A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. Stress has so many effects on personal health and literally kill you. As such it’s understand how to minimize and manage stress. If you’re trying to reduce stress, it’s important to zero in on what you can do to alleviate it. The following contributed post is entitled, Why Won’t The Weight Of Stress Leave Your Shoulders?
* * *
Stress is one of the most common wellbeing issues experienced by people of all ages and backgrounds. Sadly, its omnipresence does very little to contain the negative impacts it can have on your quality of life. Worse still, if you follow the same processes as always, you cannot expect to see an improvement in the results.
With this in mind, identifying the reasons for your stress is a key step en route to recovery. Here are some of the most common sources that you may need to tackle head-on.
Physical health and mental health are very closely linked. Therefore, if an underlying health issue is left untreated, the restrictions it places on your life will cause stress. It’s not only the major or life-threatening issues that matter, either. Even something as simple as muscle soreness can put your mental wellbeing at risk. Whatever type of issue you experience, the key is to take quick action. The sooner you can put this discomfort behind you, the sooner your mind will start to clear.
2) Bad Influencers
People hold the key to your happiness, but they can also cause a great deal of stress and anguish. Sadly, most people that fall victim to bad influencers don’t even realise it right away. Sometimes the issues can be saved. For example, the Hart Centre offers marriage counselling that can get couples back on track. Then again, there are times where you should walk away from a bad relationship or a bad friendship. Even when it’s a sibling that keeps asking for money, taking a step back can work wonders for stress levels in the long run.
It is no surprise that stress, anxiety, and depression have all increased in parallel to the growing frequency of debtors. When you find yourself faced with financial difficulties, you must seek a quick solution. This could manifest itself as debt relief. Maybe you’ll find that managing your funds in an effective manner. Or making short-term sacrifices will deliver the results you crave. Either way, the knowledge that your financial status is moving in the right direction will pay dividends.
4) Legal Matters
Nothing stops you from being able to plan your future like legal uncertainties. When facing a pending court case, even if it’s something like a motoring offence, it can feel scary. Finding an expert like Tony Raunic to present your case can make a big difference. Aside from boosting your hopes of getting the right decision at your hearing, the advice they give beforehand is telling. The clarity of what to expect makes the process far less daunting while you’ll have a better insight into the best, worst, and most likely result.
5) Wasted Time
The thought that life is passing you by can be an awful thing. Sadly, it encourages you to procrastinate even more. Setting clear goals is the first step to going out and achieving them. On a separate note, you should learn to rid yourself of needless distractions. Avoiding social media when it leaves you feeling inferior is a great example. Conversely, spending more time appreciating the positives in your life can develop a heightened sense of worth. While it won’t remove stress entirely, it can reduce the impacts it has.
Two of the focuses of my blog are Health/Wellness and Technology. While technology has tremendously improved our lives, it does have some potential adverse impacts on our qualities of life. In some instances, it may be advantageous to disconnect from your technology, albeit temporarily. The following contributed post is entitled, 3 Health Benefits of Ditching Technology (For a Little While).
Our lives are regularly dictated by technology. We want to catch our favorite shows as soon as they are released. We need to find out what is happening every minute of the day. Indeed, any time spent away from technology now feels unusual. But as much as tech can help us stay connected with friends and learn all about the world around us, it can also be detrimental to our health. Sometimes, you need to take a step back, so here are four health benefits of ditching technology, at least for a little while.
You Can Focus Better
If you choose to sell your iPhone 11 Pro Max, your Xbox or cancel your Netflix subscription, you will find your focus will improve. It won’t happen overnight, but rather than use tech as a crutch for background noise or scroll through when in an awkward situation, you will find you’re not continually feeling around to check worldly updates, even though you only checked a few minutes before.
This will significantly benefit your work and productivity as you won’t have that itchy finger reaching for your phone. You can still have a phone, you might need it, but a model without wifi or app capabilities might be better if you want to maintain a sharp focus. You won’t feel the need to check WhatsApp every 10 minutes, and you will also find that you will concentrate when watching movies, rather than staring at your phone for the entire two hours.
It Will Help You Unwind
Many people dread getting home from work only to see their boss has asked them to make a few small changes to a contract or project. Technology has made it so that we are always on the clock, which can increase stress levels and prevent us from unwinding.
If you make it a rule to switch your work phone off at the end of the workday, you will find you can relax after a long day and spend quality time with your family. Your job is just a job, and while it will help pay the bills, it shouldn’t come before your partner or your kids.
You Will Enjoy a More Restful Sleep
Studies show that 44% of people will sleep with their phones next to them or under their pillow. This is because they will scroll through before going to sleep or use it as an alarm to wake up.
However, while these are established aspects of your bedtime and waking up routine, they can affect your sleep quality. Playing on your phone before bed will affect your sleep patterns, as will the blue light that can impact a good night’s sleep. Try to leave your phone upstairs at night and invest in a proper alarm clock to wake you up in the morning.
Tech-Free
It can be scary to decide to abandon technology, even if it’s just one or two items. However, the health benefits that come with ditching technology can help transform your life for the better. You’ll have more focus, energy, and you might even be happier.
Three key focuses of my blog are Health/Wellness, Organizational and Management Discussions, and Workplace Discussions. A key consideration in the discussion regarding restarting the economy following Covid-19 is workplace hygiene and making it safe for workers. If workers feel safe about the workplace, they may be more likely to return. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Tips For Companies To Improve Workplace Hygiene.
* * *
The recent pandemic means that hygiene in the workplace is now front-page news. Everyone wants to make sure that they’re providing a sanitary environment for workers to keep people safe.
Workplace hygiene, however, has long been a priority for management. Leaders know that if they can improve cleanliness, they can reap the business benefits. Hygienic firms are profitable firms, especially in hospitality and medicine.
Are you worried about staying safe and mitigating the spread of COVID-19? Check out these tips.
Limit Food To Entitled Areas
A lot of workers like to stuff their faces with sandwiches at their desks over the lunch hour. It’s a time-saving device that helps them get more done during the day so that they can go home on time.
It turns out, though, that eating and drinking at a regular desk is a hygiene risk, especially if your company operates hotdesking. Food going into the mouth can be a carrier of infection, potentially putting the person at risk.
Limiting food consumption to permitted areas can make a considerable difference to the risk of transmission. It is much easier to clean canteens than it is to go around, ensuring the keyboards and mice are germ-free.
If you operate a canteen, ensure that you keep workers at least one meter apart.
Install Sanitary Equipment
Mopping floors and wiping desks is easy. But cleaning equipment to ensure that it is hygienic is much more challenging. Machinery tends to have a bunch of nooks and crannies where nasty germs can hideout.
Sanitary tubing goes some way to alleviating this problem. You can open it up and easily clean it, preventing the buildup of bacteria you get with conventional systems. You can also buy plant and equipment from vendors committed to exceptional hygiene. Make sure that things like filters are easy to replace.
Keep Air Moving
Researchers now believe that coronavirus may spread via the air in the form of an aerosol. Keeping air moving in the workplace, therefore, is essential. The more draft you can generate, the less likely any virus in the air will come into contact with people. Enclosed indoor spaces tend to be the most dangerous.
Business is booming for professional cleaning services, and it is not hard to see why. Companies want professional outfits that know what they’re doing when it comes to reducing the threat of COVID-19. Managers see them as a way to convince staff that their premises are “COVID secure.”
Most cleaning companies see the coronavirus pandemic as a business opportunity. For that reason, they’ve been investing heavily in training, giving their staff specific skills to combat viruses. In addition, they’ve been updating their equipment too. Many now use electrostatic cleaning tools to thoroughly coat surfaces using ionization to make sure all germs die.
Provide Hand Sanitizer
Hand sanitizer is now a staple in shops, pubs, and restaurants. Using it helps to prevent the spread of infection by killing any virus that might be on the skin. Place it strategically around your workplace.
A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. For many people, alcohol is a way to decompress, a way to be social and in some instances unfortunately an addiction. For health and wellness purposes though, there is a desire for alternatives to alcoholic beverages. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Healthier Alternatives to Alcohol Trending This Year.
There has been an increase in global awareness of the health risks associated with alcohol, which has led to a growing market of fashionable alcohol-free beverages. If you’re looking for a healthy alternative to alcohol, there are several options nowadays that don’t compromise on taste or quality. Many people are making the switch to non-alcoholic beers, cocktails, and spirits in 2020.
The dangers of alcohol
Consumers are becoming more health-conscious and therefore aware of the dangers of alcohol. Drinking in excessive amounts could lead to long-term health problems such as heart and liver diseases, addiction, and poor immunity. It’s better for your body and mind to find a healthier alternative, or drink in moderation.
In the short-term, alcohol can be dangerous in other ways, for example with drink driving. One of the best ways to avoid collisions is to ensure you never get behind the wheel under the influence. If not, it could result in a DUI at the very least, in which case you would need to contact criminal defense lawyers. The best way to drive safely is by avoiding alcohol. Here are five healthy alternatives to alcohol that have been trending recently.
Kombucha
Kombucha is a bubbly, fermented beverage full of probiotics. It’s made from black or green tea with a touch of bacteria added. It has a sweet and tangy taste, with a little fizz in the consistency. Many bars and pubs worldwide have recognized the growth in popularity of kombucha and are now serving it regularly. Here are some of the best kombucha brands trending at the moment.
Sparkling juice
Many people are opting for sparkling juices as a fun alternative to champagne, prosecco, and other sparkling wines. There are in fact made with the same fermentation process as sparkling wine. There are a variety of fruit flavors and high-end brands marketed towards a more elegant setting.
Premium alcohol-free beer
There is a wider range of alcohol-free beers than ever before. These include IPAs, stouts, premium lagers, and popular brands. The brewery industry has taken advantage of the leap in sales of alcohol-free and low-alcohol beers in the last few years. Many craft beer companies have released alcohol-free alternatives for connoisseurs with a more delicate palette.
Mocktails
Mocktails are a fun, glamorous alternative to traditional cocktails. They are still made skillfully by expert mixologists, using high-quality ingredients. The only difference is that they’re completely alcohol-free. Mocktails are made with a variety of ingredients and present in an array of colors, creating the same level of sophistication and excitement.
Alcohol-free gin
Due to the recent gin craze, alcohol-free gin has also become very popular. Consumers are continuing to commit more to abstinence and clean-eating. This has caused a surge in the manufacture of non-alcoholic gin. It’s made using brewed juniper distillate plus a mix of botanicals.
The sophistication of these alcohol-free blends is continually being developed by big brands and enjoyed by many all over the world. We can only expect to see more from the alcohol-free market.
A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. Our personal health not a one trick pony which is static and always the same. Unfortunately it is fluid and can be impacted by a myriad of factors. As such it’s important to get it checked regularly. The following contributed post is entitled, Why It’s Important To Get Your Health Checked Regularly.
Nobody really likes going to the doctor. There is something about the sterile environment and the overly personal nature of a checkup that makes people feel uneasy. However, regular checkups are crucial for maintaining excellent health so you can continue to live a safe, happy, and healthy life. Even if you’re apprehensive about visiting the doctor, it’s always beneficial to seek advice if you believe something is amiss.
They Can Identify Problems Early
Many people will experience an issue, whether a cough, discomfort, or constant headaches, but they still won’t visit the doctor. They may not want to do so because they think it’s nothing. They believe the issue will go away if you give it enough time, or they don’t want to waste the resources for something that, to them, feels so minor.
But such problems, as well as an array of other issues, can be signs of something much worse. With regular checkups, especially as you age, you have the confidence that your doctor can catch problems before they become more severe. With some conditions and diseases, you have a better chance the earlier they are found, so even if you are worried about what the diagnosis could be, you put yourself in a stronger position by seeking medical advice as early as possible.
You Can Get Peace Of Mind
If you are worried about going to the doctor because you don’t want to know the answer, then getting a checkup can give you peace of mind.
When faced with discomfort or experiencing an illness, your mind will often go to the worst places, especially if you research symptoms online rather than visiting the doctor. By finding answers to these symptoms, you will spiral into a hole that is difficult to escape from. However, if you seek professional medical advice, you can put your mind at ease, and even if the news is as bad as you expected, you can at least get peace of mind that treatment can begin.
They Help You Decide On the Right Treatment
Self-medicating is not a useful way to overcome any condition. By speaking to a doctor, they will use their years of experience to identify the correct treatment for you.
Depending on your problems, you can undergo a spinal decompression, be prescribed medication, or undergo other surgeries to solve the condition. Without a regular checkup, you risk making the issue even worse, and you may also do activities that exacerbate the problem, which leads to complications, making it incurable. With this treatment, you’re able to get back to living your life the way you want, rather than spend every day worrying about the pain and discomfort you’re in.
The Doctor Will See You Now
It is understandable why people don’t like going to see the doctor. The environment can make you uncomfortable, and in some extreme cases, you may be forced to face your mortality long before you were prepared to do so. However, medical professionals are here to help you, and if you visit them regularly, you have a much better chance of catching and overcoming potential health issues.
A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. Mental health isn’t something that’s easily seen but it may be the most important health of all. It’s important for all of us to stay on top of our mental health. The following contributed post is entitled, A Heads Up On Mental Health.
* * *
It’s impossible to discuss the topic of general wellness without paying close attention to mental wellbeing. Sadly, despite an increase in awareness, mental health is something that millions of people continue to suffer from. Even if you feel like yours is in a good place right now, this is the time to invest in this aspect of your wellbeing.
If you are serious about regaining control of your mental health, the following issues must be respected at all times.
Throughout your life, you’ll need to balance a variety of goals and responsibilities. Some of them only require your attention for short periods. However, your mental wellbeing is not something you can switch on and off. Therefore, it’s vital that you consider your mental health in the workplace as well as your home life and social activities. If your mental health suffers in one part of your life, it’s likely that the negative impacts will take their toll elsewhere. When the puzzle pieces fit together, wellness levels soar.
#2. Uncertainty Is The Biggest Cause For Concern
When bad things happen, it’s very easy to let your mind get carried away and think about the worst possible scenario. Meanwhile, a sense of uncertainty can often limit your opportunities to achieve inner peace. Thankfully, support is often available to ensure that you gain clarity and closure far sooner. Motoring offenses are a frequent issue, which is why a DWI lawyer may be a key contact in your bid for better mental health. Or if you are concerned about physical health issues, seeking medical experts is advised.
#3. Past Mistakes Can’t Define You
Dwelling on the past is another common source of mental health problems. While it’s important to learn from past mistakes and make amends where possible, you can’t change the past. Growing from those errors is a significant part of your personal journey. In severe cases, you can draw a line under past chapters by relocating to make a fresh start in life. For most people, though, a conscious effort to establish a healthier mindset is more than enough to create a better future.
Financial stress is the root of mental health issues impacting millions of people coast-to-coast. Sadly, they won’t just disappear, which is why you must tackle them face on. Speaking to a financial advisor or debt relief service can often deliver crucial info. Meanwhile, drawing up a budget and analyzing your situation to identify changes is vital too. If you continue to follow the same habits, the same results will follow. Conversely, the knowledge that your finances are moving in the right direction, even slowly, will aid your wellbeing.
#5. Human Interactions Are Key
Humans hold the key to your mental happiness, and their influence can be for the good or bad. Social interactions are naturally an important feature for maintaining your mental health. Meanwhile, knowing that you can express concerns and speak to them about anything is highly beneficial too. Conversely, though, when people lead you to bad decisions or constantly borrow money from you, the results are negative. It’s a tough thing to do, but many people find that taking a step back from problematic friendships is the best step of all. When used to support the other features mentioned above, your head will be in a better space.
Two key focuses of my blog are Workplace Discussions and Health/Wellness. A major responsibility of management especially industrial settings is assuring workplace safety. Maintaining a healthy workforce will assure continued productivity. The following contributed post was entitled, Keeping The Workplace Safe.
* * *
Injuries can happen in many different ways. A lot of people are shocked to discover the figures when it comes to workplace accidents. In 2018, 5,250 workers lost their lives due to a workplace accident. On top of this, there were 2.8 million non-fatal workplace illnesses and injuries. We all need to do our bit to reduce these figures.
Everyone in the workplace has a duty to ensure that the environment is as safe as possible. Of course, the ultimate responsibility falls on the shoulders of your employer. However, if you notice something that you don’t think is quite right, you should always report it. With that in mind, we are going to take a look at some of the things that all employees can do to keep their work environment as safe as possible.
Always wear Personal Protective Equipment The first thing you need to do is make sure that you always wear Personal Protective Equipment, which is often shortened to PPE. Depending on the nature of your work, you may have a number of different types of PPE that you need to wear. For example, if you work in a noisy environment, you may be required to wear ear protection. No matter what PPE is required, make sure that you wear it at all times.
Report unsafe conditions Aside from this, if you notice any conditions that are unsafe, you need to report these to your employer as soon as possible. If you have been injured because your employer has not rectified a potential issue, you should look into hiring a personal injury lawyer. After all, your employer has a responsibility to provide a safe and healthy work environment, and so it is imperative that they adhere to the laws that are in place.
Stay in-the-know regarding safety procedures In addition to the tips that have been provided so far, you should make sure that the emergency exits at your place of work are kept clear all of the time. You should also be aware of any new safety procedures that are put in place. Safety procedures are updated all of the time to ensure maximum efficiency, so keep up to date with this and never take shortcuts either.
Take breaks regularly and keep the correct posture Finally, there are a number of different things you can do to manage your own health in the workplace. Even office jobs can have a number of different dangers. Take breaks regularly and keep the correct posture to ensure that you are as healthy as can be in the workplace. There are lots of ergonomic furniture pieces and office supplies that are available today and can help you with this.
As you can see, there are a number of different ways that you can make sure your work environment is as safe as can be. If you follow the suggestions that have been mentioned above, you considerably reduce the possibility of being involved in any sort of workplace incident.
Two key focus of my blog are Athletics/Sports and Health/Wellness. A common activity/pastime/sport is cycling. It’s thought to be universal activity, one which individuals with certain physical limitations such as hip replacements can safely participate in but it is 100% beneficial for you? The following contributed post is entitled, Cycling Might Not Be All That Good For You After All.
* * *
Cycling is currently undergoing a resurgence in popularity. Everyone wants to hop on a bike, cycle to work, and get healthy, especially when there are significant risks for using public transport.
Public health officials love the idea too. For years, they’ve been pushing cycle lanes and bicycle-to-work incentives to get people riding on two wheels. For them, it’s a solution to the longstanding obesity epidemic. If people cycle to work, they’ll lose weight, get healthy, and reduce the strain on the health system.
Cycling, however, remains a bit of fringe activity. People do it – but not in the numbers required to make much of a dent in motor vehicle use. Plus, it is such a fleeting part of most people’s lives that there are only limited scientific studies on the downsides of the activity. For that reason, there’s barely any pushback that recognizes both the benefits and risks.
Before delving into why you might want to avoid the current cycling craze, let’s be clear on the benefits. We’re not saying that riding a bike is a bad thing, like smoking. It’s just that it isn’t just a list of benefits: there are costs too.
Cycling has all sorts of positive effects on your body. For one, it helps to improve your posture. Riding a bike requires the use of all kinds of core muscles, and it forces you into a particular stance, which enhances the overall balance of your body.
The exercise you do while riding a bike may also increase your level of cardiovascular fitness. The more you ride around, the healthier your heart and lungs become.
There’s also a good deal of evidence that riding a bike reduces your levels of stress more than practically any other form of exercise. There’s something uniquely freeing about the sensation of pedaling with a smooth-riding contraption between your legs. You feel liberated, particularly when you go offroad, something that might reduce blood pressure.
Finally, it may increase muscle mass, especially around the legs and buttocks, thus raising your natural metabolic rate.
Nobody seriously disputes the benefits of cycling – and in a perfect world, there would be only benefits. But in reality, that’s not how it pans out. Cycling has serious drawbacks, and we need to discuss them.
Cycling is one of the most dangerous things that you can do on the road. You wouldn’t run down the middle of the street with cars passing by on all sides, but that’s essentially what you’re doing when you ride a bike. You’re not in a vehicle, so you have no protection. It’s just your soft, fleshy body, versus metal bodywork.
Per mile traveled, cycling is one of the most dangerous forms of transport, which is why city authorities are so keen to install bike lanes. Bureaucrats know that motorists don’t pay as much attention to cyclists as they should, and that’s when accidents happen.
Cyclists also have a penchant for ignoring the road rules – another thing that gets them into trouble. Jumping red lights or under-taking are tempting when you’re on a bike, and you know you’re not going to get caught. But they also make getting from A to B more dangerous.
Even if you go offroad, there are still serious risks. Mountain biking isn’t a sport known for its low chance of injury. If you come off at speed, you can easily break bones and concuss yourself. Wearing elbow and knee pads can remove some of the chance of serious injury, but not all of it.
The Pollution
Cycling around in city traffic also exposes cyclists to a host of unpleasant fumes from ICE vehicles. Diesel is the worst. It contains tiny particles that damage the lining of the lungs, eventually leading to serious conditions, like cancer. They get in through the nose and mouth and bury themselves in the soft tissue that lines the passageways that lead to the lungs. With enough exposure, cyclists can eventually develop a sore throat and more severe conditions, especially if they spend more than an hour per day in heavy traffic conditions.
Pollution levels are often higher in places where cycling is more important. In China, for instance, officials want to encourage it to prevent cities from being overrun with cars. Therefore, regular folks are going to need assurances that they’re not damaging themselves at the same time.
The Fertility Issues
If you thought that bouncing along on a tiny saddle was a bad idea, you are right. Researchers rethink that the act of riding a bike restricts the arteries that flow to the testicles. Cycling is a significant reason why so many people visit a male infertility doctor. It’s an unseen factor that prevents families from having children.
You might think you can avoid fertility issues by wearing padded shorts and avoiding lycra, but it’s not as simple as that. Vasoconstriction appears to happen regardless of the level of padding, so it’s not just a matter of pressure. There seems to be something about the very act of cycling itself that causes problems.
We tend to forget that bicycles are contraptions, not parts of the natural environment. Operating them, therefore, could be just as much of a risk as anything else. Like so many other machines, they may not perfectly conform to our bodies’ ergonomics, causing problems.
Fertility issues may be just the tip of the iceberg, too. Evidence suggests that cycling regularly can lead to muscle imbalances and knee problems, especially if cyclings clip into their pedals.
Cycling might seem like a cheap form of exercise. But the moment you get serious about it, the price rises significantly. If you want to go running, you put on a pair of sneakers and hit the trails. If you’re going to go cycling, you have to spend at least a couple of hundred dollars on a bike, and extra money on helmet and gloves. And that’s just for the basic kit. Serious cycling is much more expensive.
The average mountain bike, for instance, is an extremely sophisticated machine with dozens of moving parts. Brand new, these bikes typically cost thousands of dollars and are top on the list for criminals to steal. They’re highly transportable, and there is no central registry, tracking who owns what. It’s not like cars.
The same applies to road bikes too. Quality cycles in this category are often made of carbon and cost thousands of dollars. Replacing them isn’t easy.
On top of the upfront cost and the risk of theft, you also have ongoing maintenance issues. Serving a car might cost $500 per year. If you buy a top-end bike, you can easily spend that sort of money on your machine as well. It gets expensive.
The Importance Of Dialogue
Cycling is hailed as the preferred mode of transport for the 21st century. It’s green, good for you, and, dare we say it, fun. But people have become so enthused that a serious discussion of the risks is no longer a part of the dialogue.
The truth, though, is that cycling is not as innocuous as checkers. It comes with risks to health, many of which are far higher than driving in a car. Modern society is set up for the motor vehicle. Like it or not, that’s how the world has developed. The pushbike was, until the pandemic, way down the list of most people’s priorities. Some city councils built cycle lanes, but they were often an after-thought and seldom used. The vast majority will always prefer to go around on four wheels. And so getting around frequently requires riding on the road.
Cycling isn’t as accessible as many people imagine, either. First, you have to be physically fit to do it, which many people are not. You also have to have parents who taught you to ride a bike. If you’re an adult who can’t, you either have to learn – which isn’t easy – or forget about it. And, secondly, cycling is more expensive than many people imagine. Bikes might be cheap for policymakers on fat salaries. Still, they’re far dearer for the average person looking to make a living.
Therefore, it is critical that we have a sensible dialogue about cycling as a form of transportation. If it really were as good as people imagine, then we would all be doing it, but we’re not. Many of us use our cars at the first opportunity, even if it’s just to go down the street to pick up some groceries from the store.
We have to question; why? Is it just laziness? Or does cycling come with some serious risks? Do people avoid it for good reasons? Imagine if the government was pushing motorcycling, which is as dangerous as riding a pushbike per mile traveled. There would be an uproar. It would be irresponsible. But for some reason, the same rules don’t apply to bikes. Perhaps that needs to change?
A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. Any time you go onto the road, you’re unknowingly at risk for an accident of some sort often times at no fault of your own. It’s thus critical to think about driving as defensively as possible so as to minimize the potential for collisions. The following contributed post is entitled, Three Top Ways to Avoid Car Collisions.
* * *
There is no one that wakes up and thinks that they want to crash their car today. However, because of our actions, poor driving skills, and rushed decisions, there are a lot of car accidents out on the roads each day. From a small fender-bender to larger collisions, there are several ways that you can cause damage to your own car and to your own health, as well as to someone else’s car, and someone else’s health.
As more and more of us hit the roadways and increase the highway congestion over the summer, it is important to make sure that you are doing things to slow things down, not get distracted, and keep any car accidents to a minimum. Of course, you can’t control other people out on the road, and you may need to read more about making a personal injury claim if you get hurt and it wasn’t your fault. But if you take steps to improve your driving, then it can limit your chances. Here are some things to think about.
It is important when driving to not rush into anything and to not make a decision like pulling into traffic without assessing the risks. You should take extra care to be more aware of blind spots, as often there can be cars that you can’t see because of the car design or because of road signs. When you come to an intersection, then you should look in both directions, but do so at least twice before you come to your decision to pull out. Cars can appear sometimes, almost out of nowhere, so it is a good idea to exercise caution when you are pulling into any traffic.
Be aware of red light runners
As has been mentioned before, you can’t control other people out on the road. Which is why, to avoid any collisions, it is best to be aware of anyone who may be running a red light. Although any collision would be their fault, you won’t want to even be in one if it can be avoided. When going into an intersection on a green light, it is best to be a little cautious and not head off at full speed. Another thing to be wary of is trucks. They are huge, and as a result, have huge blind spots. The general rule is that if you can’t see a truck’s mirrors, then they can’t see you.
Keep looking backwards when reversing
A lot of collisions can happen when you’re reversing, from another car trying to rush past you if you try to reverse park, to people or children running out in front of you. Plus, other cars can be backing out of a parking lot at the same time as you, which can be dangerous. So it is a good idea to not just rely on mirrors when backing out, as there are some blind spots with mirrors. Physically turn your head to check, and combining that with checking your mirrors can make a big difference.
A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. We as a society incur lots of injuries and sometimes deaths a result of unsafe driving. Safe driving can make all the difference in our lives and those we’re sharing the road with. The following contributed post is entitled, The Ultimate Guide To Safe Driving.
* * *
Driving in the twenty-first century should be easier than ever what with all the cruise control functions, automatic gearboxes, and advanced safety features. However, with increased levels of traffic and more ruthless individuals on the road, it can be a more daunting prospect to head to the grocery store in your car. To combat any hesitance you have about driving, you need to ensure that you employ safe driving tactics at all times. This means being a defensive driver. If you focus on everyone else on the road, potential hazards and you always stick to the speed limit, you can enjoy a fun drive whenever you put the pedal to the metal.
When out on the road, it’s better to go slower and reach your destination safely rather than never get to your destination at all. You must make sure that you take your time and stick to the speed limit to stay safe. Don’t be tempted to go just that touch faster because you are running late for an appointment. This could result in you getting into a collision or being pulled over by police. Set out earlier than you anticipate and mitigate for any potential traffic. Use a satnav with inbuilt live traffic updates to give you a heads up if congestion is building. An alternative route will then be suggested. Consider a dashcam from TDot Performance to ensure that your safe driving is evidenced should the worst happen. Utilize the tech on offer to help you drive more safely.
Be Aware
While you might be tempted to focus on your own driving, you need to consider all road users, including other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Everyone has a right to be on the road, so ensure that you consider their needs. Many cyclists have been injured because unobservant drivers have turned left without looking or have opened their doors without checking their mirrors. This shows a lack of awareness and can be detrimental to other road users. Remain aware and alert. Never drive tired. If you are sleepy, pull over, rest up and start driving when you are feeling more focused on the road.
While your car isn’t on the road, it needs to remain in a drivable condition. Do some fluid checks every month, such as oil dipstick tests and washer fluid level checks. Make sure that your tires are at the correct pressure and that the bodywork is free from excess rust. Keep a jack in your car and ensure that you have a red warning triangle, some spare oil and water should you break down. Ensure that you keep your break down cover up to date and have your insurance details in the glove box. By maintaining your vehicle, you can be sure of your safety on the road.
Being a safe driver means being defensive and thinking of your fellow road user. By following this guide, you can be a more confident driver when you next take to the road.
