Category: Health and Wellness

Parental Alienation: Helping Men Stay As Fathers

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Health/Wellness. Despite current beliefs and trends, it’s most healthy for children to grow up with both parents. To reverse these trends, it’s important to think about what can be done to keep fathers around. The following contributed post is entitled, Parental Alienation: Helping Men Stay As Fathers.

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No one ever hopes to go through a divorce but in modern society, divorce seems to be just as common as marriage. When this does occur, legally, it seems like there is a flaw in our system. Just 18% of fathers are given custody of their children. That’s a shocking statistic when you think about it. Fathers have to fight for the right to see their own children and still remain a positive force in their children’s upbringing. Anyone can see from a mile away that this is not fair. Regardless of what the parents feel about each other, the children should not be deprived of seeing both parents equally. This isn’t about the father versus the mother, it’s about giving our children a good upbringing and being a part of their lives without it being unfair for one side or the other. Parental alienation is almost exclusively felt on the father’s side, so what can we do about this?

Realize what fathers are

Both men and women bring different qualities to a child’s life. We often talk about great mothers are in the mainstream media, but we never get to hear how good an impact the father can have too. Fathers are known to teach children about hard work and standing up for themselves. Life lessons that will serve children well throughout their entire life. However fathers are also more likely to teach kids about finances and how they should take care of the money they earn. Mortgages, investments, pensions and much more are often discussed between fathers and their sons or daughters. Fathers also are more likely to teach their kids to be hardy, to tough it out and be strong. Although mothers can also do these things, it’s fathers are usually play this role in our children’s lives.

Not just a paycheck

Not only do fathers have to fight for their right to see their kids but very often, the family courts turn them into walking talking paychecks. However you never know when you’re going to fall on hard times and if you’re barely making enough to support yourself, paying child support could push you below the poverty line. If you need help to perhaps lower the payments you make speak to a child support attorney who is a specialist in this field. They know the rules around this like the back of their hand so they can find a way to explain to the courts in a convincing manner of your situation. No father wants to see their children go without, but it’s also not helpful to be so hounded for money that you end up going bankrupt.

A distant figure

Fathers can be great forces in their children’s lives but if they are away from them for too long, they simply become a distant figure. It’s much harder to re-enter their lives when they’re grown up than it is when they’re small. So fathers should not give up the fight in the courts and make sure they get to raise their kids.

Parental alienation is a big problem all throughout the Western world. It’s not good enough that just 18% of fathers get child custody rights. We must realize that fathers play a huge role in the upbringing of children and cannot be replaced by the state.

5 Signs You Need To Think About Improving Your Health

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Health and Wellness. Maintaining and improving your health, is a key component to a successful and prosperous life. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Signs You Need To Think About Improving Your Health.

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Image by skeeze from Pixabay

One of the hardest things to do during your adult-life is to think about your health. Although you may feel as though you don’t need to make any changes when it comes to staying on top of your health, there are lots of reasons why you should be making it your main priority. Whether you’ve had a recent health scare or you’re experiencing lots of health-related issues, you need to ensure you’re doing all that you can to look after yourself. With that in mind, here are 5 signs you need to think about improving your health:

  • Someone In Your Family Has Suffered From Bad Health

If you have someone in your immediate family who you know has suffered from health problems that are hereditary, you need to think about whether or not this can impact your future. Although it is not written in stone that you will have the same issues, you need to think about what you can do to prevent them from having a serious effect on your life. If it helps, it might be worth speaking to your doctor about any preventative measures you can take. To find out more about hereditary illness, you can visit this site here.

  • You’ve Had A Recent Health Scare

If you have had a recent health scare, it’s definitely a sign you need to be doing more to look after your health. Whether this means improving your diet or ensuring you get regular exercise, you need to be sure you’re doing everything you can to live a healthy lifestyle. For tips and tricks when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, you can visit this site here.

  • You’re Experiencing A Lot Of Issues

If you find you’re experiencing a lot of major (or even minor) health issues, it’s definitely time to start thinking about what you can do to improve your health.

Although some issues cannot be helped, there are lots of things you can do when it comes to working on your overall healthy lifestyle. Whether that means working with a macrobiotic counselor or finding yourself a personal trainer, you need to ensure you’re making changes for the better.

  • You Want To Improve Your Overall Health

One of the most obvious reasons to improve your health is because you want to start leading a healthier lifestyle, of course. If you have started to notice that you’re spending a lot of time eating out and drinking, or you think your exercise routine is starting to slip, taking the time to look at the potential changes you could make could be the motivation you need to live a healthier lifestyle.

  • You Want To Encourage Others Around You To Be Healthy Too

Finally, if you want to encourage your friends and family to live a healthier lifestyle, you need to look at whether or not you’re being as healthy as you can be first. After all, you may find that you need to lead by example in order to encourage them.

Are you worried about your health? What lifestyle changes could you make to ensure you’re being as healthy as you can? Let me know your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.

4 Awesome Ways To Start Your Day Off Right

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Health/Wellness. Starting you day off right can set the stage for the rest of its success. There a couple of keys to starting your day off right. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Awesome Ways To Start Your Day Off Right.

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The way you start your day can have a massive impact on how the rest of the day goes for you. If you start it lethargic, snoozing your alarm, and dragging your feet, you can pretty much guarantee that the rest of your day will go the same way. Here, you’ll find 4 awesome ways to start your day off right. Take a look and you’ll take control of the day ahead of you.

  1. Get Hydrated As Soon As Your Feet Touch The Floor
    Set yourself up for your morning the night before by leaving a pint of fresh water by your bed. Drink it as soon as you get up. Not only will this wake you up and help you to rehydrate after a night of sleep, it’ll kickstart your good habits for the day ahead.
  2. Make Your Bed
    Making your bed will give you a feeling of accomplishment before the day has even begun. It sounds too simple to work, but it’s one of the best things you can do to start off a series of wins for the day.
  3. Get Some Exercise
    Whether you choose to run, pilates, or swim doesn’t matter. What matters is that you get your heart rate up a little and you enjoy it. This warms up your body, including your brain, and helps you to prepare yourself for whatever the day throws at you.
  4. Fuel Your Body Right
    The whole ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’ thing is a myth. However, fueling your body right with lots of micronutrients is the perfect way to start the day, so how about a cold pressed juice?


credit to goodnature.com

5 Ways To Reduce Workplace Injuries

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Health/Wellness. Depending on which industry you’re in, there can be a lot of potential for workplace injuries. Figuring out how to reduce workplace injuries, can ultimately save you money and increase the morale of your workforce. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Ways To Reduce Workplace Injuries.

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Pixabay – CCO Licensed

It’s essential that your workplace is a safe environment for employees. Accidents will happen in almost all trades – even if there aren’t any obvious hazards – but you should still try to minimise the risk, if not to protect your employees, to at least protect your company from the threat of a lawsuit. Here are just a few ways in which you can reduce workplace injuries and keep it a safe environment.

Point out hazards with signage

The easiest way to prevent injury is to clearly point out hazards with signage. Such hazards could include anything from a hot water tap to a low ceiling. In the case of multiple hazards, don’t be afraid to provide a large informational sign or even a manual to make guides aware of multiple hazards. It could also be important to provide temporary signage such as wet floor signs when mopping.

Supply safety equipment

Safety equipment such as these men’s work boots could also be necessary for reducing injuries. By making it mandatory to wear such equipment, you can ensure that employees are physically guarded against dangers. There could also be tools such as step ladders and fire extinguishers to consider.

Introduce health and safety protocols

Health and safety protocols require employees to carry out tasks in a specific way. This could be something as simple as how to safely carry a box to something complex such as how to put out a kitchen fire. Try to introduce a series of steps that employees have to follow and make sure that employees carry out the task in this exact order so that no step is missed out.

Train your employees thoroughly

There’s no point having protocols in place if you’re not going to train your employees how to perform these protocols. Make this a vital part of your training whenever you hire a new employee. Refresher training could also be worth undertaking with older employees to ensure that they’re still doing everything correctly and not cutting corners. Certain aspects of health and safety such as fire safety or using heavy machinery may even require enrolling employees on a course.

Supervise hazardous tasks

If you have the manpower, it could be worth having employees supervise one another when carrying out particularly hazardous tasks. For instance, you may not need someone to supervise when lifting a box, however if an employee is climbing a tall ladder, supervision could be essential in order to keep the ladder steady.

4 Proven Ways to Reduce Anxiety

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Health/Wellness. A key to successful at life is maintaining your mental health and minimizing/reducing anxiety. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Proven Ways to Reduce Anxiety.

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It was the best of times; it was the worst of times: Charles Dickens wrote these words in the 19th century, but they’re arguably more relevant today than ever before. Never have we been so divided, individually, between good and bad times. On the plus side, we have more or less everything that we could need, we’re safe, our problems are often superficial; on the negative side are the costs of this level of comfort, which has fuelled a dramatic rise in mental health conditions such as anxiety. Left to our own decides, we can end up in stressful states of mind. Fortunately, there are some remedies we can use to limit the feelings of anxiety. We take a look at a few examples below.

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Switch off the Tech

Technology has done a lot of good for humanity, but there’s a chance that we’ve gone a little too far in our question to techify everything. While smartphones, laptops, and tablets are useful for managing life, they’re not exactly relaxing. If you’re actively engaging with your tech (say, by scrolling through your social media channels), then all you’re doing is keeping your mind in a state of stressful alertness. Not so relaxing! If you’re feeling anxious and can’t find a cause, look at switching off your tech for the evening.

Feeding the Body

We think of stress and anxiety as the thing itself — say, getting up to give a talk, but it’s really something that’s happening inside of us. We are all made up of chemicals, and if we’re beginning to see the telltale signs of anxiety, then we should take steps to change our chemical makeup. There are plenty of ways to do this. Medical marijuana has been shown in studies to reduce the symptoms of anxiety; talk with your doctor to get the strain that’s right for you, and also invest in a cannabis waste disposal bin, so it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Alternatively, you can look at adding soothing incense or scent diffusers in your property. If you buy some relaxing scents, then they’ll do the magic “under the radar” and help to make you feel more relaxed.

Time Outdoors

Ah, the outdoors. Many of us don’t make as much of it as we could or should. Studies have shown that just a couple of hours of outdoor time — either in one go or spread out — is enough to reduce our anxiety levels and give our happiness a boost. No matter where you live, there will likely be some sort of natural scenery located nearby. Make spending some time there a part of your weekly schedule. Plus, you’re not just doing this for

Meditation and Yoga

Finally, don’t forget that there’s great power in meditation and yoga, two activities that have been scientifically proven to reduce the symptoms of anxiety. For yoga, it’s best that you join a class, but meditation can be done anywhere, by anyone. Learn the basics, and do it once in the morning and once at night.

Fixing Our Skewed View: Stopping Self-Medicating With Substances

A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. In some instances alcohol abuse is a simple and convenient way to deal with life’s pains and hardships. If the user isn’t careful though, there can be unintended consequences and they become abusers of that alcohol. The following contributed post is entitled, Fixing Our Skewed View: Stopping Self-Medicating With Substances.

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In life, we can tend to self-medicate. Whether we are going through physical pain, emotional pain, or psychological pain, there are little vices in life can seem to be an ideal solution for a short period of time. But with something like substances or alcohol, we know, deep down, that’s not an ideal solution. But what can we do before it gets to the point that we lose all sense of comprehension, and have a genuine reliance on it?

It Overrides Our Sense Of Safety
When we feel that we can have a few drinks and drive home without any worry, this is when the law catches up and we face the consequences. Being detained under what is called a physical control arrest, where you are in control of a motor vehicle under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drug, is enough to make many straighten up and fly right. But for a lot of people who are functioning under a certain level of intoxication, especially when they have life duties, there is a self-centeredness that overrides any sense of safety. Unfortunately, there are many examples of parents who drink and take their children to school under the influence.

Getting To The Root Of The Problem
Self-medicating is the refuge of someone who’s not able to cope. It’s an easy way to cloud our memories of a situation. But this doesn’t help us get to the root of the problem. If you are someone reading this who knows that you’ve got to function, but still will struggle to face facts, how can you get to the root of the problem? By getting to the core of it, it requires a lot of soul-searching, and a lot of pain. Naturally, we don’t want to face up to this sort of thing. But, counseling, helplines, or even some sense of clarity can be a great way to understand why alcohol is not the way forward. Medicating in this respect is a short-term solution.

The Symptoms Get Worse
Self-medicating with alcohol means that, after a while, your tolerance increases. As such, we’ve got to find ways to get back to that original hazy way of thinking. It seems to be the perfect way to wade through life, at least in the short term. The big problem is that alcoholism, or addiction in any form, is a selfish approach. After a while, it becomes a fact that we have a reliance on a substance that overrides any sense of duty, except to that of the substance. We live a subservient existence, and only then is it when an intervention occurs, or we do something to snap ourselves out of it, that we realize the extent of our troubles.

In many ways, it’s preaching to the choir, but we all fall victim to a bad time in life. And, we can self-medicate with alcohol to an extent, and it makes everything feel okay for a bit. But this is not a tried and tested solution to overcoming the problem. Whatever issue you have in life, drinking becomes the perfect mask, but after a while, the mask begins to slip, regardless of the effort you make to avoid this happening.

Living With Dementia: The Trials And Tribulations Of A Carer

A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. Some people develop Dementia with old age. As the caregiver of someone with Dementia, it can be a tough road. It’s important to know what things to look out for. The following contributed post is entitled, Living With Dementia: The Trials And Tribulations Of A Carer.

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Between 5 to 7% of people over the age of 60 suffer from some form of dementia. By the time you hit 85, this number increases to between 25 and 50%. Unfortunately, when you reach this age it can literally be a coin toss whether you do develop this condition. That’s a problem because life expectancy is increasing. On average, we’re all living a lot longer than we used to, which means that mental health issues associated with age are going to become more common. What can we do about this?

Well, we need to be prepared for living with dementia. This is going to be important if your partner develops the condition or if you choose to look after an elderly member of your family at home. What changes should you make?

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Child Safety

As silly as it might sound, if your partner is suffering from dementia or you are bringing someone with dementia home to live with you, you need to get the child safety equipment out the attic. Alternatively, this is available to buy on the market. You need to make sure that you are putting measures in place to ensure that someone with dementia can’t hurt themselves.

Be aware that people with this condition can forget what they are doing while in the middle of a task. An example would be pouring a cup of tea. A person suffering from dementia could forget they were pouring and start putting the water on their hands rather than the cup.

Safe Furniture

If you visit a care home equipped for dementia, you will find that they tend to use special types of furniture. This furniture is designed to provide the maximum levels of safety for individuals in their care. That does include everything from slips and falls to a potential hit on the head. Companies like Crown Furniture provide mental health furniture that is ideal for keeping environments safe and free from hazards.

Cues And Support

Depending on the stage of the condition, it might be necessary to ensure that you are putting cues around the home. These can be cards that are laminated and placed in key areas. It provides information that someone might need to protect themselves or to continue to live with some level of independence. For instance, you might label the fridge, the microwave and the phone. Studies have shown that these cues can help a great deal.

Safe Place To Sleep

Finally, it’s common for someone with dementia to forget where they are in the middle of the night. This can cause them to fall out of bed which can lead to both a shock and an injury. It’s important therefore to consider investing in a lower bed so the fall won’t be as severe. You can also consider purchasing a bed with sides.

We hope this helps you deal with some of the issues that you could face when living with someone who has dementia. It is important to keep them safe as well anyone who is sharing the environment. Be aware that people with dementia can be a threat to themselves and to others without warning.

3 Ways To Show Your Patients You Care In Your Healthcare Business

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Health/Wellness. The Healthcare Business is one that will likely always be needed. That said as a business, there is still level of competition. How do you separate yourself from your competitors? The following contributed post is entitled, 3 Ways To Show Your Patients You Care In Your Healthcare Business.

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Running a healthcare business is much the same as any other business. If you show your customers that you care (or in this context, your patients), you will retain their loyalty and receive the financial rewards to your business. And if you don’t show that you care? Well, the reverse is true. You won’t be the only healthcare business in your community, and you might lose your patients to somebody who is doing more than you to care for their needs.

So, to ensure you stand out in the healthcare sector then, here are just a few of the ways that you can show your patients that you care.

1: Listen to what your patients have to say

Do your patients feel cared for? Are you meeting their needs? You would never know unless you asked them, so to ensure they know that you have their best interests at heart, make every effort to listen to what they have to say. This begins at the reception desk when your patients express their needs to your receptionist, and it continues into their appointments when they are talking to your healthcare professionals.

So, ensure your receptionist staff have customer training behind them. Make sure appointment times can be scheduled so your care staff have sufficient time to get to know and understand your patients. And ensure feedback forms are available, so if your patients have something to say, be it good or bad, you can then take the appropriate actions when necessary.

2: Show your patients your appreciation

If it wasn’t for your patients, you wouldn’t have a business, so to retain those that you do have on your books, show them that you care for their needs by finding ways to reward their loyalty to you.

So, you might offer your loyal patients discounted services, or you might show your appreciation by revamping your practice’s waiting areas. Check the medical fit-outs at Levitch, for example. You might also adopt an incentive scheme, so if your patients can direct others to your business, you might reward them with a free gift (such as an electric toothbrush if you were in dentistry) or money off their next visit.

What you do depends on the area of healthcare your business is in, but for some general inspiration, here are some other ideas on how to show patient appreciation. Your patients will then show you their appreciation by returning to your business.

3: Educate your patients

To show your patients that you care about their health needs, you can take extra steps to keep them informed. So, you might run special classes in your business, with expert advice from your clinicians and outside professionals to educate your patients on any health issues that pertain to their situation. You might also send out newsletters to your patients, be that through e-mail or snail mail, not only to market yourself to them but to give them new information that relates to their needs.

By educating your patients, you are showing them that you aren’t only interested in their money. They will see that you are going the extra mile to give them better care through the information you relay, and this will do them and your business a world of good.

Thanks for reading!

How to Actually Relax after a Long Week at Work

Two of the focuses of my blog are Career Discussions and Health/Wellness. One of the keys to being successful in your career is understanding how to rejuvenate yourself. This process of self-renewal can pay tremendous dividends. The following contributed post is entitled, How to Actually Relax after a Long Week at Work.

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If you feel as though you are constantly tense at the weekend, then you will know how frustrating this can be. You may feel as though you never get the chance to unwind and that you also find it difficult to switch off too.

Disconnect from your Phone

It doesn’t matter how you choose to unwind because it will be difficult to do if you are always thinking about work. If you want to help yourself here, turn your phone off as soon as you leave the office. If you have a work phone, try and leave it at your desk. This will really help you to switch off from work and it will also help you to have some more personal time too.

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Run yourself a Warm Bath

Believe it or not, one of the best ways for you to relax after a long day would be for you to have a warm bath. You can wash the tension away from your body and you can also calm your mind too. If you do decide to have a bath, then light some candles and buy some bath salts. This will boost your experience and it will also help you to feel well and truly pampered.

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Try and Workout

Working out is another fantastic way for you to release those endorphins. Science has proven time and time again that exercise is a great way to relieve stress and that it’s great for your mental health. If you want to get the maximum benefit, then consider taking part in a team sport. This will help you to be more social and it will also help you to connect with other people in your local area.

Get out of the House

A change in scenery can really make a change to being cooped up inside all day. If the weather is fine, then try and seek out nature. Get out a chair, sit in the garden, and breathe in the fresh air. If you have some nice flower seeds, get them planted out or even try and rearrange the hanging basket outside your front door. Little things like this can take your mind away from work and bring it back to the present moment.

Put on Some Music

Play some soothing tunes and have a moment to yourself. The music that you listen to can influence your mood and you would be surprised at how much it could help you to relax. If you are finding it hard to choose a playlist that’s suitable then consider using Spotify as there are plenty on there to choose from.

Play a Game

Playing games like the ones on wombatcasino.com can help you to forget all about work. Try and find one that you can really get into. When you do, you’ll feel all the stress from the week leave your body and this can help you to maintain a more positive mindset. It’s also ideal if you want to have a relaxing night in.

4 Relaxing Hobbies You May Not Have Tried Yet!

Two of the key focuses of my blog are Athletics/Sports and Health/Wellness. Often times the hobbies we have can affect our qualities of life. Some of them can contribute to creating a much healthier quality of life. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Relaxing Hobbies You May Not Have Tried Yet!

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You’ll know that if you want to look after your wellbeing, your exercise regime should be a top priority. With ample benefits for our physical and mental health, you won’t want to skip out on your get active fix! Sometimes, the gym can get a little boring, especially in the summer when it’s all stuffy and you just want to get outside! In addition to this, when you’ve had a hard week, pounding away on the treadmill doesn’t always feel so calming. If you’re looking for a new sporting hobby that promotes relaxation, you should consider some of these options.

Yoga

If you are serious about relaxation, yoga is just about the most calming exercise that you can do. You will learn about breathing techniques, meditation, and mindfulness to help calm your mind and focus on the present moment. Yoga is often practiced to relaxing music or accompanied with incense and candles to ease your senses. Yoga also provides so many excellent benefits for the body, from improving your core strength to your posture and flexibility. You can find a local yoga studio, or self-teach via online videos if you would prefer.

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Paddle Boarding

Activities which we can do on the water can be largely therapeutic. SUP (stand-up paddleboarding) is relaxing because you have to use lots of concentration and focus to balance and move across the water. Paddleboarding is another excellent activity to work on your core strength and tone your muscles. Be warned it’s not in fact as simple as it looks, but with a little practice, you could soon become a pro!

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Archery

Archery is an excellent sport to destress because, like yoga, it focuses on your ability to stay with the present moment, focus, and persist. Many people find that aiming and hitting a target with precision allows them to expel tension from their bodies and minds. You can play archery outdoors so you’ll be boosting your endorphins with both nature and the sunlight. When you are starting out, you will need to figure out what kind of equipment you will need. As a beginner, you’ll need to find the right kind of bow. Some people also like to add a bow stabilizer, to help them to perfect their archery skills.

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Hiking

Taking up hiking is an excellent way to relax and experience some beautiful places. You will destress, burn calories, and connect with nature. What’s more, hiking has a huge social aspect as you can hike with friends or join a local hikers group if you don’t have any takers! If you don’t have any worthy hiking destinations near you, why not find one further afield, hop on a train and make a day of it!

Sometimes it can be hard to know how to destress after a long week at work, but before you reach for the TV remote why not give one of these a try and see if you learn some new skills and relax in the process!