The Science of Self-Care: Why You Need To Be Selfish To Be Well

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Self-care is a buzzword that you might have heard a lot lately. But what does it really mean? And why is it so important for your health and happiness?

That’s what you’re about to find out. Weirdly, self-care isn’t something you should do after you’ve done everything else. Instead, it needs to be something you do before you commit to other activities. In other words, you should approach it selfishly so that you can give your best to the rest of the world.

What Does Self-Care Mean?

Essentially, self-care is the practice of taking your physical, mental, and emotional needs seriously. Instead of burying them under a pile of guilt, you accept them for what they are and act on them. In practice, it means prioritizing your well-being over other demands and obligations and, sometimes, not getting into destructive relationships that could harm you.

Many people view self-care as selfish or indulgent, but it’s actually the opposite. The more you practice self-care, the more service you can be to the people around you, helping them achieve the things they want to do in life.

The more self-care you practice, the more energy you have to offer those around you. Suddenly, you become a positive force for your local network, not someone who drains other people’s resources without thinking.

How To Practice Self-Care

As you might expect, self-care is not a one-size-fits-all concept. It can look different for everyone, depending on their lifestyle and personality. For some people, self-care is simple things, like going walking, while for others, it is more elaborate.

Here’s a list of self-care activities that fall into the category:

  • Celebrating your achievements and strengths
  • Setting healthy boundaries and limits
  • Expressing your feelings and thoughts
  • Asking for help when you need it
  • Saying no to things that drain you
  • Learning something new or pursuing a hobby
  • Spending time in nature or with animals
  • Taking a bath or getting a massage
  • Reading a book or listening to music
  • Meditating or practicing mindfulness
  • Exercising regularly
  • Drinking enough water

Hopefully, by now you get the picture. Self-care involves pretty much anything that enhances your life and health. Of course, it’s a fine balance. You don’t want to shut the world out entirely because then your life might get more challenging in the future. But, at the same time, you don’t want to spread yourself too thin or feel burned out.

Because of the definition of self-care, it can encompass a wide range of activities. For instance, if you’ve been watching breast augmentation surgery videos, you might decide that going under the knife is actually a form of self-care. You may come out the other side as a happier, healthier, and more confident person.

You might also view self-care as removing yourself from a particular line of work and doing something different with your time. You may find that quitting a high-paying job and doing something different could be the ultimate way to improve your lifestyle and enjoy your day-to-day existence more.

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Tips For Helping Heal From Trauma

We are lucky that we live in a world where trauma is something that is more often spoken about, and it is something that more people now understand. While labeling everything isn’t always healthy, in this case, with a label comes the ability to begin a healthy healing journey.

Healing looks different for everyone, and it will depend on the type of trauma that was experienced. Still, it is a good idea to consider what actions you can take to help yourself move forward in a positive way.

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The Three Parts of The Traumatic Experience

Any traumatic experience can be broken down into roughly three sections.

The event or events.
The experience of the event (seven people could be in the same accident and will have different experiences)
The impact on everyday life

Not everyone deals with the same thing in the same way, and that is something that needs to be accepted when it comes to the healing process.

What is healing from trauma?

Some healing is active, like taking control of the situations, changing things, and being vocal. Other times it is quiet healing, writing, feeling, and moving forward slowly. Most often, it is a combination.

Healing means acknowledging the events, understanding how they impacted you and still do, and finding a way to move forward.

Tips for healing from trauma

Not all of these tips will be applicable; you often need to consider what is good for you and how it can positively impact your life.

Acknowledge
The thing that happened happened. And, no matter how much you try to rewrite it, ignore it, avoid it, or play the what-if game, it still happens. Denial is pushing it down and away until you don’t think about it anymore. The problem is that it is not dealt with and will come out in other ways.

Support & Help
There are a lot of different types of help and support available, but it is up to you to decide what you feel will be useful. Friends and family might offer great cups of tea and listen, but they might not be able to help you unpack it. For accidents and injuries, there could be help with time off or help from personal injury lawyers.

Therapists and support groups can be of great help. Ideally, avoiding anything that would be in the unhealthy coping mechanisms category.

Self-care
Self-care in terms of trauma is about putting yourself and your recovery first because that is what is best. It can happen in many different ways, including quiet, long walks, music, painting, cooking, boundaries, and more.

This is not a one-size-fits-all. Instead, you will need to work on a combination that helps you feel good.

Write
You don’t have to be a writer to be able to express yourself. Writing has been one of the most important ways to process emotions and things that have happened. And although you might see hundreds of options, a simple notebook and pen will work just fine to get you used to it.

Your physical health and your mental and emotional health can all be linked; when and if you are able, these tips can greatly help: Simple ways to feel healthier – Sasha Says…

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Make it Easier to Exercise at Home

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Not everyone likes to do certain things in public. And some you can’t by law! So, if you find it hard to exercise at home, give some of these ideas a whirl before you think of giving up.

Try Virtual Instruction
Encouragement is a powerful thing when you want to exercise, especially if you are new to it. If your goal is losing weight, you need someone to get you through. If you want to tone up, you want someone to help you through the burn. Fortunately, today, high-end boutique gyms like HOTWORX offer virtual training sessions with expert instructors for a quality home workout. The point is you can have a much harder time going it alone, so a little help from experts will help.

Do It with Your Partner
If you have a partner or even a flatmate, you can both enjoy the benefits of working out together. This is an excellent way to exercise from where you live since you can encourage each other. And encouragement has been shown to give a better workout. Encouragement from a friend or partner can improve motivation and makes exercise a fun social activity. Some studies have found that you can boost your workout performance by between 2% and 4% with a friend.

Make Space to Exercise at Home
You will have trouble working out if you don’t make some space for it at home. For instance, trying to do some squats and star jumps in a small living room is a guaranteed way to break your shiny TV. And you must also consider equipment storage. For example, you won’t want to get on your stationary bike if just dragging it out of your storage cupboard is exercise enough. So try to make a dedicated space for getting healthy if you have a spare room or a backyard.

Make a Solid Action Plan
It’s great that you want to exercise. But if you exercise at home and/or alone, it can become a solitary activity that loses its enjoyment. But you can make the most of a positive attitude by making a plan of action. Being a goal-oriented person works for most things in life. But it is very helpful when trying to stick to an exercise routine. Partly because your brain knows what to expect. Make your plan around your work and home life, and include days for resting properly.

Make Homewide Dietary Changes
Family can make exercise very challenging. Things pop up that get in the way of your goals. You can be embarrassingly disturbed when during the downward-facing dog pose. And even family food can make your efforts mean nothing. So it helps to change what you put in your cart at the grocery store. For instance, change your shopping list to cut out sugary pop drinks, high-fat chips, and microwave-ready meals. Instead, focus on fresh cooking and healthy snacks.

Summary
You will reach your goals if you make it easier to exercise at home. You can sign up for virtual classes, make a dedicated space for your workouts, and make changes to your shopping list.

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Simple ways to feel healthier

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When you are feeling your healthiest, chances are you will feel your best self. Feeling your best self has a lot of benefits; not only will you feel more confident and happy, but you will also have the knock-on benefits of reducing the chances of you getting ill and feeling fitter. Often part of feeling healthier involves exercising more.

So what simple ways are there to feel healthier? There are a whole plethora of things that you can do. You can work on your diet and eat healthier foods – such as this easy slow cooker chicken tortilla soup. Alternatively, you can concentrate on drinking enough water, getting plenty of sleep, and exercising more.

Below we look into three simple ways to feel healthier.

Drink plenty of water

There are so many benefits to drinking the recommended 2-3 liters of water a day. Not only does it help with your concentration levels, but it helps reduce the chances of you getting ill and reduces your stress levels. To encourage you to drink more water, we suggest purchasing a 1-litre water bottle. This way you can aim to drink 2 whole bottles a day and easily track how much you are consuming. Another way to track how much you drink would be to use an app on your mobile device.

Concentrate on your diet

Your diet is extremely important and has a direct correlation to how you are feeling daily. The better your diet, the healthier you are going to feel. Keep a food diary of what you are eating for the week and analyze the foods using an app on your phone. By using a dieting app, you can look more into the nutrients and vitamins of what you are consuming – in a lot of cases, people don’t realize they are deficient in certain areas. When working on your diet, try to reduce the number of times you eat out, instead cook healthy meals. There are so many different healthy recipes that you can try out – the more you cook the more of a hobby it can become.

Sleep is important

As well as concentrating on your diet and drinking plenty of water, your sleep is very important. Getting enough sleep will help reduce your stress levels, reduce the chances of you getting ill, and help reduce the groggy feeling of getting up due to not having enough sleep. By getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep a day, you also increase the chances of you living longer. There are a few methods that you can practice to get more sleep. You can use an app to track your sleep count (just like drinking more water), wear a fitness watch, or keep a sleep diary.

We hope the above tips have given you some insight into simple ways to feel healthier. Which of the three tips did you find most useful? Are there any tips that you think should be added to our list? Is there anything you would like to share that will benefit our readers? Let us know in the comment box below.

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Uncovering and Resolving Problems in the Average Dental Office

Patient care is always at the forefront of any dental office, and this can only be achieved through meticulous attention to detail. It’s true that there are several potential problems that could endanger patient well-being or that could create an uncomfortable working environment for staff members. Therefore, it is critical to take proactive measures in addressing any problems before they become severe. This ensures a safe and pleasant atmosphere for both patients and staff members alike.

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This piece will uncover some common problems afflicting the average dental office and how to resolve them effectively.

1) Poor Communication Between Staff And Patients:

Miscommunication between dental staff and patients is a recurrent problem that may result in confusion over procedures, treatment plans, or insurance coverage. To prevent this from happening, it’s essential for all parties involved to communicate clearly with each other. Doing so will guarantee a smoother experience for the patient and the staff.

2) Lack Of Regular Maintenance Checks On Equipment:

The lack of preventative maintenance on equipment is another potential problem affecting dental offices everywhere. If equipment issues are overlooked, it can lead to hazardous breakdowns and increase the likelihood of accidents occuring in the office. To address this problem, it is important to set up regular inspections of equipment and to carry out preventive maintenance as needed. In addition, if dental offices ever experience any breakdowns, it is a good idea to save emergency numbers of on-the-spot repairs just a call away.

3) Unsafe Environment:

To provide absolute safety to patients, dental offices must adhere rigorously to health and safety standards. This necessitates that staff wear protective gear when handling patients, tools or chemicals in addition to regularly disinfecting surfaces. By complying with these regulations along with cleanliness guidelines, staff will be able to guarantee a secure atmosphere for every patient visit.

4) Inadequate Patient Records Management:

Inadequate record keeping can result in misdiagnosis, improper billing practices, and an inability to access essential medical records. To combat these problems, dental offices must incorporate secure methods of preserving patient data – such as cloud-based software solutions that facilitate user accessibility. Furthermore, it is important that staff members are aware of the privacy regulations outlined by HIPAA when dealing with private records pertaining to patients.

5) High Staff Turnover Rate:

To minimize the negative effects of continual staff turnover, dental offices should prioritize investing in their staff through providing them with competitive wages and benefits packages. Regular training sessions should also be conducted to ensure all staff members are knowledgeable about dental treatments and procedures.

In summary, uncovering and resolving common issues that affect average dental offices requires dedication from both patients and staff members.

By being proactive about preparing for potential breakdowns, practicing clean communication techniques, adhering to health and safety standards, implementing secure record-keeping methods, and encouraging staff satisfaction through fair wages, dental offices can help to ensure that all patients experience a pleasant and safe dental visit.

If dental offices follow this piece, it will help them provide outstanding patient care with maximum efficiency.

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Slowing the aging process.

I am turning 44 in a few weeks. Nothing to be sad about. In fact, I am grateful for every year of my life. Growing old is a blessing, not everyone experiences being old. Most people die young. My parents did. My younger brother died when he was 15. So, you can only imagine how happy I am that I get to spend more time with the people I love. My daily prayer is that I get to see my grandchildren with my two nephews.

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I think I know what you are thinking next. If I want to live longer, I should start taking care of myself more than what I am doing now. I actually am. Right now, I am trying my best to slow my aging especially on my skin. Well, I have three ways on how to slow the aging process the natural way.

1. Stop smoking, drink less alcohol.

I think we all know the side effects of smoking and drinking alcohol. Damage to the lungs and liver, not to mention how it wreaks havoc to the whole body over the years of continued consumption and use. I know most of you would react to this number one way of slowing the aging process because a number of you are smokers and drinkers. But let me say something as a reminder: do it in moderation. Smoking, if it can be totally eliminated from your system, the better. Drinking, well, a glass a day won’t do anyone harm. We have an old lady neighbor who swore to my dad that the secret to her long life was drinking one bottle of beer a day. She told my dad that she would drink one cold bottle of beer every night before going to bed. It might be true because she lived to almost a hundred years.

2. Take extra care of your skin.

Avoid direct sunlight. Don’t over-tan your skin. Make sure to remove your make-up before going to bed. And clean your face with soap and water only as much as possible. Go to the dermatologist if you have a skin blemish, pimple or skin tag. Get a facial regularly. It also doesn’t hurt to try a new skin treatment from time to time, like microneedling. Everything you need to know about microneedling can be researched online, of course. Procedures that can help your skin look better are totally okay to try. Again, everything in moderation.

3. Eat a healthy and balanced diet.

One of the things that I tell those close to me when it comes to eating healthy is to not be swayed by the current diet fad. Not every diet that worked on others will work for you. It is still better to consult a doctor before going on a diet to make sure that you are not harming yourself more than getting healthy in the process. If you don’t want to consult a doctor, you know the best advice there is: eat in moderation.

Let’s make sure to beat the mortality rate and grow older than our elders.

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3 Helpful Tips to Recovery After Experiencing an Injury

After any major traumatic event, such as an injury, it is normal to experience a wide range of emotions. Shock, disbelief, sadness, and anger are all common reactions. It is essential to allow yourself time to process these feelings and to seek help from professionals if you need it. This blog post will discuss three tips that can help you start the recovery process after experiencing a severe injury.

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1) Seek professional help

One of the most important things you can do after experiencing a severe injury is seek professional help. This can vary from therapy to anesthetists like Anthony Singh or simply talking to your doctor about what you are going through. It is necessary to find someone you feel comfortable talking to and who can help you navigate this difficult time.

If you are not sure where to start, many resources are available online. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from family and friends either. Sometimes just talking about what happened can be helpful. Seeking professional help is an essential first step in recovery after experiencing a severe injury.

It allows you to process your emotions healthily and to begin to understand what happened. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to someone about your experience, other options are available, such as writing in a journal or listening to relaxation tapes.

2) Give yourself time

One of the most important things to remember is that recovery takes time. There is no set timeline for how long it will take to feel better. Everyone heals in their way and at their own pace. Therefore, it is important to be patient with yourself and allow yourself the time you need to heal.

It is also important to do things that make you happy and help you relax during this time. This could include spending time with friends and family, listening to music, reading, or doing anything else that brings you joy. In addition, taking care of yourself during this difficult time is crucial.

It may also be helpful to talk about your experience with others who have been through something similar. Talking to someone who understands what you are going through can be very helpful. In addition, there are many support groups available for people who have experienced a severe injury.

3) Create a support system

One of the most important things you can do during recovery is creating a support system. This could include family, friends, therapists, or anyone else you feel comfortable talking to about your experience. These people can provide emotional support and help you through this difficult time. It is crucial to have someone to talk to who understands what you are going through.

Your support system should be tailored to meet your specific needs. If you need someone to talk to on a daily basis, make sure that person is available. If you only need someone to talk to once a week, that’s okay. The most important thing is that you have people in your life who understand what you are going through and who can offer support.

Recovery after experiencing a severe injury can be a complex and emotional process. However, there are things you can do to make it easier. Seeking professional help, giving yourself time, and creating a support system are important steps in the recovery process. Remember to be patient with yourself and take care of yourself during this difficult time.

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