Brain Wave – Page 61 – Sasha Says…

Brain Wave, Family and Home living, Society at large

5 Ways To Deter Burglars From Your Home

January 27, 2018 No Comments

A burglary can have devastating effects – it can make you feel less safe in your home and possibly result in the loss of costly and sentimental items, some of which can never be replaced. Burglars like to pick their targets strategically. There are various ways that you make your home less attractive to thieves. Here are just five strategies for keeping the burglars away.

Lock all entry points

The simplest way you can protect your property is by locking all windows and doors. A window or a door that has been left open whilst you’re not in is an obvious invitation for thieves to come in. That said, even windows and doors that are closed can be easily broken into if also unlocked – a thief may be able to slide or wedge them open. Most modern doors and windows come with inside locks. Make sure to use these locks every time you leave the house. You should make sure that the hinges and frame are also in good condition as some burglars may be able to exploit this weakness to get in. Sites like www.kensingtonsecuritydoorsandwindows.com have a good range of secure doors and windows to choose from.

Draw the curtains

Many burglars like to go window shopping. Be wary of any rooms that can be peered into by passers-by – you should draw the curtains at night to stop anyone looking in. Net curtains can be put up permanently to distort the view from outside, whilst letting in light and air. Make sure that no valuables are on the windowsill as these could advertise your property to thieves. Outside obstructions like hedges and walls shouldn’t be relied on for as a deterrent as these may actually have the opposite effect – such outside obstructions make it easy for a burglar to break in without being noticed by other passers-by.

Image Source

Install security gadgets

Security gadgets can be useful for keeping away intruders. Burglar alarms are the most effective way to drive away thieves. A thief may succeed at breaking in, but it won’t be long before they’re running out when the alarm shrieking at them and alerting everyone on the road. Sites like www.alarm-reviews.net compare some of the best burglar alarms around and could be useful for making the best purchase for you. Other gadgets to consider include motion sensing lighting and CCTV. Motion sensing lighting operates in the dark whenever motion is detected – it will light up any burglars and is certain to be more economical than having a permanent light glaring all night long. CCTV meanwhile can help to record any criminals in the act. You can buy a motion sensing camera light that combines both functions.

Use dummy deterrents

It’s possible to foil burglars with dummy deterrents that make them think a property is harder to break into than it actually is. In most cases, the sight of a security camera is enough to put off burglars – installing a dummy camera to the front of your home could be more affordable and just as effective as a working camera. You can also warn people away with false signs. Hanging up a ‘beware of the dog’ sign might put off several burglars – it can be an effective strategy even if you don’t own dogs. There are also dummy deterrents to consider for when you’re not at home. Some people may choose to leave the TV on whilst on a night out, or leave some lights on. This may waste energy, but it could convince thieves that there’s someone in and prevent a burglary.

Watch what you put on social media

Lots of people post content on social media without thinking about who can see it. You should make sure that your Facebook profile is private and can only be viewed by friends. That said, it may still pose a risk. There may be a forgotten friend of yours on Facebook who is able to relay information they see on your wall to a burglar. You should be careful of photographs of your home’s interior and information of your address for this reason. Shouting about a holiday on Facebook might also tell people that your home is empty – consider posting those holiday snaps once you’ve got back instead.

Brain Wave, Entrepreneurship & Business Talks

Weird Things That Can Impact Whether You Win A Client

January 24, 2018 No Comments

As a freelancer, you will live and die based on whether or not you can win new clients. You might think this is just a matter of showing a brilliant portfolio of previous work while also making sure that previous clients sing your praises, typically by delivering an excellent level of service. But actually, there are certain things that can impact whether or not you win a potential client. These factors can come into play whether you are communicating by email, on the phone or in person. Let’s look at a few and make sure you are not losing the interest of a potential client due to a weird mistake.

Exerting The Right Pressure

Pic Source

The handshake is synonymous with making a business deal or forming a new partnership. But it’s also the way you greet a potential new client, and it does matter. Your handshake has to exert the right amount of pressure because people can tell a lot about someone by the way they shake hands. Or at least, they think they can, and that’s what matters. It doesn’t matter whether it’s true or not, their perception will change based on how you hold their hand. You need to apply marginal pressure as this shows confidence and don’t hold for too long because this is a key sign you lack people skills. When you are shaking their hand, do keep eye contact as this demonstrates authority.

Smile Like You Mean It

Pic Source

You do need to make sure that you aren’t too serious through a meeting with a potential new client. Remember, they need to feel completely comfortable and relaxed. At the end of the meeting, you need them to go away knowing without a doubt that you are the right person to handle their project. So smile, tell a joke and make them feel at ease before breaking into the plan for the project that they are offering you.

Keeping Up Appearances

Pic Source

Appearances do matter, and they can even be a distraction. You might have chipped your tooth. This can suggest that you can’t afford to have it fixed or that you don’t care about little details. Use an emergency dentist to get an issue like this fixed before the meeting to avoid this negative perception. It’s just one example of how appearance matters.

The Right Return Time

Pic Source

If you’re being contacted by a potential client online, you need to think about the amount of time you take to return the email or phone call. You might leave it for a while, thinking this shows that you are busy with lots of clients. It could also show that you are overstretched and don’t have the resources needed. As such, you should leave it a day and perhaps even set up an automated email response alerting the client you will be in touch within 24 hours. This shows a great level of professionalism and also gives the air of a successful business.

We hope you take these details into consideration the next time you’re trying to grab valuable new client. If you do, we’re sure the endeavor will be a great success.

Brain Wave, Health and medicine

Life In The Slow Lane: Exercise Routines That Don’t Have To Hurt

January 23, 2018 No Comments

Photo credit

When we picture a New Year’s exercise kick, most of us have been conditioned to think that ‘go hard or go home’ is the only way. Endless streams of chiselled fitness Insta-models and blogging gurus champion high-intensity interval training and gruelling diet regimes as the only way we can genuinely get fit. But for some of us, that just isn’t an option. For many reasons, some people want to find a way to get fit that is more gentle. We could be looking to ease back into fitness after an operation, having a baby or a period of ill health, we could be looking to exercise alongside an elderly relative, or we could simply find the gym an off-putting place. The good news is, there are plenty of ways to get fit while living life in the slow lane.

Tai Chi

Promoting gentle, fluid movements that calm the mind and slowly strengthen the body, Tai Chi can be intensely beneficial and relaxing to those who practise it regularly. It has great benefits for improving musculoskeletal flexibility as well, and classes are often held outdoors, giving you a mood-boost at the same time. You can get started by joining a class or at home – whatever you prefer!

Walking

The simplest way to start, if you can’t face anything else, up the amount you walk. Walking has a comprehensive set of mental and physical health benefits, from increasing memory capacity and enhancing our cognitive skills to helping us sleep better at night, improving our poster and helping us to develop positive relationships. Best of all, it’s so easy to get started. Just make sure that you have the right walking shoes or consider extra supportive insoles, like those available at biopods.com

TRX

If you fancy building up strength and muscle, but the weights section at the gym has you running scared then consider signing up for a TRX class. Using a complex system of suspension straps, you use your own body weight to strengthen and create resistance, but without so much stress on your joints. So if you have a knee injury or something that normally excludes you from resistance training, it could be the perfect fit.

Step Aerobics

Aerobics might conjure up mental images of fast and furious Lycra clad workouts, but step classes are a modern and less stressful way to get the benefits. Giving a full cardio workout without all the pounding and slamming, these classes use more controlled movements in blocks of repetition to sculpt the body. Research has found that an hour of step aerobics gives the same calorie burn as a mid-distance run.

Pilates

Pilates is one of the best ways to complete a challenging workout that will really strengthen your core without the pace that puts some people off. Accessible anywhere thanks to all the Pilates workouts on YouTube, all you need is a foam mat or a towel and you can practice anyway. So there is a way to get those killer abs and ultimate flexibility without putting too much strain on your joints!

Brain Wave, Coffee talks, Life in general

Beyond the comfort zone.

January 21, 2018 No Comments

If there is one thing predictable about me, it’s the fact that I love my comfort zone. I stay in it. I normally don’t go beyond it. I am that boring, I am honest enough to admit.

But this year, I am all about self-care and going outside my comfort zone. I might just stay outside of it a few steps beyond it but for me, that’s already a bold move. This year, I will be turning 40. The big 4-0! So, I feel that this year should be about me.

Three goals that I must accomplish this year:

Learn a new language.

I remember my cousin and I talked about his desire to learn a new language and how he’s put it as one of his goals every single year. This 2018, though, he’s taken the step to reach that goal of his. He’s now officially enrolled as a French language student. I, too, would love to learn French but there’s Spanish, Nihongo, Mandarin, Italian, and German. There are so many beautiful languages I would love to be fluent at.

I’d start with Nihongo, maybe?

Tidy up the house and make it zen-like.

I love a clean and organized house. If you belong to a large family and you all live in the same house, you would know and can definitely relate to the struggles of organization. There is always something to pick up on the floor, something you’d bump onto, something misplaced. This is the year that I plan to re-organize our home, make clutter disappear as much as possible, beat the heat indoors, and make our living space quieter, more peaceful.

Go on an adventure.

When I was in my 20’s, I told friends that I wanted to go bungee jumping and white water rafting. I was always on a budget so money that I set aside for an adventure would automatically become a savings fund for family expenses. The desire to go on an adventure faded as I get older.

But now that I am turning 40 soon, I thought, why not now? I’ve always been too cautious and safe that when you dissect my life, you’d realize how boring it is. I am not going to go a daring, risky adventure. I am thinking that instead of bungee jumping and white water rafting, I’d go hiking. It’s also an activity I’d always wanted to do but had no time for. I’d make time for it this year. I will start with hiking and we’ll see what other adventure I’d get myself into.

My three goals for this year may not be too much for others but it’s realistic for me, doable.

What are your goals for this year?

Brain Wave, Health and medicine

Keeping the Oxygen Flowing Is the Most Important Thing That You Can Do, So Do It!

January 19, 2018 No Comments

Life is full of important things. It is important to earn a living and provide for either yourself or your family. It is important to pay bills. It is important to chase dreams. It is important to enjoy life. It is important to love. It is important to make memories. It is important to do a hell of a lot of things. But, is there anything more important in our lives than our need to breathe oxygen in? As you know, if somebody was to stop doing that, they’d die, so the answer to that question is obviously no.

And, now that we’ve established the overarching importance of oxygen and breathing it in, it’s important for us to keep it flowing. For advice on what you can do to keep the oxygen flowing to your lungs, make sure to read on.

Image Source

Take short, serene walks throughout the day

Even if you spend a lot of your time outside or even outside going on runs, you should still seek to find some time in your day to go on multiple short, serene walks. You should do so because short and serene walks, especially in rural areas, are perfect in regards to the intake of oxygen without wearing the lungs out and subsequently making breathing much harder, as is what happens on a run or a jog. So, try and fit at least two short, serene walks into your daily schedule and see your health, particularly your brain health, improve drastically thanks to the added intake of oxygen.

Breathe through your nose

Whether breathing through your nose regularly comes naturally to you or not, you should seek to do it. You should seek to do it because nasal breathing allows you to breathe at your full capacity, and when you compare this to the fact that breathing through your mouth only facilities you to breathe at 10 to 20 percent of this capacity, you can see why it is so important to do. So, go on, get practicing that all-important nasal breathing!

Avoid bacterial infections

It is recommend to avoid bacterial infections in life whenever and wherever you can anyway, but if you want to be providing your body with all the oxygen it needs, all the time, then making sure you do this is of greater importance. You see, as documented by XpertDox, autoimmune hemolytic anemia is a condition in which an individual’s red blood cell levels decrease to the point where the oxygen supply to their vital organs and tissues is cut drastically. And, this condition and the subsequent lowering of oxygen levels that it causes is brought about, for the most part, by an individual picking up a bacterial infection. So, avoid these infections, avoid AHA, and get your body the oxygen it needs.

A healthy lifestyle in which you are providing your body with all the oxygen it needs should matter to you because it could be the defining factor in you living, and you dying. As harrowing as that is, it is the truth. So, make sure it matters!

Brain Wave, Health and medicine, Self-Care Corner

Age Is Just a Number: Fun Ways To Keep Fit With Older Relatives

January 19, 2018 No Comments

They say you’re only as old and you feel, and regular exercise is one of the best ways of staying young. If you enjoy fitness and you’re keen to spread the word and get your relatives involved, what better way to spend more quality time together than finding fun ways to keep fit? Here are some examples of activities you can try with your parents or grandparents.

Swimming

Swimming is a brilliant form of exercise for people of all ages. It has benefits for your stamina, strength and endurance, and it can be particularly beneficial for those carrying injuries and those who suffer from chronic aches and pains. When you’re in the water, it bears your body weight, making this is a much gentler form of working out than running, jumping or lifting weights.

Walking

Going for a walk enables you to get some fresh air, have a chat and get those muscles working. Walking is less intensive than jogging, and you can do it anywhere you like. Being in the outdoors is proven to improve mental health, and you can burn around 100 calories per mile if you go at a steady pace. Walking may not always be the most suitable option if you have an older relative who suffers from joint pain or the effects of previous falls or injuries. If you are thinking about trying to integrate walking into a therapy or rehabilitation program, call McKnight Place for advice and information. Exercise can be hugely beneficial, but it’s important that every individual engages in activities that will improve their health rather than putting them at risk of injury.

Image Source

Yoga

Yoga is a type of exercise, which offers a huge range of benefits. This is a low-impact activity, which is designed to strengthen the joints and improve suppleness and flexibility. As you age, it’s common to become stiffer, and yoga can help to loosen up the joints and make you more mobile. Yoga is also a great stress-buster, and if you go to a class, this is an excellent opportunity to meet new people and be sociable.

Dancing

If your parents were movers and shakers back in the day or you’ve got a grandparent who wants to be more active and have fun at the same time, why not look into dance classes you can do together? There are so many different types of dance, and you don’t have to be naturally talented to take something out of every session. Develop your skills, meet new people and enjoy the time you have together. Dancing is a great way of letting your hair down and having a laugh, but it can also help you burn more than 400 calories per hour.

Image Source

Exercise is a natural way of boosting your health and well-being. If you’re keen to spend more time with older relatives and encourage them to stay as active as possible, why not try some of these fun activities? You get the chance to see each other more often, and you’ll be enjoying a host of health benefits too.

Brain Wave, Life in general

Planning ahead for your child’s birthday

January 16, 2018 No Comments

As a parent, your child’s birthday is one of the highlights of every year. Being able to see them enjoy themselves with their friends and family is simply amazing. You always want to make this day extra-special for them, which is where a little pre-planning can help. As with everything in life, planning ahead for your child’s birthday will make it go more smoothly and mean that you can enjoy the day itself with them.

What can you do to make your child’s birthday go with a bang?

By far the best advice around planning for your child’s birthday is to start thinking early about what you might do. This will allow you to settle on the best idea without rushing and ensure that you have time to get all the arrangements in place well in advance.

The main area to think about is what you will actually do for the big day – obviously, as long as it is not a surprise, it is best to talk to your child to see what they would like to do. Some great ideas include:

Party – of course, most children will love a good party to celebrate their big day. If this is the case for you, then think about whether you will do it at home or at an outside venue. You will also need to think about who will provide the food, getting invites out to their friends in time, and if you will have a particular theme.
Holiday – another great idea to consider is taking your child on a family holiday to enjoy their birthday. If you decide to do this, then you’ll need to choose your destination and get the tickets booked in time.
Cinema or bowling trip – for older children, a trip to see the latest film is a good choice. In terms of pre-planning, you’ll need to find out the time that the film is showing as well as letting their friends know in advance. Bowling is another great choice and will be sure to keep older children fully entertained.

Don’t forget the gifts!

The other major thing to think about when planning for your child’s birthday is the gifts that they would like. For younger children, classic items such as building blocks, scooters, bikes, and fun games are a great option. If your little one likes cars, then the Magic Tracks Mega Set is a fabulous gift. This is a wonderful set with a flexible track that the included cars race around – what’s even better is that it also glows in the dark.

If your child is a bit older, then it is probably electrical items that you will thinking about buying! From console systems or items such as mobile phones and tablets, they will love anything that they can play about on.

Proper planning is vital

The essential aspect of enjoying your child’s birthday to the full is planning for it properly. By doing this, you will make sure that they have a day to remember, whatever you’ve got in store for them. If you really want to make it one to remember, make it a surprise and see their face light up when all is revealed.

« Previous 1 … 59 60 61 62 63 … 91 Next »