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Health

How to Help Your Aging Parents Stay in the Best Health

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Seeing your parents age, and no longer as active as they once were can come as a shock. When your parents grow older, they may begin to experience health problems, and you may see your roles reversed. Instead of your parents taking care of you, you may now need to help care for them. 

Helping your parents stay healthy can be tricky. They may resent your attempts to take care of them, or they may not believe that they need any help at all. It is vital to strike a balance between caring for them and not interfering. It is likely that your parents will want to stay independent for as long as possible, and won’t appreciate being told what to do. If you are too overbearing, you are likely to cause issues in your relationship, so talking things through with your parents, and being guided by them as to the level of help that they require is crucial.

Regular Checkups

To stay in the best health, your parents will need to have regular checkups. Along with the usual medical checkups, it is also essential to schedule hearing tests and eye tests. Many people experience a deterioration in both their hearing and their eyesight as they age. Both hearing loss and vision problems can impact on your parent’s sense of wellbeing and enjoyment of life.

Ensuring that your parents have regular checkups should help to detect the early onset of any problems, and steps can then be taken to resolve them. Hearing loss can make people feel isolated and can be frustrating for them. Not being able to hear conversations clearly, or able to listen to the radio and television can really impact on your parent’s quality of life.

If a visit to the audiologist shows that your parent is experiencing hearing loss, they may suggest that they have hearing aids fitted. Getting hearing aids can make a massive difference to your parent’s wellbeing and help them to feel more connected to the world around them. Nowadays, there are many different styles of hearing aids available. During the consultation, the audiologist will be able to recommend a style that best suits your parent’s needs, and will bring them the most significant benefit.

Keep in Touch

One of the most important steps towards helping your parents to stay healthy is to keep in touch with them either over the phone or in person. Communication is at the heart of all healthy relationships, and the parent/child one is no different. Contacting your parents regularly will help you gauge how they are feeling and gain a clearer idea of how they are doing. Being in regular contact will ensure you notice subtle changes to their health more quickly, and help them get these issues resolved.

Keeping in touch with your parents is especially important if they live alone, as they may feel isolated and lonely. Human connection and communication are crucial to everyone’s sense of wellbeing, and your parents are no exception.

Thank you for reading!

Health

5 Things to Know Before Choosing a Healthcare Plan

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Our health is the most important thing in our lives, and we should all make it a priority to focus on our health. Putting our health first looks different around the world: in Australia, patients with Medicare can schedule visits with bulk billing doctors who accept Medicare benefits as full payment for medical procedures. Patients in Britain feed their taxes into a state funded system called the NHS, or National Health Service which guarantees healthcare for everyone.

In the U.S., citizens have to buy (expensive) insurance. They pay a premium each month and the insurance company then pays part of the medical bill. Citizens are still left with bills, though. Honestly, in my opinion, it’s a terrible healthcare system that oppresses people with low socioeconomic status and often people of color.

Because Americans have to pay for insurance (and not all insurance is the same), it is essential to choose the right healthcare plan to ensure the best medical assistance. Below are five important things to know before you choose a healthcare plan, whether it’s for you, or your family. There’s a lot of things you want to keep an eye out for when comparing insurance plans.

Premiums

Most people in America with health insurance have insurance provided by work, their spouse, or their parents. However, there are healthcare insurance plans you can pay for as a third-party for more or less (price, coverage, & hassle), if you don’t like the plan offered to you.

It’s important to know what you’re getting into if you go this route. Insurance policies can be incredibly dense and convoluted. If you’ve ever talked to anyone about insurance plans, you’ve probably heard the term “premium.”

A premium is the price you pay each month for your insurance plan. When you have insurance through your employer, they pay for most, if not your entire, premium. Some people might say to look for a lower premium – but this can cost you in the long run if you aren’t careful. You want to take all facets below into consideration when determining if the premium of your chosen insurance plan fits into your budget.

Coverage

Good healthcare insurance coverage is typically more expensive than average provider plans. However, they are worth the added benefits and wellness programs. You might not actually need a plan with a ton of coverage if you aren’t a frequent patient – but it is worth considering for emergencies.

UnitedHealthcare Insurance, for example, offers a variety of health insurance plans with a high deductible (a specific amount of money you have to pay toward your medical bills before insurance starts paying; more on this below) up front, but a lot of coverage down the road. There’s a difference between a healthcare plan that will 100% cover a fully loaded surgery versus a healthcare plan that will cover only half or 25%.

A healthcare plan with good coverage might cost you a lot up front, but it can save you from debt in the long run.

Deductibles & Copays

Even with health insurance, there will be certain out of pocket costs.

Before your insurance coverage kicks in – you are responsible for paying a deductible. Your deductible is a certain amount of money you pay out of pocket before your insurance plan starts to pay for services. A $2,000 deductible will initially pay for $2,000 worth of covered services, and after that you will have a copayment for your services.

If you visit the doctor, the dentist, a therapist, etc. you might be expected to pay a $10-$50 (sometimes more) copayment for the service. After that, depending on your healthcare coverage, whatever services you have done will be covered by your insurance plan.

PPO vs. HMO

There’s a variety of healthcare plans to choose from when making the decision.

EPO– An Exclusive Provider Organization plan offers a local network of doctors and hospitals under their coverage. Out of pocket costs are typically moderate compared to the other plans, and the premiums can be lower. However, you can’t stray outside of your plan’s network.

HMO– A Health Maintenance Organization plan offers a local selection of doctors and hospitals to choose from. With lower premiums, an HMO might work for you if you aren’t interested in a flexible plan.

PPO– A Preferred Provider Organization plan offers a large network of doctors and hospitals to choose from. With higher premiums and deductibles, this might be a good option for you if you want total flexibility over your healthcare options. When purchasing health insurance, I always go with a PPO. It’s more expensive, but it’s a great benefit to be able to see (almost) any doctor you want.

Enrollment

Now that you have an idea of what insurance plan you want, what’s covered, and how much you have budgeted for – it’s time to enroll. This process is going to look different based on where you are located.

First, visit HealthCare.gov to determine when open enrollment begins at the Health Insurance Marketplace. There are dates, deadlines, and paperwork that you need to pay special attention to. Again, it varies depending on your state, so make sure you have the correct info!

If you’re in the U.S., good luck finding your health insurance plan – I hope it goes well!

Thank you for reading!

Kids/Nannying

3 Steps To Take To Give Your Kids The Best Chance In Life

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The thing that we all want most in life is to give our kids the best possible chance. Sometimes circumstances mean that our kids are going to miss out on certain things, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do everything you can to ensure they have all the opportunities possible. However, it’s not the things that cost money that mean the most to kids, it’s the things that their parents do and say to them. It’s for this reason that if you want to give your kids the best chance in life, it starts with you. In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the things that you can do to give your kids the best possible chance, so keep reading if you would like to find out more!

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Encourage Them 

The first thing that we’re going to be looking at is being sure to encourage your kids. There is absolutely nothing worse than having parents who don’t encourage their kids to do whatever it is that they want to do (within reason, of course). From the time they are young, you should be teaching your children that no matter what the goal is, if they are willing to work hard and do everything in their power, they are going to be able to achieve it. You want to raise confident children who are sure of their choices and feel good about them. This is far better than children who feel like they have to question every single thought they have because it might not be the right one. 

It’s not difficult to ensure that your children know they can do whatever they want if they put their mind to it. As long as they’re willing to put in the effort, eventually, no matter how long it takes, they’ll be able to achieve the goals that they set for themselves. Keep reminding them of this when they get older, because it’s when they are in their teen years that they are going to need to hear this the most.

Get Them The Right Help

Another thing that you should always be doing is getting them the right help. If you know that your child needs some form of help, it is your job to get it for them. There are a number of things that they may need, from some kind of medical attention to speech therapy. It doesn’t matter what it is, if you want your kids to have the best chance, then you need to make sure that they are fully equipped for life. Now, you’re not always going to be thanked for this by your children when they are younger, but when they grow up they will see that you have only ever done what is best for them. Try to keep this in mind during the tantrums that are inevitably going to be thrown your way.

Support Their Decisions

This one is kind of like encouraging them, but it’s one step further. It’s one thing to tell your kids they can achieve anything, and an entirely other thing to support them when doing so. Even if they are doing things that you wouldn’t choose personally, you need to support them. Having the support of your parents is important to a lot of people, especially when you have a good relationship with your kids. We don’t want you to end up not speaking to them over a choice that they made that you refused to support.

Your kids are entitled to make their own choices about where they want their life to go. You have already chosen yours, and now you’ve got to let them make their own. Keep in mind that they are happy, even if you would’ve preferred they had done something else. It isn’t your life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give your opinion, as long as you make it clear that you are still supporting them, no matter what they do or where they go.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you can do to give your kids the best possible chance. It’s mostly about the mental/emotional than anything else, and doing everything you possibly can to give them what they need to succeed. Good luck, and we hope that your kids get everything that they want out of life!

Thank you for reading!

Health

5 Signs That Your Loved One Needs Hospice Care

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Taking care of an ill person can be overwhelmingly difficult, especially if you do it alone. It’s even more complicated when the care is to an aging parent or loved one. It leaves you drained, and burn out can easily catch up with you.

This is the time you need to seek hospice care. It provides a more convenient approach to taking care of the patient/your loved one, while also being mindful about your wellbeing.

Hospice refers to specialized care for people living with a terminal illness. It incorporates more than just treatment and takes into account the emotional and spiritual wellness of the patient.

The primary caregivers and family are also incorporated into the care, so they can receive psychological support. The overall goal is to help patients and their loved ones have the best possible quality of life, despite the terminal illness. How can you tell if a patient is eligible for hospice?

Eligibility for Hospice Care:

You don’t have to wait until the last days of a loved one’s life before enrolling them to a hospice center. Check these few signs and take the necessary steps.

The Symptoms Are Harder to Manage Than Before

Uncontrolled pain can be the source of a myriad of complications, including shortness of breath, anxiety, and restlessness. It also takes a toll on the mental wellbeing of the caregivers. If your patient has increased pain bouts, accompanied by vomiting, nausea, and trouble swallowing, hospice care may help.

Unresponsive Treatment Methods and Decreased Interest in Intervention

If a patient is at the point where they no longer desire to pursue aggressive treatment interventions, hospice care can help relieve pain and discomfort. You’ll notice that the goals of the patient at this point revolves around spending time with loved ones.

The patients/loved ones start mentioning subtle things to their families; it’s crucial to start paying attention to all their comments. This is also the time to be considerate of their wishes and what matters to them.

The Patient is Restless or Confused

When people feel like they’re coming to their end due to a terminal illness, they may feel agitated at the slightest provocation. Confusion seems to be the order of the day, not knowing what is happening around them or where they are.

The patients may perceive things that aren’t real and hold on to false beliefs. They alight also believe that someone is out to harm them (paranoia).

Communication Becomes Less Effective

If your loved one develops hearing and vision problems, decreased circulation, and slurred speech, consider taking up hospice care. They may also start withdrawing from activities and people they love. 

Frequent Visits to the Doctor

Multiple visits to the doctor may be a subtle sign that your loved one’s health is on a decline. This is especially common in adults aged 75 years or older.

Final Thoughts:

Don’t let the task of taking care of a terminally ill parent or loved one overwhelm you. Let hospice care providers help you carry the burden. Learn more about how to go about it from https://serenitycares.com/hutchinson/.

Personal Note: If you’re in a position where you have to put a loved one into hospice care, I am really sorry for this difficult time your family is experiencing. My grandpa was put into hospice shortly before he died; it was extremely hard for my family. You have my deepest condolences.

Thank you for reading!

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Health

Before Training The Body, You Must First Train Your Mind

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Healthy body, healthy mind. That’s the mantra that most people try to live by. Perhaps now it’s the time to flip that idea on its head and focus on the concept of a healthy mind building the platform for a healthy body.

The first step on the road to success, then, is to build a detailed and transparent plan. Focus on building a stronger mindset through these seven simple tips, and your body will soon follow.

Step One: Start the day in style

Healthy living is a daily challenge. Most people wake up with good intentions, but it’s very easy to lose your enthusiasm once you fall behind on those various tasks. Therefore, starting the day in a positive fashion should be a priority. Eating oatmeal every day can become a winning routine, and it should be supported by drinking a glass of water. The value of good hydration is clear.

If you plan to workout in the mornings, be sure to do it consistently. Or if you want to get on with daily assignments, leaving time for workouts later on, that’s fine too. Another top trick is to set your alarm 10 minutes early. The simple thought process of being ahead of where you should be at any given time will keep you motivated throughout the day ahead.

Step Two: Sleep well

Actually, this step could be moved to the top of the list if you prefer. You spend roughly one-third of your life sleeping while it is the time for your body and mind to recuperate. We all appreciate the negative impacts that a bad night’s sleep can have on our mindset. Conversely, healthy sleep patterns will allow you to wake up and attack the day.

Healthy sleeping patterns start with the evening rituals. Learn to avoid the blue light of your smartphone for an hour before bed. Meanwhile, new bedding and improved climate control systems can aid the cause too. The key isn’t only to enhance the duration of your sleep. True success comes from reaching the REM stage of deep sleep. Get this right, and then move onto daytime upgrades.

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Step Three: Master goal-setting habits

It’s impossible to follow the right path if you don’t even know the intended destination. Furthermore, human nature dictates that we need targets that we can aspire to achieve. They provide motivation and clarity. This is why a combination of achievable short-term and long-term goals is vital. Use the milestones to track your progress and spur you on to the big goals.

Healthy living can cover fitness, nutrition, and simply getting outside more regularly. Ultimately, then, the goals must be tailored to meet your personal requirements. Anything less would lead to disappointment. In turn, it could encourage you to abandon the process altogether. So, if you want to give yourself a fighting chance of staying on track, you must not skip this step.

Step Four: Seek help through tech

We all encounter moments where we can’t be bothered or where life seems to get in the way. The occasional cheat meal or skipped gym session won’t spell disaster. Still, once you break the habit of doing things correctly, it’s hard to rediscover the mentality. If modern tech can keep you in the right frame of mind, you should reach out to grab it.

Motivational tech tools can range from fitness trackers to calorie counters. Meanwhile, simply setting schedules and alarms will force you to stop being lazy. If you continue to struggle, joining a community where you compete against others is the perfect solution. The competitive streak in you will encourage you to keep outperforming friends or online buddies.

Step Five: Avoid bad influencers

We are all influenced by our surroundings. This is especially noticeable when you consider the company you keep and the impact they have on your lifestyle choices. If a friend constantly leads you to give up on healthy living goals, it might be the right time to take a step back. Even if it’s just for a few weeks until you can see the benefits of avoiding those pitfalls.

Conversely, positivity begets positivity. Positive people that pursue healthy living should lead you to personal improvements. Moreover, you will be in a better position to pick up valuable tips. This may allow you to reach your goals with greater success rates. Naturally, this can extend to ideas such as quitting cigarettes once and for all. Putting yourself first is normal.

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Step Six: Meditate

Modern life is stressful, and it can hit your mindset hard. In turn, this will probably put your physical wellness at risk too. A few minutes of yoga each day can transform your life for the better. It allows you to find inner peace while also becoming more supple. This can subsequently keep you in a better mindset while helping you achieve more with physical fitness.

Meditation can be supported by drinking green tea after a session while a little self-pampering is vital. The balance between endevours and rewards can encourage you to keep up the new routines. In turn, they can slot into a better overall lifestyle that extends to your career and other features. It’s a small addition, but its impact can be huge.

Step Seven: Focus on fun

Last but not least, you should try to make healthy living feel enjoyable. Consistency is the key to sustained success. Moreover, you are only human, and falling into the trap of repetitive routines could backfire spectacularly. Therefore, you should aim to mix it up with a range of cardio and strength training. If nothing else, keeping the body on its toes will aid results.

Better still, trying new ideas may unlock new passions and hobbies. It is coupled with the fact that it can reduce the threat of sneaking into the red zone where injuries are more common. Those features ensure that this is the best way to keep yourself engaged with healthy living. You can take your results to the next level by opting for fitness retreat holidays or spa breaks as your rewards.

Thank you for reading!

Health

5 Signs You’re Close To Burning Out

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Human beings can only take so much stress and physical exertion. If you’re constantly pushing your body and mind to the limits, you’ll eventually burn out.

Nobody wants to reach this ‘burn-out’ stage – you’ll either get to a point where you don’t want to get up in the morning or you’ll have a nervous breakdown. You could even push yourself to the point of physical illness or self-harm if you’re not careful.

Below are five signs that you may be getting close to burning out (and what you can do to prevent this).

You feel physically and emotionally exhausted

Physical and emotional exhaustion are a clear sign that you’ve been pushing yourself too hard. This is likely from denying yourself free time, and possibly even sacrificing sleep to juggle responsibilities.

You constantly feel restless – even after accomplishing a task

People on the brink of burn-out often feel as if they have an ever-growing queue of tasks to complete. As a result, when one task is accomplished, you may not feel any sense of gratitude, because there are still so many tasks left to take on.

You no longer see the value of certain responsibilities

Certain responsibilities may have lost the value that they once held. In most cases, people stop caring about their job. The idea of meeting targets and impressing customers may all seem meaningless. Similarly, you may start to see no value in doing tasks such as housework or exercise.

You feel like the quality of everything you do is slipping

You may feel that you’re constantly making mistakes or cutting corners to get things done. While you may just about be staying on top of things, there could be a sense that nothing is being done as well as you’d like.

Any free time you get is spent recovering

Instead of doing anything productive with your free time, you could find that any free time you get is spent recovering – you may not want to do anything more than nap or watch the TV. Even this recovery time may not be enough, causing exhaustion to continue building up.

How to prevent burnout

Think that you may be on the brink of a burn-out? If you act now, you may be able to prevent things getting any worse. Here are just a few ways to prevent burn-out.

Allow others to take some of the strain

Consider the responsibilities that you are juggling and whether there is any way of getting support. If parenthood is getting on top of you, consider asking someone to babysit regularly to take some of the strain off. If caring for aging loved ones is taking up a lot of your energy, you could consider looking into hospice care. At work meanwhile, there may be tasks that you can delegate to colleagues or get help with.  

Set clear boundaries

Try to keep clear boundaries between work and family life. Make sure that you’re finishing work at a certain time so that you can spend enough time with your family. Similarly, make sure that family life isn’t interfering with your work performance.

Avoid being a perfectionist

Perfectionists are often more prone to burn-out because they invest huge amounts of time ensuring that all the details are attended to. Not all these details may be necessary – it could be time to prioritize what is important.

Eliminate unhealthy sources of stress

Your stress could be due to an overly demanding employer or a toxic partner that expects too much of you. It could be time to quit your job or leave your partner to help eliminate the burden.   

•Are you feeling burned out? What do you do to try to remedy that?

Thank you for reading!

Kids/Nannying

Baby Under The Weather? Here Are The First Steps You Should Take

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If you have a baby that seems under the weather, it’s natural to want to make them feel better as quickly as possible. However, there are some first steps you should take to help your baby and give yourself peace of mind. Read on:

Give Them A Fuss

Your baby could be any number of things – hungry, sleepy, or teething (depending on age). Give them a fuss, swaddle them in their favorite blanket, and see if they begin to relax. They may need a little milk to help them relax depending on their last feeding time, so you may also want to see if a little extra helps. 

Give Them A New Toy

Your baby might be distracted by something colorful that makes noise. A new toy might give them the novelty that they need to be distracted from crying. If they are teething, then a teething toy might be just the ticket. Sophie the Giraffe is a very popular teething toy for babies. 

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Make Sure They’re Not Sick

If your baby is under the weather suddenly, it might be best to double check that they are not sick for your own peace of mind. Check their temperature and make sure they don’t have a fever, and have a quick look for a rash, too. Try not to panic, as it could be any number of things and your baby is likely fine. If you’re unsure, visiting a pediatrician or trying to get your baby a doctor’s appointment might be best. They may prescribe some baby cold medicine to help, or simply give you advice on how to proceed. It’s always better to have peace of mind. 

Send Them To Sleep

Send your baby to sleep to see if a nap soothes them. This can be tough if they are really wound up, but rocking them in a chair and playing relaxing music could help. If not, you could always try taking them for a drive in the car, as many babies love the gentle rumble. 

Try Baby Massage

If your baby is tense and cranky for no apparent reason, baby massage can actually be a wonderful method to help both you and them to relax. You need to make sure that your touch is firm enough not to tickle them, but should still be gentle enough to soothe them. 

Sing To Your Baby

Sometimes, the only sound that will soothe a baby is the gentle singing voice of their mother. You don’t need to be Mariah Carey to soothe your baby – they love you and your singing voice even if you’re out of tune. They are very biased. Try singing some lullabies to them to see if this helps. 

Having a baby who is feeling under the weather can be very stressful. You want to make sure you don’t overreact, but you also want to make sure you’re doing what is right by your baby. You know your baby the best, so make sure you take further steps to ensure they are ok if you feel something else may be at play. 

What helps to soothe your baby?

Thank you for reading!

Lifestyle

A Guide To Making Every Day of Your Life As Special As Possible

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Many people hate the idea of routine and the mundane and want to bring as much magic as possible to their everyday lives. However, if you can’t find the magic inside of routine and the mundane, you’ll never find it elsewhere! In this guide, you’ll see how you can make every day of your life as special as possible. Take a look:

  1. Take Time For Authentic Connection With At Least One Person

Speaking to people isn’t the same as making an authentic connection. This could be with somebody you know, or somebody you don’t. Make an effort to speak to people, listen to them, and don’t just wait for your turn to speak. Ask them questions and show a genuine interest in them. Don’t look at your phone while you’re with another person, as it sends a message that you’d rather be elsewhere. 

You’ll feel so much better when you’re authentically connecting with people, and it could have a big impact on them, too. 

  1. Watch Your Wording

When speaking to other people or checking in on a loved one, watch your wording. Don’t just ask “how are you” for example. The only acceptable answer to that is ‘fine’ or an uncomfortable conversation if they absolutely have to tell you that they are not fine. Instead, ask them something specific, like how work is going. You could also say, “I’ve been feeling like this lately, how have you been feeling?” Sharing how you are feeling first is a much nicer way to open up conversation! 

  1. Get Dressed Up

You don’t need a reason to get dressed up. Saving clothes for a special occasion might make sense if you don’t want to do your food shopping in a sequined, luxury dress, but if you do then do it! Wear the clothes that make you happy and don’t be afraid to dress up. Wear your best clothes for no reason! 

  1. Develop A Routine Baggy Enough To Live In 

Routine might seem boring, but it can be a great way to build healthy habits. If you build a routine that you’re happy with, you’ll actually want to do it every day. Not only that, you should make it ‘baggy enough to live in’ – a quote from author Matt Haig. Give yourself time to do the things you enjoy, and make sure you have down time. You don’t want to rush from pillar to post every day getting things done. 

Being productive can feel good, but filling your day with tedious tasks just so you don’t have to sit with yourself or think about the fact you don’t have any hobbies you enjoy isn’t great! If you feel like you always have to be ‘busy’ try to turn yourself inside out and ask yourself why. 

  1. Appreciate The Little Things 

Huge, magical things don’t have to happen for life to be special. Learn how to appreciate the little things. Notice things that would pass you by in everyday life. Pay attention to the sounds, smells, and sights that you probably ignore every day. If you don’t look for magic in the ordinary, you won’t find it. Believe it’s there, believe you will find it, and you will. 

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  1. Make Gratitude Lists 

Making gratitude lists can help you to start and finish the day off right. If you’re just getting started, try writing one out before bed. When you feel ready, you can start doing it in the morning to start your day off right, too. You can include anything and everything. It may be hard at first, but you can find plenty to be grateful for when you look. 

The more grateful you are for what you have, the more you’ll have to be grateful for. Try to think of 5 unique things every day. List three great things that happened to you that day, too. Again, you may need to think hard about this, especially if you’ve had a ‘bad’ day, but you will be able to find it if you think about it. You’ll eventually retrain your brain to find the positives in every day without having to think too hard. 

  1. Create A Vision Board 

A vision board can help you to think more about what you really want out of life. You can make one board for your whole life, or multiple boards for different areas of your life – whatever suits you. When you fill the board with things that genuinely inspire and resonate with you and look at it every day, you’ll likely come into contact with these things a lot more. What you focus on, you attract. Make sure you’re focusing on what you want, not what you don’t want. 

  1. Pay Attention To How You Treat Your Body 

If you treat your body right, it’ll reward you by keeping you healthy both physically and mentally. Fill your diet with vegetables and other whole foods, but don’t deny it chocolate or cake! Drink plenty of water. Have whatever else you like in moderation. You’ll feel much better when you eat filling, balanced meals rather than junk. 

For the day to be as special as possible, you may also decide to boost your energy early on. You can do this with exercise, coffee, yerba mate, or you could buy kratom. It all depends on what you have planned, but a little energy boost will always do you good if you’re planning a busy day. 

  1. Take Time To Do Nothing

Doing nothing doesn’t have to mean being bored or unproductive. Many people find that they get their best ideas and solutions to problems when they take the time to do nothing. Actively planning to do nothing could leave you with a new creation or idea. It could mean reading that book you’ve been meaning to read, getting into that mediation habit, or doing whatever else you fancy. Try it and see what comes to you. 

  1. Get To Know Yourself 

Spending time alone is healthy, but for many it can be uncomfortable. This is usually because people don’t ‘know’ themselves very well. Learning to become your own best friend and understand yourself and what you like/don’t like will work wonders for this. You’ll realize your worth and how valuable you are. You won’t waste time with people just because you’re afraid of being alone, and you won’t try to fill that empty space inside you with alcohol or another distraction. 

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  1. Try New Things 

Get out of that comfort zone and try new things as often as you can. Being comfortable is nice, but nobody ever grows when they are comfortable. Getting out of your comfort zone is so important. Smile at a stranger, strike up a conversation, go to a workshop or class. Do something – anything! Aim to get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself as often as possible. You’ll soon realize you’re more capable than you thought! 

  1. Reframe Your Thinking

It can be difficult to reframe your thinking when you’ve been thinking a certain way for so long. However, when you do the work to reframe your thinking, you can quickly realize how you were holding yourself back before. Turn yourself inside out and question your beliefs. Ask yourself why certain things trigger you and make you angry. Where did your beliefs come from? Are they yours, your parents, societies? Reframing your thinking will help you to look at things in a brand new way. Don’t get stuck in your ways. 

  1. Practice Random Acts Of Kindness

Random acts of kindness feel great, and they can be a lot of fun. You could give money to charity, leave inspiring quotes dotted around town, and pay it forward in your local coffee shop. It doesn’t have to be a huge gesture or anything expensive – just do something kind for somebody else. 

  1. Buy Yourself A Gift

You shouldn’t need an excuse to buy yourself a gift. Do it because you love yourself! Buy yourself some beautiful flowers, write out a note, and admire them every day. You could even buy yourself a balloon if flowers aren’t your thing. If you have a bigger budget, go for a new outfit, or a luxury hair product. Give yourself some of the love and attention you give to others. Don’t feel guilty, as long as you can afford it! 

  1. Meditate 

Meditation encourages those with a regular practice to pay attention and focus. You pay attention to your thoughts while letting them pass by without attaching to them. You focus on your breathing. You pay attention to how your body feels. You pay attention to what comes up. Meditation often helps people to feel less stressed and more creative. It helps them to sleep better. One thing is for sure: if you start meditating regularly, you’ll no doubt begin to notice the special things in each and every day.

Making every day of your life special doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult. You don’t even need to have anybody else there with you. Remember, always do what makes you happy!

Thank you for reading!

Health Nutrition

Boost Your Health By Changing Your Kitchen Routine

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Health and well-being in 2020 are so important, and you should think about what you can do at home in day-to-day life to ensure you improve yours. There are a lot of things to consider here, and your kitchen routine is one of the most effective. By this, we mean what you are putting into your body on a daily basis, and how you can make the important changes necessary to improve this. 

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Look at what it takes to improve your health by working on boosting your kitchen routine. This could involve taking the steps to change up your approach, and it is most likely to be a very enjoyable and fun experience. Here are some of the best ways of changing your kitchen routine and being able to make the best health decisions as a result of this:

Start Cooking More

You want to make sure you look at what you can do to start cooking as much as possible so that you are maximizing the opportunities you have to enjoy home-cooked food, as well as being able to save money by not going out to eat all the time. There is a new wave of home gourmet chefs these days, and there is no reason why you can’t be a part of this as well. Think about what it takes to make these improvements, and consider what you are going to need to do if you want to make the most out of this moving forward. Cooking can actually be a really fun and exciting activity, and there are a lot of things that play a role in helping you to maximize this. 

Prepare in Advance

One of the best tips you should look to use if you want to help improve your kitchen routine is to look at preparing meals and ingredients in advance. There are a lot of things you should be looking at when trying to do this, and preparing meals in advance can save you so much time and make the process much more efficient. There are a lot of things that play a part in this, and you need to do this in the best possible way in order to ensure you are saving time and effort later. 

Learn New Recipes

Make sure you do as much as possible to learn new recipes and make the most of them in day to day life. You need to look at what you can do to improve and expand your repertoire and learn more about cooking and preparing healthy food at home. For instance, one of the things you could look at if you want to enjoy healthier eating is a pan seared salmon recipe that you can cook easily for the whole family. Once you have a couple of key recipes that you can work with, it’s time to branch out and try to learn some new ones. 

Invite Friends Over

Something else you might like to consider is making the eating and cooking experience more sociable and enjoyable. There are a lot of things that you need to keep in mind when you are trying to achieve this, and you have to make sure you invite friends over and make a night of it. Something like hosting a dinner party would be an excellent choice if you want to promote healthier eating, make the most of the kitchen, and expand your options when it comes to cooking. This is definitely something you should consider, and it will make a big difference to the way your life improves moving forward as well. 

Get the Kids Involved

Another thing to consider as a modern parent is trying to get the kids involved when you are promoting healthy eating and changing your kitchen routine. Family dinners are important, and this is something you should work on improving moving forward. There are a lot of elements that can play a part in this, and you should look at what you can do to get the children more involved. Allowing them to choose or compile menus for family dinners can be a great way to do this; of course, there should be an emphasis on healthy!

You can take a look at some of the best ways of being able to be more healthy when it comes to choosing the right food to put in your body. If you can choose the right food and cooking options, you will be well-placed to enhance your health and make sure that you get more enjoyment out of the experience of eating food. 

Thank you for reading!

Blogging + Business Health

How to Combat Healthcare Billing Fraud

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There are a lot of costs involved in healthcare these days, as we all know, but not all of these costs are justified. Because of the insurance system and the lack of involvement with the patients when it comes to insurance payments, many healthcare providers end up getting paid more than they are actually owed. This can happen both by accident or on purpose, but the result is the same: it has a negative impact on the cost of healthcare and patient trust in healthcare organizations.

There are times when the complicated healthcare system results in unintentional billing errors, which results in the insurers paying more. Sometimes, it’s more malicious. The hospital can end up billing for services that the patient didn’t receive. This is often easy to do because the bill gets sent directly to the insurer, without the patient confirming that everything in the bill is correct. The best way to confront the widespread fraud issue is to have the patient involved in the process; they are the first line of defense when it comes to identifying billing errors.

In a professional capacity, it’ll be accounting managers who are in the best position to help combat these problems. They can help improve internal procedures, encourage patients to engage with the billing side of healthcare, and can spearhead the use of technology to make the billing process more straightforward and transparent. 

To learn more about this, take a look at the infographic from the University of Alabama Birmingham outlined below. 


Infographic design by University of Alabama Birmingham University of Alabama Birmingham

 

This post was a collaboration.