giving nothing back. It may be worth reevaluating who they are and assessing whether they provide a positive connection to you.

We hope this helps you understand some of the key reasons you could be feeling a high level of stress in your life.

Brain Wave, Entrepreneurship & Business Talks, Work at Home

These Simple Tips and Tricks will Help you to Work from Home Much More Efficiently

June 3, 2020 No Comments

If you want to work from home more efficiently than ever before, then this is the guide for you. Take a look below to find out more.

Set a Schedule

The first thing that you need to do is set a schedule and then stick to it. If you can, try and establish clear guidelines for when to work and when to stop. This is how a lot of remote workers are able to maintain a much healthier work-life balance. If you work erratic hours, then you may need to adjust your schedule accordingly.

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Create a Good Routine

Deciding that you are going to sit down at your desk and start work at a set time is one thing, but creating a routine that helps to get you to your desk is another. If you want to really help yourself, then you need to have the same routine every morning. This may include returning home after you have been out on a jog or even getting dressed properly when you wake up. Some people who work from home like to lounge in their PJ’s because it is much more comfortable, but at the end of the day, it won’t help you to be creative.

Set Ground Rules

Set ground rules with others in your home, or those who share the space. If you have kids, then make sure that they do some of the chores around the house and also make sure that they give you your space when you are trying to get your head down. If you are able to do this then you will soon find that you are far more productive and that you are also able to have a much more efficient business schedule. If you have a family then you may find that you struggle with your internet connection as soon as the kids get home so look into some business internet packages if you can.

Schedule Breaks

Just because you are working from home, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take a break from time to time. You need to take regular breaks because if you don’t then you may never end up relaxing as much as you could. If you are not careful then you may also end up overworking and this is the last thing that you want. It’s also important that you don’t short-change yourself when taking breaks too. If you plan to have an hour but only end up having 20 minutes then this will make it harder for you to get your head down and concentrate, so give yourself time and don’t feel guilty about it.

Leave the House

You should try and leave the home on a regular basis. If you don’t then you may find that work ends up being too much and that you struggle with motivation. When leaving the house, try and make the effort to meet up with friends or even try and give yourself a break from work in general. Working from home can be isolating, and if you aren’t careful it is very easy for things to mount up quickly. If you want to stop this from being the case, then socialising is key.

Brain Wave, Health and medicine

Hearing Health Hacks: Simple Ways To Protect Your Ears

June 2, 2020 No Comments

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of dancing around to your favorite song or hearing your kids laughing their heads off. Many of us take our hearing for granted, and it’s not until we start to notice that we can’t hear as well that the importance of sound becomes clear. It’s not always possible to prevent hearing loss, but there are some simple ways to protect your ears. Looking after your hearing now will have a positive impact in the future.

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Protecting your ears at work
Some people have jobs that involve exposure to high levels of noise, and many more may encounter risks on their way to work. If you live in a big city, or you commute via train, metro or subway, it’s a great idea to invest in some earplugs to shield your ears during your daily travels. If your job carries a risk of hearing loss, your boss should provide you with the relevant personal protective equipment. If you’re worried that you don’t have sufficient protection, talk to your employer. Examples of jobs that require hearing protection include construction and manufacturing roles, music production and performance, DJing, working at clubs and live music venues, transport and logistics jobs and engineering positions. You might also benefit from wearing earplugs if you’re a dentist using a drill or a flight attendant.

Keeping the volume down
Many of us enjoy listening to music when we work, we clean the house, we exercise or we travel on a train, bus or plane. If you’ve got a playlist on, or you’re listening to a podcast or an audiobook, make sure the volume isn’t too high. If other people can hear music coming from your headphones, you could be doing serious, long-term damage to your ears. If you find that you have to turn the volume up to hear properly, this could be a sign of hearing loss, so it’s a good idea to book an assessment.

Seek advice if you have any problems
If you have any problems with your ears, or you’re worried that your hearing may be deteriorating, it’s crucial to seek advice as soon as possible. Ear pain can be a sign of infection or a build-up of wax, and it’s usually best to intervene early if you experience recurrent bouts of tinnitus or your hearing seems to be compromised. It may be possible to treat underlying causes of hearing loss or to find a solution for tinnitus or long-term hearing problems.

Keeping your ears a foreign object free zone
Many of us will have been tempted to stick something down our ears to remove wax or tend to an itch. Although this might seem like a good idea at the time, it can actually do more harm than good. If you’ve got excess wax inside the ear canal, inserting something like a cotton swab can push the wax further inside the ear, increasing the risk of the wax hardening and causing pain. Your ears are capable of cleaning themselves, but if you are concerned about a potential build-up of wax, it’s important to seek expert advice.

It might not be possible to maintain perfect hearing for the rest of your days, but there are ways you can reduce the risk of hearing loss.

Brain Wave, Health and medicine, Self-Care Corner

These Daily Practices Support Your Wellbeing More Than You Think

June 2, 2020 No Comments

We all know that achieving wellbeing is a massive challenge. The world is full of things that seek to bring us down and get in the way of lasting happiness.

But it turns out that you can fight back using some pretty simple daily techniques. If you find your mental health is suffering, check out these ideas:

Prioritize Sleep

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According to the Sleep Health Foundation, sleep is one of the most important things that people can do to support wellness. The more shut-eye you get, the more able you feel to take on the challenges of the day and overcome them.

Being Mindful

Being mindful is a common practice these days, but nobody seems to know precisely what it means.

Fundamentally, mindfulness is an act of self-surveillance. Whenever you engage in it, you’re trying to observe yourself from the outside and become aware of the way you’re thinking.

Mindfulness, for instance, is helpful if you’re the type of person who has a habit of ruminating over your fears. If you find yourself playing over events in your mind again and again, the practice helps you intervene. You can step in and break the cycle, thereby improving your mental health.

Invest In Others

The root of suffering for many people is unfulfilled desire. There are all of these things that you want in your life – money, love, power – but you feel perpetually distanced from them. No matter how much cash you have in the bank or how far you progress in your career, it doesn’t feel like enough. There’s always another mountain to climb.

Investing in others, however, helps to reorientate your psyche. Instead of focusing on what you can get, you help other people achieve their goals. This change in focus is powerful because it undermines unfulfilled desires. You stop thinking about what life can give you, and instead focus on what you can give it.

Speak With A Counselor

As Carmel Psych Associates telehealth services make abundantly clear, speaking with a professional counselor is still possible, even during a pandemic. Today, there are more opportunities than ever to connect with experts through the internet. And doing so daily sessions can have a profound effect on your mental state. These people provide an anchor that you can use to pull yourself out of a mental health crisis and feel better about your situation.

Work On Something Creative

Life shouldn’t just be about solving problems. We should all have something creative that we do that makes it worthwhile getting out of bed in the morning. We need something that inspires us and pushes us forward.

If you’re an artist, then perhaps this is your calling. Creating music, painting, or coming up with a new dance are all things that can inject a little meaning and passion into your existence. Many of the most troubled people in the world turned to art in their time of need as a way to express how they felt.

Once you put daily practices in place, you can enhance your mental health tremendously.

Brain Wave, Health and medicine

Laying The Foundations For Long-Term Health: Steps To Take Today

June 2, 2020 No Comments

Most of us are aware that aging increases the risk of developing certain illnesses and health issues. While it’s not possible to avert every disease or symptom, there are steps you can take to maximize the chances of enjoying good health later in life. It’s never too early to start paving the way for better health and wellbeing in the future.

Living an active lifestyle

Exercise is one of the most effective means of slowing the aging process, reducing the risk of poor health and boosting mental well-being. If you work out on a regular basis, or you have an active lifestyle, you’ll reap the rewards for many years to come. Physical activity improves circulation, strengthens muscles and bones and protects mental health. As you get older, you might find that you have to adapt your routine slightly or embrace different activities, but there’s no reason why you can’t remain active. Many people who are in their 70s, 80s or even their 90s still like to get moving. Inactivity is a significant risk factor for obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

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Protecting your vision and hearing

Many of us associate hearing loss and changes in vision to aging. Getting older does take its toll on our senses, but often, the decisions we make in our younger years play a part. If you are exposed to loud noises, for example, this could increase the risk of premature hearing loss. When you’re listening to music, or you’re commuting via the subway, bus or train, it’s crucial to use earplugs or noise-canceling headphones and to set the volume at a level that won’t damage your ears. Hearing aids is an effective solution for hearing loss, but it’s best to try and prevent issues. For optimum eye health, take regular breaks from phone and computer screens, install eye protection software and book an eye test if you do notice any changes in your vision.

Avoiding drinking and smoking

Drinking excessively and smoking have long-lasting implications for your health. Regular drinking is linked to liver cirrhosis and it can also put you at risk of some types of cancer and heart disease. Smoking is a major risk factor for many forms of cancer and respiratory diseases. If you’re worried that you’re drinking too much, keep a diary and calculate how many units you consume in an average week. Even if you have a glass of wine with dinner or you pop for a couple of drinks after work every Friday, you might find that you’re exceeding the recommended intake. You can reduce your consumption by changing your social activities, alternating soft drinks and alcoholic drinks or opting for low-alcohol or alcohol-free beverages. If you’re keen to quit smoking, there is help available. See your doctor and ask about local support groups and treatment options such as nicotine replacement therapies.

Aging increases the risk of developing many illnesses, but the decisions you make now will also have an impact. If you look after your body and mind now, you can reduce the risk of health issues further down the line.