Brain Wave – Page 38 – Sasha Says…

How Can You Find The Perfect Gift For Your Partner?

November 15, 2019 No Comments

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When you’re in a relationship, there’s are a few occasions throughout the year that can fill just about anyone with dread: the times of the year when you exchange presents. Whether it’s a birthday, Christmas, or anniversaries, buying presents for the man in your life can be seriously intimidating. Sure, most guys will tell you that they don’t really care that much, and it doesn’t matter what you get them, but we all know that’s not true. After all, who doesn’t like receiving a thoughtful gift from someone they care about? But in order to make sure that you’re not constantly worrying, here are a few simple tips to help you find that perfect gift for the man in your life.

Listen for hints

When it’s getting close to a time when you’re going to be exchanging gifts, that’s what you should be listening particularly carefully to the things they’re saying. There’s a decent chance that they’ll be dropping a few hints here and there about what it is that they really want. If you find that they’re bringing something up over and over, or there’s something that they’re really trying to draw your attention to, then there’s a good chance that they’re trying to give you a subtle hint as to what you can get them. Whether they’re constantly talking about vape coils or they’re fixated on some new piece of clothing, it’s always a good idea to pay attention to these kinds of hints. Otherwise, you could end up missing something obvious.

Think about their interests

If you’re in a relationship with someone, then there’s a good chance that you’ll have a fairly decent knowledge of their interests. That’s great because then you’ve already got a built-in set of options for what to get them. Are they a sports fan? Then why not get them tickets to see their favorite team. Big into a certain band? Take them to a concert! Whatever your man is into, if you can base your gift around it then you’re almost certainly onto a winner.

Ask people who know them

One of the biggest mistakes that you can make is to spend time beating your head against the wall when you really don’t know what to get them. Instead of doing that, why not reach out for a little bit of help. Talk to his friends, his parents, his co-workers. Not only will these people be able to give you a better idea of the kinds of things that he might like but he might even have spoken to them specifically about something he wants. That way you can get him exactly what he wants without sacrificing the element of surprise. Sure, the choice of the gift should be yours, but there’s nothing wrong with getting a second or third opinion.

Of course, as much of a cliche as it might be, the truth is that it really is the thought that counts. Just think about what your man will like and don’t worry too much. Even if your gift isn’t totally perfect, the fact that you’ve put time and effort into it will show through and your man is almost certain to appreciate that above anything else.

Brain Wave, Money matters

6 Ways To Protect Your Savings

November 15, 2019 No Comments

When you start making an effort to be more responsible with your money, you will soon see the benefits. If you have a strict budget, you can afford to put more aside each month and your savings account will begin to grow. When you start to build up more savings, it’s important that you protect that money. If you don’t, you may end up undoing all of your hard work in the future. But a lot of people don’t realize this and they just let their savings sit in the same account, which can be a big risk. If you are starting to build up some savings, these are the best ways to protect that money.

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Stick To Your Budget

This sounds obvious, but a lot of people start to be a bit more relaxed with their budget as the savings account grows. They don’t think that they need to worry so much about it because they have a healthy amount in their savings and it doesn’t matter if they go over budget and contribute a bit less this month. The problem is, it soon becomes a habit and you are going over budget more and more each month. Eventually, you may end up taking money out of your savings account instead of contributing to it, and you will slowly chip away at it until it’s all gone. That’s why it’s so important that you continue your good spending habits and stick to your budget. If you are in a much better financial position, you could consider writing a new budget that allows for a few more luxuries, but make sure that you are still making good contributions to your savings account each month.

Build An Emergency Fund

Unexpected bills can really put your savings at risk because if you don’t have the money to cover those expenses, you will have to dip into your savings. If it’s something big like car or home repairs, you can wipe out a big chunk of your savings in one go. The best way to avoid that is to build a separate emergency fund. Each month, when you are contributing to your savings, you should also put some money into a separate emergency fund. That way, you can use that money and leave your savings alone if you are hit with any unexpected bills. This is one of the most important things if you want a long term savings plan.

Write A Will

If you have a lot of money in a savings account, you need to start thinking about where it will go if something happens to you. If you don’t have a will in place, your money may not necessarily go to the people that you want it to after you are gone, so it’s important that you make the arrangements now. Get in touch with a probate attorney and see what your options are in terms of a will or a trust, so you can protect your money and have more control over what happens to it after you are gone. A lot of people neglect writing a will because they don’t think that they need to worry about it until they are older. In most cases, that is true, but you never know when something bad could happen to you, so it’s best to be prepared for any eventuality.

Set Up Some Investments

If you just let your savings sit there in an account, they are not really working very hard for you. There is also the chance that you could actually be losing money in real terms because of inflation. If the rate of inflation is higher than the rate of interest you are getting, the purchasing power of your savings is actually going down and your money is worth less in real terms. That’s why it’s a good idea to set up some investments instead of letting the money sit there doing nothing. If you put money into stocks and shares, you can earn money on your savings. You could also consider real estate investments if you have a larger amount of money in your savings. Just make sure that you spread your money out and you don’t put all of it into a single investment because you need to protect yourself against investments that go bad.

Move Your Savings Around

You can also protect your money from inflation and maximize your savings by moving them around on a regular basis. It’s important that you shop around for the best interest rate when you first open your savings account, but the deals are always changing and there may be a much better interest available right now. That’s why you should always keep an eye on the different savings accounts that are available and if you can, open a new one with a higher interest rate. Moving your money around regularly is the best way to offset the impact of inflation and increase your savings. If you can put it in an account that is not as easy to access, you will find it easier to avoid spending any of it.

Stop Using Credit Cards

If you are using credit cards on a regular basis, you are cancelling out any interest that you make on your savings. The interest payments on your credit cards will be a lot higher than the interest that you earn on your savings, which means that you are probably losing money. That’s why it’s a good idea to put the extra money into paying off your debts instead of putting it into savings to start with. Once your debts are cleared, you can start saving more money each month without wasting anything on credit card interest.

When you have paid off your debts, you need to avoid using credit cards again in the future if possible. Having a strict budget is an important part of that, and you should stop carrying them around with you so you are not tempted.

Building a healthy savings account is the first step, but now that you have the money there, it’s important that you take these steps to protect it.

Brain Wave, Life in general

Getting Through Life’s Difficult Spells

November 13, 2019 No Comments

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It is no secret that life can be a challenge at times. We all go through our ups and downs, and when things go wrong for us in one aspect of our lives, it can have a knock-on to other parts.
That one bump in the road could cause you many more problems later on, and you may find it hard to get back on track again. These problems could come in the form of financial issues, relationship breakdowns, legal concerns, or even medical worries. It is easy to see how one can affect the other. But when problems consume your life, you can end up feeling depressed, stressed, and anxious. You may struggle to be able to think about the future in a positive way and it can be hard to see a way out.

Reach Out And Talk

The first thing that you should do whenever you feel the weight of the world is on your back is to reach out and talk with a friend or family member. Sharing your worries and concerns with those that we are close to helps us to unburden ourselves of the weight that we are carrying. Distressing feelings can often feel physically uncomfortable to carry, and we may feel trapped under the weight of our emotions.

Loved ones may be able to offer advice or provide fresh perspectives on our individual situations. They may demonstrate a level of care and support that we really need, especially if we are not feeling able to care for ourselves.

Speak With The Professionals

There are of course plenty of professional organizations that exist with the sole purpose of helping people out in specific situations. Visit your doctor if you have health concerns, or go and speak with a lawyer at https://ericpalacioslaw.com to understand any legal issues you may be facing.

You will not be judged if you need to reach out to any organization. That is after all that they are there for.

Practise Self Care

Often, during times of personal hardship, we start to neglect ourselves. We ignore the need to sleep and eat properly, drop out of social activities and avoid exercise. Our motivation can really fly out of the window and we may well find that we start to feel run down and very miserable after a period of time in this situation.

Pulling yourself back up can be very hard. People may say that you should pull yourself together, or try and get back up and on it. You need to avoid being hard on yourself and try and learn to be kinder to the most important person in your life; yourself.

Try and do a few small things for yourself each day. No matter how small it is, letting yourself enjoy something that used to make you feel good can help some positive thoughts to grow again. Then, as things start to improve, you can begin pushing yourself to get out more and eat better. Getting better takes a long time, and you will need to be patient with yourself.

Brain Wave, Health and medicine, Life in general

Tackling The Main Issues That Come With Age

November 12, 2019 No Comments

Growing old is completely unavoidable. One can only dream of a way to pause time and halt the aging process, but in today’s society that as of yet is impossible. There are several issues that generally come with age, and these concern many different parts of your mind and body, but each of these can be individually monitored and controlled in order to reduce any symptoms and help you continue leading your normal life. Instead of searching for the elixir of life, read on to uncover some of the most handy tips and tricks that can aid you in keeping your independence, as well as improving your health so that you can live comfortably for as long as possible!

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Sight

One of the most common issues that people face as they grow a little older relates to their sight. It’s completely natural for your eyes to deteriorate after many years of use, but simply accepting this and taking no further action could leave you with more serious problems. You must make an effort to visit the opticians on a regular basis so that the professionals can carry out all of the necessary checks needed to ensure there are no immediate issues, and supply you with any glasses or contact lenses should you need to wear them. Getting enough sleep can also have an effect on your eyes, so try to have as much rest as possible whilst avoiding any sources of white light such as mobile phone and laptop screens when it starts to get dark.

Hearing

Loss of hearing is such a frequent complaint after middle age, but luckily this means there has been a lot of investment in solving the problem. Whether you have just a mild case of muffled sound or your hearing has disappeared completely, there’s bound to be a solution that can help you to get over the issue and start to get a clear picture of all the different sounds that are going on around you. If you haven’t got much experience with hearing aids and want to find out which device will work best for you, then click here to uncover some of the best options on the market.

Increasing Waistline

Another big issue that people are usually faced with as they grow a little older is an increasing waistline. Energy levels plummet and this makes exercise a thing of the past, whilst appetites seem to grow and grow meaning it’s almost impossible to keep your weight at a healthy level. However, it is so important that you can take steps towards a more lean diet, as an excess of fat around major organs can cause fatal issues when you begin to grow old, and it’s much harder to recover from even the smallest bout of illness when you carry a lot of extra weight.

Tackling the main issues that come with age needn’t be as time consuming and stressful as you might initially think! Simply follow the steps above to keep your health in tip top condition.

Brain Wave, Family and Home living, Life in general

Three Easy Tricks To Boost Your Winter Mood

November 11, 2019 No Comments

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It’s no secret that when the mercury drops, our mood tends to drop with it. Life for most of us is super busy, crammed with trying to run our own businesses and make money, caring responsibilities and work. And with the dark mornings and nights, it’s very easy to feel run down and more than a little overwhelmed by a never ending to do list. This is the natural reaction of our body to the winter months, when our immune systems are lower and we feel drained of energy. The good news is that you don’t have to go away and hibernate in order to feel better. There are some simple tricks you can try to raise your mood and keep your mental and physical health in check.

Dose Up On Light

A little known fact is that huge amounts of us suffer from Vitamin D deficiency during the winter months due to a lack of natural sunlight. Exposure to light helps our bodies to produce this which strengthens our bones and keeps us feeling happy. Compensate by investing in a device like a Lumie Clock. This helps to wake you up gradually in the mornings by mimicking a natural sunrise and exposing you to light calibrated to be like natural daylight. In addition, try to get outside and active at lunchtime by going for a walk. This helps to naturally lift your mood and reset the circadian rhythms, which are a natural sleep aid at night and can stop you feeling sluggish.

Up Your Supplements

Taking the right supplements can give you a huge boost at this time of year and help you combat the worst of the seasonal effects. Echinacea drops can strengthen the immune system and help you to avoid all the flu viruses that circulate at this time of year especially when paired with a daily dose of soluble Vitamin C. Our gut health is also massively important in keeping our overall physical and mental health in check, so try adding a probiotic supplement into your daily routine or including foods like kefir that are naturally fermented. If you struggle to get enough vegetables into your diet, a powdered green superfood solution can be added to juices, soups or smoothies to boost your intake. If you struggle with low moods or aching joints in the cold winter weather, a compound of CBD isolates can soothe you. And if you suffer from fatigue then rhodiola or Vitamin B12 could give you some relief.

Try Some Aromatherapy

The olfactory system is directly linked to the brain’s amygdala or emotional control centre, so studies have show that essential oils from plants have a function in reducing stress, enhancing mental focus and promoting relaxation. Dab lemon oil on your pulse points for an uplifting winter mood boost and try peppermint or bergamot to give mental clarity if you need to relax, then lavender is your best friend, in Epsom salts for a relaxing bath or using an electric aromatherapy diffuser – or simply by using a lavender pillow spray. Make your own custom oil blend to target how you feel and dab into lightbulbs or radiators in your home office to diffuse through the room.

Brain Wave, Family and Home living

Creating A Home Space You Adore

November 10, 2019 No Comments

Home is where the heart is, so they say. And there is nothing so beautiful as being in love with your home. If you have a blog or work from home from time to time, you need the space to be welcoming and beautiful too. Because you spend more time in it, it is even more important to keep it serene.

When life is hectic, you know that you can close the door, kick off your shoes and sink into your couch. Or light some of your favourite candles and sink into the bath. You want your home to be somewhere to support and nurture you. But you have to give that love to get it back. And it is more than just the aesthetic, but it helps if it pleases you to look at.

There are always going to be jobs that need doing around the house, some you can do yourself and some you’ll need to hire someone in to do for you.

So here are some tips to get your home feeling like a warm, safe place every time you step inside.

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Clutter

If you have children or even a busy life, then sometimes clutter just happens. From piles of unread leaflets that have come through the door, to bric-a-brac collecting on the stairs. It can feel like once you have tidied one bit, the next will need to be done. We know now that clutter can have a substantial mental impact, and we don’t even notice until the space becomes clean again. Picking up storage that is only to be used to quickly pack away clutter, and always sorted on a set day of the week will mean that you n longer have to spend time every day sorting and putting away. Instead the weekend, perhaps everyone will take their items from the box and put them away neatly.

Colour

The colour of your walls can make a significant impact on how you feel. The right colour scheme can often be a challenge, though. So think about what colours make you feel great. Light lavenders, whites, and pale blues and greens are often the most calming. And as you are going for zen, then try to choose colours that make you feel that way. Before you commit to anything use some colour tester strips and play with how they look for a few weeks. If there is a colour you are repeatedly drawn to, then you have your answer.

Odd Jobs

Every house has a range of jobs that people put off. It is time to get them done and clear that mental load. If you have peeling paint or chipped wood, it is time to hit the internet and find a tutorial on how to help you fix it. For bigger jobs, get the right professional in. For plumbers use a service like mrrooter.ca/toronto, and electricians can be found quickly via YELP too. Get them taken care of and cross them off your list.

Brain Wave, Travel and Attractions

4 Tips To Ensure You Have A Smooth Road Trip

November 7, 2019 No Comments

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Are you planning on getting away from the house for a few days? Good idea! You need to be away from that thing once in a while. It’s a beautiful place, and it is part of the family, but the world needs to be explored by each and every one of it. Our homes provide comfort, but that comfort zone needs to be breached if we’re to get anywhere in life.

You’ve decided on a road trip. Hopping on a plane and heading to somewhere completely different is the traditional way of doing things, but firing through the open road is just as cool. Seeing all kinds of sites while travelling together as a unit will make for some wonderful memories.

Getting something like this off the ground and making it happen can be quite tricky, so you’ll need to be switched on in the build-up to all of this. It’s a little different to the traditional method of booking flights and accommodation online – pretty much everything is done for you in that regard. When you’re on a road trip, you have to take care of more stuff. You’re going to be the ones getting yourselves from A to B, and then C, after all. Here are a few things you should probably do if you’re to make a road trip as smooth as possible.

Plan Everything Out

With most things in life, you need to prepare beforehand. When it comes to a road trip? Well, a plan is definitely necessary. You’re going to be heading to places you’ve probably never been before, so it’s wise to know exactly where you’re going, right? Look online for route planners, and where the best rest stops are. You’re going to want to have everything projected in front of you for this. Sometimes it is nice to venture into the unknown, but perhaps being cautious is the correct move here.

Bring The Right People

You’re going to be spending a few days (or even a few weeks) with the same people – make sure it’s the best possible group. You might think you can be around someone for an extended period until the time actually comes – don’t regret the decision. You’ll also want to bring people that are competent enough to hold their own in these kinds of situations. Everyone needs to carry their weight.

Check That All Systems Are Go

The vehicle you’re driving will probably need to be functioning correctly, right?! Make sure the basics and fundamentals are operating well. If it had fleet telematics, then make sure the systems are good to go, also. You might want to take the vehicle to the mechanics, too, so that they can confirm that everything is okay.

Bring Snacks And Entertainment

The journey is all part of the fun, but there will be lulls in it, too. The human brain can only take so much of one thing before it gets boring, so you’ll have to find new stimulants. Bring whatever pieces of entertainment you can find to occupy your minds. Makes sure you have enough food, too – you’ll get peckish from time to time. Don’t bring anything that smells bad, however, for obvious reasons.

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