Life in general – Page 16

Brain Wave, Life in general, Money matters

A New Baby Brings A New Financial Reality

October 10, 2017 No Comments

It’s wrong to think of a new child regarding their financial circumstances, and of course, you won’t. You’ll just be excited by the little bundle of joy that’s on its way into the life of you and your partner. But the fact of the matter is, a new baby will have a significant impact on your finances, and as such it’s important that you sit down to see how you’ll adjust your finances once your new child is with you. Below, we take a look at four actions you should take when you learn you’re expected another child.

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Reevaluate the Goals

If you’ve been taking care of your finances, then you’ll already have a financial plan and goals. That’ll need to be rewritten now, as you have a new person who will be relying on your financial support and stability. Once you’ve factored in the cost of raising a child, reevaluate your goals. You might want to put more money away for your child’s tuition, or savings, and this will have to be brought in line with your existing financial goals.

Practical Concerns

Aside from your savings and financial hopes, you’ll need to think about any practical concerns you’ll need to account for. For example, it might be that you have to view homes for sale if your current abode will no longer be big enough for your growing family. You’ll need to weigh up the needs of you and your family, and then find a place to live that meets these requirements. You may also need to buy a more family-friendly car, especially if this is your first child. Finally, don’t forget the cost of babyproofing your home.

No Nasty Surprises

Parents can sometimes underestimate just how costly a baby can be. As such, it’s important that you’re the victim of a nasty surprise once your child arrives. To avoid this from happening, make a budget for everything you might need for a new child; and then multiply it by another quarter. There’ll be no way you’re able to budget for every eventuality, especially as there are many hidden costs of a new child, so you’ll want to give yourself some wiggle room when it comes to your budget.

Automate Your Savings and Investments

Some parents can get some preoccupied with their new child that they forget to keep an eye on their other financial goals. You’ll be too busy with sleepless nights and the like to stay on top of your finances. Therefore, it’s a good idea to automate your savings and investments so that they keep ticking over even when you don’t have the time to take care of them manually.

Final Thoughts

There’s no getting around the fact that a new child will cost you a lot of money. However, with a little bit of sensible preparation, you can make sure that you’re able to take the new financial reality in your stride. With that taken care of, you’ll be able just to enjoy all the joys of having a new baby in your life!

Brain Wave, Health and medicine, Life in general

Sleeping Positions: Is There A Right Answer?

October 6, 2017 No Comments

There is a question as old as time that has split the opinions of people the world over. Which is the best sleeping position? Everybody has their own answer and they’ll argue that the way that they sleep is the best for comfort as well as health. But are there any solid answers that can finally put that argument to bed for good? Fortunately, there is information about the pros and cons of sleeping positions, but if you’re looking for a definitive answer, you’re out of luck. The truth is there are different benefits to each sleeping position so it really depends on your priorities. To help you decide on the best way to sleep, here are the pros and cons of each position.

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On Your Back

This is the position that people often say is the best way to get a good night’s sleep. If you struggle with a bad back then this is probably the way to go. By sleeping flat on your back, you avoid any twists or contortions in the spine so it’s the best way to maintain good back health. It helps you to get the most out of your mattress because you get the most support when you’re sleeping in this position. The ideal way to sleep on your back is without any pillows at all, but most people won’t do that. Having one pillow isn’t too much of an issue but if you’ve got loads, your neck will be at a strange angle and it can affect your breathing.

If you’re worried about wrinkles, sleeping on your back is the way to go. Having your face buried in a pillow all night massively increases the chance of getting wrinkles but sleeping on your back keeps you looking younger for longer.

However, sleeping on your back isn’t always the best option. Sleeping on your back is intrinsically linked to sleep apnea and if you suffer from the condition, doctors will always recommend that you sleep in a different position. It also makes you more likely to snore so if you’re a loud sleep, you might want to think about changing position, if only for the benefit of everybody else in the house.

On Your Stomach

Sleeping on your stomach is often considered to be one of the worst ways to sleep but that’s not strictly true. We’ve already established that sleeping on your back is bad for sleep apnea and snoring. Sleeping on your front is the best way to combat both of those problems. However, it’s not great for anything else so, unless you suffer from either of those issues, you should probably avoid it.

The problem with sleeping on your front is that it doesn’t keep your spine straight. If you’re lying on your front all night, with a crooked spine, you can cause yourself serious problems. You’re likely to wake up with a stiff back and pain in your lower back. The position of your head is another big problem but it can be easily solved. According to Sleep Ridiculously Well, there are special pillows designed specifically for people that sleep on their front. A thinner pillow will make the bend in your neck and spine smaller and reduce the amount of damage that you’re doing to yourself. If you don’t use one of these pillows, you’ll damage your neck severely.

You can sleep on your front safely if that’s your preferred position, you’ll just need a few well placed pillows. Putting an extra pillow under your hips and your stomach, you’ll straighten your spine out and avoid getting back pain.

On Your Side

Studies show that the most popular sleeping position is on your side. The majority of people claim to sleep this way, although we can’t know whether they move during the night so this information should be taken with a pinch of salt. So, most of us sleep this way but is it a good idea. If you’re pregnant, side sleeping is always recommended by the doctor, particularly on the left side. If you’re not pregnant, side sleeping could still be good for you. It’s been proven to reduce the symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux problems so if that’s something that’s a big problem for you, consider changing position.

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However, it’s not all good news for side sleepers. It can cause you problems with circulation if you’re constantly sleeping on your arm. It also puts unnecessary pressure on your stomach and lungs which can lead to more health problems. The shoulder takes the brunt of the weight so it can be damaged as well. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t sleep on your side at all, but it’s a good idea to switch sides each night to reduce the strain on your body.

Sorry if you were hoping for a solid answer about which is the best position to sleep in. The truth is, they all have their merits and it depends on what health problems you’ve got.

Brain Wave, Life in general

10 Life Skills That Are Also Great Career Skills

October 4, 2017 No Comments

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Can’t get a job because you have no experience? Just because you’ve never worked in that role before doesn’t mean you don’t have the necessary skills already. Many life skills can actually make great work skills. Here are 10 life skills – some of which you may already have – which can be used to succeed in a work environment and may even be able to be used to persuade an employer into hiring you.

Having a creative hobby

Creativity can be a key asset in many jobs. A hobby may be proof that you can put your creativity to practical use. This could anything from the ability to crochet a blanket to owning a vlog to being a brilliant maker of children’s cakes. A creative hobby can look even better if you’ve been able to turn it into financial profit such as making money from a blog or selling handmade jewellery – even if it’s just a one of occasions it’s still worth putting on your CV.

Being a member of a club or sports team

Being a member of a club shows that you’re social and a team player. This could be anything from a dance club to a martial arts club to being a member of a local political group. You may have been able to reach a leadership position within a club which could look even more attractive on a CV. This guide How To Use Activities And Clubs To Improve A Resume offers more information on how to use this experience when applying to a job.

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Caring for the sick and elderly

If you’ve had to care for a sick or disabled parent or grandparent, this could be evidence that you are great at caring for others. This could help you when getting into careers such as home care or even nursing as this guide The Best Places To Work If You’re A Nurse shows. Many courses and apprenticeships look highly upon these kind of life skills – so don’t forget to mention this experience on your application.

Caring for children and animals

If you’re a parent or a pet owner, you may also be able to use these skills when working with children and animals. Even looking after a younger sibling or dogsitting for somebody else may be enough. Such work shows that you can take on responsibility and could be used to help persuade employers that you’re capable for the job.

Being DIY savvy

Are you a dab hand at DIY? When it comes to many trades such as plumbing, electrics and decorating, showing that you’ve taken on your own DIY projects in the past can be valuable. These practical skills can translate well in many jobs and make you a good hands-on problem solver. Make sure to give an example of such DIY jobs when applying to these roles or apprenticeships.

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Splitting the bill

Are you the one that’s often left in charge of splitting the bill? This shows a mathematical approach to problem solving that could be handy in many admin roles, accountancy jobs and even hospitality roles where you may need to work with change. It also shows a level of delegation and negotiation skills. It might not be something you want to put on your CV, but could be a small quip to throw out in an interview to show evidence of being a good problem solver.

Being a social media success

Many businesses are now seeing the advantage of social media as a marketing method. If you’ve got a large following on social media, employers may see this as a skill – particularly older employers who aren’t as savvy when it comes to these mediums and may want to someone to show them the ropes or even take control of their social media for them. This guide Your Twitter Address: Should You Stick It On Your CV? gives more information on when you should and shouldn’t show off about your social media following. Successful blogs and Youtube accounts could also be worth mentioning on your application, especially if they show an enthusiasm for the job area.

Handling multiple group chats

If you’re used to juggling multiple group conversations and are able to text and message back swiftly on all occasions, you may already have a key multi-tasking skill essential in many of today’s businesses. Many jobs now involve heavy use of email, which may involve having to keep on top of an overflowing inbox in which different requests are constantly coming through from different people. Again, saying that you’re the ‘group chat master’ might not be appropriate on many CVs. However, you could use it as a quip during an interview to show that you can multitask and deal with the quick relaying of communication needed in many of today’s jobs.

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Having good culinary skills

Do you like cooking home-made meals? Showing a passion for food will clearly help when applying to a role as a chef, but it could also help in other jobs – showing other skills. Being a good cook requires multi-tasking, time management, creativity and an attention to detail. This could be another attribute worth putting on your CV, or something that could be worth mentioning when giving examples of soft skills relevant to the job in hand.

Being good at puzzles or video games

That gaming talent could actually be proof that you’re a good problem solver. Research is continuously finding that those that are fast puzzle solvers or pro gamers are also great at fast creative problem solving necessary to many careers. Don’t consider this an irrelevant interest as it could help in an application – so long as you’re able to show proof of the job-related skills that it provides.

Brain Wave, Life in general

Struggling for Control? Regain it By Taking These Steps

September 12, 2017 No Comments

When you feel like you’re not longer in the driving seat and you’re not really in control of the direction in which your life is going, it can be scary and frustrating. You don’t have to let things carry on in this way, though. There are plenty of great ideas that you can make the most of in order to ensure you regain control of your life. Here are the most important steps to take.

Start Your Day in the Right Way

The way in which you start your day is so important. It can set the tone for pretty much everything that happens throughout the rest of the day. So, get up bright an early, eat a healthy breakfast, and then get planning. You should start thinking about what’s going to be required of you throughout the rest of the day if you want to stay in control.

Snack Roll Sandwich Breakfast Start The Day Break

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Stop Feeling Like a Victim

Your mentality will have to change if you want to feel in control of your life once more. If you feel like a victim and adopt that kind of mentality, you will only drag yourself down and make things more difficult for you than you need to. Empower yourself and become the master of your own destiny. If you can do that, there will be no stopping you, and that’s exactly what’s required.

Protect Your Identity

How can you feel in control of your life if you haven’t even got your identity protected? This, alongside managing your finances better, will put you in control once and for all. You can download Aadhar card if you’re in need of ID. Just make sure that everything is secure and you’re not at risk of identity theft. It’s a growing problem that affects more people than you realise.

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Provide Your Body with the Energy it Needs

If you are lacking energy, staying in control of your life will be even harder. That’s not what you want, so you should try to provide your body with more of the energy it needs. Make sure that you get the right amount of sleep each night. And eat the kinds of foods that are going to keep you awake and alert for longer. Don’t rely on fatty foods or cabs that only provide you with short bursts of energy.

Approach One Thing at a Time

The reason many people start to feel like they’re losing control of their lives is down to the fact that they try to do too much at once. This is a very common problem. There are so many people out there who think multitasking and staying busy is the way to live life. But it can actually create more problems than it solves, so try to approach one thing at a time.

Regaining control of your life is not as difficult as might imagine it to be. Make the most of these tips if you’re wondering how you can do it. It could turn out to be far easier than you had originally imagined.

Life in general

Pursuing a dream.

September 2, 2017 No Comments

When I was younger, I remember my mother would bring me to this old university where she studied. She would tell me stories of when she was studying there, how great the university was, how prestigious it still was (until now, actually), and how happy she would be if I manage to study there like her. She would tell me over and over that I needed to study there to graduate with Bachelor of Science in Accountancy, the course she wanted to take but had to give up because she got pregnant with me.

If you think about it, my mother brainwashed me into going to a university to take up a course I never really knew anything about. But I didn’t know any better then so I followed what my mother ordered me to do, and anything to make her happy was a priority to me. Truth is, I enjoyed my university days. I made friends and I enjoyed the classes. Yes, the course was no walk in the park. It was so hard! Not to mention that after four years of studying really hard to pass and graduate, I had to study some more to take the board examinations for certified public accountants.

I managed to land a good-paying job after a few months of stint in an accounting firm. I guess my mother knew what she was talking about when she told me that a CPA earns more than other kinds of office jobs. I learned so much not just on accounting functions but also in taxation, audit, and other branches of accountancy I only heard from my professors. It was a stressful and rewarding at the same time.

But there has always been this dream I have since I was a teenager. And it’s to become a romance novelist.

I remember the look on my best friend’s face when I told him that I wanted to write. I also remember telling my close girl friends about not dreaming of getting to the top of the corporate ladder. It was not, and still is, in my heart and mind to become a corporate executive. I never really wanted to become a chief finance officer, or a finance director, or similar position in a company. I never liked the stress that comes with being a high-ranking officer. I remember being a senior manager in a business process outsourcing company (BPO). I didn’t last. I lasted a couple of months and quit. I chose to become a simple accountant of another BPO but I also quit that job after a few months.

You know what I did when I temporarily quit the corporate world about nine years ago?

I became a writer. And a full-time blogger.

I blogged. I wrote articles for advertisers. And I also wrote romance novels.

I stayed away from the corporate world for about eight years and those were the happiest years of my career!

Unfortunately, I had to go back to the corporate world when blogging went downhill for me. It was my main source of income during those years so when I stopped earning as much as from it, I reluctantly went back to being an accountant. I remember trying to stall my comeback. Three years. It took me that much time to convince myself that I had to go back. And I did.

I am still working as an accountant for a small company. I am happy being a finance manager, doing all the functions of an accountant. No biggie! I am also still pursuing my love for writing. I write on weekends. Or when I have enough time to form a thought.

I am both an accountant and writer. And I love it!

Brain Wave, Life in general

4 Benefits Of Moving To A Colder Country

August 31, 2017 No Comments

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Living in a warm country is wonderful, for the most part. You enjoy the heat that so many others around the world have to travel to have access to. It’s easier when the sun is high and the weather is nice; everything in life is just that little bit smoother.

However, there are also benefits to living in a colder country – benefits that you might not be familiar with. If you ever find yourself in a position to sample living in a different part of the world, here are four reasons why choosing to relocate somewhere cooler can be a refreshing change.

1) Heat Doesn’t Stop You Doing Anything

Let’s face it, as nice as it is to live somewhere warm, sometimes the heat just becomes too much. As the mercury edges its way towards 40C in April, even the simplest of everyday tasks becomes a marathon. By moving to a cooler country, you don’t have to see putting the washing on as a task you’ll want to take a cool shower to recover from – and that’s pretty nice!

2) You Can Experience Seasons

There are four classic seasons; winter, summer, autumn – or ‘fall’ as it’s known in the USA – and spring. However, your knowledge of these seasons when you live in a hot or tropical climate is mainly theoretical. Sometimes, it can be impossible to separate February from July, which definitely isn’t the case in cooler climates where the seasons are felt more acutely. The change of seasons is not only beautiful, but it also provides neat ways of bookending the year – definitely a lifestyle it’s well worth considering sampling when you can.

3) Your House Can Be Different

Our homes are built to keep us cool, but the same is not true in the countries where heat is more of a transitory phenomenon. While moving to a cooler climate means you’ll have to get to grips with maintenance chores you’ve never tried before, such as arranging heat tape for water pipes and potentially even shoveling snow, there are plenty of upsides to counterbalance these. For example, you probably don’t know the delight of curling up in front of the fire with a mug of coffee in hand, while snow falls down outside. That’s definitely a unique experience, and one you might want to make your domestic reality should you be given the chance.

4) It’s Easier To Warm Up Than Stay Cool

This one is somewhat subjective, but it’s an idea that most of us tend to agree on. There’s no easy way of cooling yourself down without turning on an air conditioning unit. Sure, you can fan yourself with your hand, but we all know that does very little beyond making your hand tired.

Warming up, however, is far easier than staying cool. You can curl yourself into a ball, add more layers, or even hug another person to share their heat. If you’ve always lived in a warm climate where battling to keep your cool has been all you know, then the task of warming up might – at the very least – seem novel!

Do you think you would ever be tempted to move somewhere cooler?

Brain Wave, Life in general

It’s never too late.

March 24, 2017 No Comments

Let me tell you something about myself that only those close to me know… I am a published local romance novelist. Yes, I write romantic stories. And I’d like to think that I may not be as good as the others, but I am getting there.

Can you imagine getting something in your inbox like this…

Katie from www.orlajames.com said “Being a wedding fanatic, this was a must read for me and it certainly didn’t disappoint!”

I was in awe!

I remember writing romantic stories back in high school. I would write one chapter, get it read by my friends and those classmates close to me, then I’d get their feedback. I’d base the next chapter on what they wanted to happen so I write the next one and get them to read again. It became a daily occurrence in our classmate where the girls would gather around me, sharing the notebook where I wrote the chapters, passing it one after the other, and then I’d shyly talk to them about the next one. It felt too good especially when the feedback about my writing was a positive one. I remember my best friend offering to talk to their family friend who was a publisher for my chapters to be converted into a book. I was thrilled but I was not really too keen on the idea of getting my story out there.

Fast forward more than two decades later, after five whole stories written, I took a risk, left my comfort zone, and got one story published! When I got the call from the local editor, I didn’t know where to jump for joy or run inside my bedroom to silently scream for pride that I finally got one story approved and ready for the world to read.

It took three years before the first story got published but it was okay. I was still so happy because my goal is not to be the next romance writer queen but to just be published and see my pen name on the cover of a small romance novel.

You know, it’s never too late to take a risk and leave your comfort zone. It’s out there where you can reach your goal. Trust me, it’s scary but it’s all worth it!

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