lyndsinreallife

How You’re Neglecting Your Health Without Even Knowing

July 17, 2019 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

Your body has subtle ways of telling you when something is wrong, but if you are caught up with everything that is going on in your life, then you may not even notice them. If you want to help yourself, here are some of the top ways you’re neglecting your health without realizing it.

Toxic Relationships

Toxic relationships and friendships can be draining. They can also significantly impact your physical and mental health. If you’re not sure if you’re in a toxic relationship, then it’s important to look out for some of the tell-tale signs. This can include being blamed for everything, being constantly put down, being gaslighted, or even them being emotionally unavailable.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/backlit-dawn-foggy-friendship-697243/

Not Visiting Your Doctor

Your body is constantly changing, so it helps to get it checked on from time to time. Regular check-ups should always be one of your top priorities. They can help you to uncover any issues that you might not be aware of, too, such as hearing loss. If this is the case, you may be offered some almost invisible hearing aids or another form of treatment.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-using-black-blood-pressure-monitor-905874/

Bottling Up Your Emotions

Bottling up your emotions isn’t good for you because it will cause you to feel even more stressed out in the future. If you know that you are not great at expressing your feelings, then it’s a good idea for you to find someone who you can talk to. This can include a counselor or a friend. Remember that there is always someone out there who is happy to listen.

Not Drinking Enough Water

Too many people are guilty of not drinking enough water. Water is good for your hair, skin, and even your nails. It helps to flush toxins out of your body and it boosts your immune system, too. So if you are not getting enough, then you could be negatively impacting your whole body. If you want to get around this then you should try and drink at least 8 glasses a day, or half your body weight in ounces.

Sitting Down Too Much

If you work in an office, then you’ll understand how uncomfortable it can be to sit down all day. Sure, you might be able to stretch your legs from time to time, but ultimately, you’ll be confined to your chair for 7-8 hours a day. This can really have an impact on your mental and physical health. You may find that your metabolism is much slower and that you have poor posture. This can lead to back injuries and cardiovascular disease. If you want to avoid this then you should try and be as active as possible. You also should try to eat well, too, as this will really help you to negate any effects.

Staying healthy can be difficult, especially when you could be harming yourself without even realizing it! If you want to help yourself, then you need to listen to your body and what it’s trying to tell you.

•What is your biggest obstacle when it comes to being healthy?

This post was a collaboration.

Thank you for reading!

Health

Family Matters – Oldest to Youngest

July 14, 2019 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

No one likes to think about something terrible happening to their family, and often, that is why millions of us are unprepared. We all want to take care of our families, to provide for them in the long and short-term. With each new addition that joins your family, a lot of love follows them – but so do financial responsibilities.

Those responsibilities aren’t just yours; they belong to everyone. However, it is essential that you do everything you can to make sure it all goes as smoothly as possible.

Photo by Jake Thacker on Unsplash

Smallest

The beautiful thing about children is that you have a clean slate. You can start saving for them; you can start growing a nest egg. A simple savings account with a few dollars a month can help your children pay towards college, books, meals, travel, and more when they reach an age that they really need it.

The most important thing and the one money can’t buy is, of course, time. We all have free time that we don’t always use to the best of our ability. Moreover, is there anything better than spending it on the smallest members of your family? Maybe they are your kids, and perhaps they aren’t – but spend the time, and you will feel those rewards for years to come.

Middles

There are probably more family members in the 18-58 age bracket. Usually, this age group has the most modern pressures. The young end of that spectrum have exams, job stress, trying to afford a home, and sometimes they can feel like others are too busy being successful, or living their own lives to check-in. So take the time to say hi, grab a coffee, and just listen.

It is nice to ask ‘Are you okay?’ it’s more helpful to ask ‘hey, do you need help with anything, what can I do?’.

Emotional and mental support is a big deal, and all it takes is to make sure that you are there. Also, the kind offer of helping with week of grocery shopping, or even a monetary offer, usually won’t go amiss.

Elders

The elder members of your family need just as much love and support as the younger ones – but it might need to be in a different form. The 58+ bracket sadly comes with more ailments and illnesses. If you can, start talking about their will, and if they don’t have one, it might be time to get one written up. Talk about what might happen if they can no longer care for themselves, and check out in home health care professionals so that they can stay in a place they are happy.

It isn’t a surprise really, but the best way to take care of people is to be there for them, through the good and the bad.

•How do you and your family take care of each other? Please share below in the comments section!

Thank you for reading!

Fitness

4 Great Activities For Toning Muscle Quickly

July 8, 2019 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

Weight loss is the initial goal for most people when they start their health journey, but once you reach a healthy weight again, you can start working towards other goals. Some people want to build muscle mass and strength and get big, but that isn’t for everybody. A lot of people find that even though they’ve lost the weight, they’re still not quite happy with their body because they just want to tone up a little bit more. Toning muscles so they look a bit tighter is often harder than losing the weight in the first place, and a lot of people struggle with this final step. That’s usually because they’re doing the wrong kinds of exercise and they continue doing the same things that they were when trying to lose weight, which isn’t going to work. If you want to tone your muscles, you should try some of these great exercises!

Yoga

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Yoga is such a great addition to anybody’s exercise routine for a few reasons. Firstly, it improves flexibility and stretches your muscles to stop them from getting tight and sore, which is very important if you’re working out a lot. Secondly, it’s a great way to reduce stress and improve wellness, so it can massively improve your mental health. Finally, it’s a great way to tone your muscles. People that haven’t tried yoga often underestimate how difficult it can be, and there are a lot of more advanced poses that use your own bodyweight to tone muscles. Doing ten minutes of yoga in the morning or the evening before you go to bed can really help to tone your body and improve your flexibility.

Martial Arts

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Martial arts is another great workout activity that is ideal for sculpting your muscles. It’s a great cardio workout, but a lot of it is about control, which engages your muscles. You’ll be using your entire body, which means you will get a good all-around muscle toning workout with every session. There are some great shaolin kung fu training schools that cater to people of all abilities so don’t worry if you’re a complete beginner. If you want to tone muscles and build a bit of strength, while maintaining your target weight, martial arts is one of the best activities.

Swimming

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Swimming is one of the best sports, regardless of what your fitness goals are, because it’s such a good overall workout. It’s a great cardio activity that is low impact, so it’s ideal for people that are recovering from injury (or also people who hate the gym, like me!). But it’s particularly good if you’re trying to tone muscle because you’re engaging all of your muscles at once, and the resistance from the water is good for toning.

Cycling

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If you are particularly focused on toning your legs, cycling is a great way to do it. You’ll be using your quads and calves a lot, so they’ll tone up very quickly. You also engage your core a lot when you cycle, so you can tone your stomach muscles as well. Cycling is another great low impact option if you’re trying to recover from an injury or you want to take a rest day from more intensive activity.

All in all, if you want to tone your muscles rather than build them, these are some of the best exercises to do!

•How do you tone your muscles? What has worked best for you?

This post is a collaboration.

Health

How to Stop Hating Your Body

July 3, 2019 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

Photo by Andre Furtado from Pexels

It can be pretty hard to love your body. We’re bombarded with unrealistic images and constant pressure to look a certain way. It’s no wonder that so many women report hating their bodies (including me). If you hate your body right now, it might be a big leap to fall in love with yourself. But perhaps there are ways you can learn to value, like, and respect your body. We can all learn to go beyond the toxic messages in our cultures and find ways to embrace ourselves. Below are some things to consider!

Reframe What You See in the Mirror

Many of us look in the mirror and immediately start listing our [perceived] flaws. This can be tricky, but maybe you can make a conscious habit of naming one thing you like about yourself every time you catch your reflection? [AKA affirmations]. This could be something as simple as having nice teeth, a cute freckle, or that your eyebrows look great today. By training your brain to jump to the positives, you may be less likely to fixate on the things you don’t like.

Note: I understand that body dysmorphic disorder is a very real mental health condition, and often requires professional help. The advice stated above is my opinion and is not meant to diagnose or treat, and does not refer to those with BDD.

Focus on Being Strong and Healthy

So much focus is put on dieting and exercising for weight loss. But what happens when we turn our attention to health, instead? This could mean that you’re less harsh on yourself, and avoid harmful habits like skipping meals or overworking yourself. After all, it’s not healthy to push your body to extremes. [Though some aspiring “health coaches” say pain is good, it’s not true. Pain means there is something wrong!] Approach your diet and exercise with love and positivity, rather than hatred.

Get a New Wardrobe

It can be tempting to keep jeans that don’t fit, because one day we hope to squeeze into them (there was a recent poll in my Facebook group asking how long is acceptable to keep jeans that are too small; some people said forever!). But inevitably, this leaves us feeling ‘less than’. Try to embrace your current body shape and size by getting clothes that fit you beautifully and accentuate your best bits. Nobody needs to know what size you wear, but everyone will see how confident you look in clothes that flatter you. You could even have an in-store stylist pick out some items that would look amazing on you. Personally, I use StitchFix! I also like Amazon Wardrobe. I love having a “personal” stylist to pick flattering clothes for me. The right clothes make all the difference in how we feel!

Switch The Focus

Lots of work towards loving your body involves a lot of focus on your body. But if you struggle with body image, this could be triggering. Could you switch the focus away from your body for a little while? Some people find it helpful to journal about all the positive traits they love about themselves – things like being kind, funny, intelligent, generous. Having an ever-growing list of compliments that have nothing to do with how you look can be a real boost to self-confidence.

Know When You Need Help

Everyone can feel uncomfortable about their body sometimes. But if you have developed excessive worries about your body, or compulsive behaviors and routines, you may have body dysmorphia, which is an anxiety disorder relating to body image. If you think your body image is impacting on your life or you think you may have body dysmorphia, it’s important to seek help. You can speak with your doctor or visit a counseling center to get specialist advice to help you heal. [I shared a note about this above]

•What do you struggle with? How do you build confidence for yourself?

This post was a collaboration.

Thank you for reading!

Health

Staying On The Happy Side Of Healthy

June 28, 2019 By lyndsinreallife 1 Comment

You don’t have to be someone who is so obsessed with health all the time, to the point where you can’t even have a slice of pizza without thinking about all of the calories in it. That’s the unhappy side of health. Some people really get into that lifestyle, and it does suit them down to a T. But half of the time, the restriction and the self conscious feeling is what leads us to feel unhappy about our health. We’ve had it drilled into us what the perfect person should be like, and despite people now trying to change that view, it’s still so hard to feel confident when you don’t feel like your body is perfect. Couple your insecurities with a negative attitude towards health, and you’re never going to find that perfect balance on the happy side of health. So, this article is going to give you some great alternatives that will help you to feel amazing, bury those insecurities for good, and actually understand what your body needs.

The Restriction Craze

The first thing that we want to address is that you don’t have to be on a restrictive diet. By restrictive, we mean a diet where you’re cutting out all fats and treats, and only sticking to anything “clean.” People can get really obsessive over this one, when there simply is no need to be. All you have to do is track the calories and the macros they contain. Because even with a healthy diet, you could be filling your body with too many carbs and fats, and not enough protein. Once you find the balance between those, which it is super easy to do, you can start having a treat each day. As long as you eat “clean” all day, there’s no reason why you can’t have a slice of cake at the end, or a doughnut in the middle. You don’t have to fully restrict yourself, and a treat a day will definitely still keep the doctor away.

Hiding Your Insecurities

Some people are struggling with insecurities at the minute. In fact, we’d go as far as to say that most of you reading this will be battling something. One common issue that people really hate, yet it’s so common to suffer with, is sight/our vision. Sight can deteriorate at any age, often from a young one. But some get so self conscious about wearing glasses, even though the simple solution of contacts is out there. Simple Contacts is just one company you could use to order in your prescription, and we promise it will change your life. If the thought of putting them in your eye has put you off up until now, just give it a go two or three times, and we promise it will become the norm for you! There are plenty of other common insecurities that we all have that are easy to hide.

Finding The Happy Balance

As a final note, you really need to find that happy balance. Your mental health and your physical health are really important. So don’t push your body past its limits, and don’t restrict yourself so much so that you’re unhappy. Find that happy balance, and make your body and brain better.

•How do you find your happy, healthy balance?

This post was a collaboration.

Thank you for reading!

Health

4 Jobs That Affect Your Health

June 26, 2019 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

There is something wonderful about knowing that you have a stable career on which to rely. The thing is, the more time moves forward, the more we work hard enough to burn ourselves out daily. When this happens, it means that the wonderful career that we think that we have isn’t all that wonderful. There are plenty of jobs out there that will hurt your health, even if you don’t know about it.

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Every profession has its own health risks, but there are some more than others that take a toll on behavior. Some jobs are categorized as being suitable for you; others are known to make you feel more vulnerable and influence your health negatively. Below, we’ve narrowed down a long list into four jobs that are the worst possible ones for your health. If any of these jobs are those that are bad for your health and you are working in them, we’d suggest a career change if possible!

Sales Representative

When you are working as a sales rep, you’re working a role that is both mentally and physically demanding. The hours are long, the work environment is competitive, and you aren’t always paid for the work that you do, which causes the perfect blend of stress and fatigue. You need to feel like you can work and thrive, not work and survive, and sales reps often have the most stressful work out there to do.

Firefighter

All the helmets and hearing protection in the world cannot protect you from the disturbing things seen on the job a firefighter. There is a high risk of injury and illness for obvious reasons, and emergency responders are living a life on the edge. More firefighters die of heart attacks than being on the job, and it’s the stress that leads to this. High blood pressure and cholesterol lead to a harder day at work.

Lawyers

There have been studies that show that lawyers have the highest rate of alcohol abuse and stress than most other office-based careers. Being in front of others and fighting for justice is not a 9-5 position; it’s a cutthroat environment for anyone to be in, and it can correlate strongly with the lack of health overall. Stress begins in law school for a lawyer, and it’s not something that lets up for many years on the job.

Long-Distance Drivers

Being on the road? Not as easy as just sitting and ensuring there isn’t a car crash. The transportation industry covers a lot of careers, but long-distance drivers have it the hardest. They need to keep up a constant level of being awake, and the low salary mixed with an increase in danger is a recipe for stress and poor health.

Finding a job that makes you happy is also about finding a job that won’t make you sick. Find the career that will be right for you, and it will be far easier to live a healthier life.

This post was a collaboration.

Thank you for reading!

xo lynds

Health

5 Signs You Need To Visit Your Doctor

June 26, 2019 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

Photo by Jesse Orrico on Unsplash

One of the hardest things to decide as an adult is whether or not you need to see a doctor. With so many warnings and advertisements that tell you not to visit your doctor unless you have an emergency, knowing when you can or cannot visit can be hard. While there are no strict rules in place, it’s important you’re not visiting for something that can be treated over the counter. To help you get a better of idea of when you should visit, here are 4 signs you need to see your doctor:

You Have Been Feeling Under The Weather For Longer Than Two Weeks

If you have had an illness that has lasted longer than two weeks, you need to go and get it checked out. If you have already visited a pharmacist and the medication they gave you wasn’t effective, going to your doctor is the next best option. They will be able to tell you whether or not it’s a cause for concern, and they’ll prescribe you something you wouldn’t be able to get without their signature. For more information about getting prescriptions, you can visit this site!

You’re Experiencing Problems With Your Eyes Or Your Ears

If you are experiencing problems with your eyes or ears, such as loss of hearing or loss of sight, you should book an appointment at your doctors right away. Experiencing issues like this can be incredibly serious, especially if they’re an underlying issue to something else. You may find that you end up having to go for further testing to decide whether or not you need any assistance, such as hearing aids. To find out more about what to expect from a hearing aid fitting, you can visit this site!

You Have Sustained An Injury That Does Not Require Urgent Care

If you have an injury that you don’t think requires immediate medical attention, visiting your doctor should still be on your list. Whether it’s a sprain or a wound, they will be able to advise you of the best possible treatment. If you find your symptoms get worse while you’re waiting for an available appointment, you may need to consider going to the ER.

You’ve Been Feeling Depressed And Anxious For A Long Period Of Time

When it comes to your mental health, you need to do what is best for you. If you have been feeling depressed, or experiencing anxiety for a long period of time, it’s best you speak to your doctor. They will be able to carry out tests to find out whether or not you need further assistance, something you should always consider if you’re struggling. To find out more about seeing a doctor in regards to your mental health, you can visit this site!

Do you struggle to know when you can and can’t visit your doctor? Did we miss anything off the list? Let me know in the comments section below!

This post was a collaboration.

Thank you for reading!

Health

Choosing The Best Health Insurance

June 25, 2019 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

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There are plenty of good reasons you might want to have health insurance. You might live somewhere where it is basically a necessity, or even the law. You might just want to know that you are always covered for your health, no matter what. You might be keen to ensure that you are going to get some of the best healthcare there is, which can often be more likely with private health insurance. When you decide to get some health insurance for yourself or your family, you need to make sure that you are going about it in the right way. You want to know that you have managed to find the best one, and that you are paying a fair price for it. Let’s look now at how to choose the best health insurance.

Comparing Types Of Plans

The first thing to be aware of is that there are many different kinds of insurance plan. You need to know what they are as fully as possible, and to be able to distinguish between them, if you are to find one that works for you. You’ll also need to make sure that you are aware of what your needs are, and what you can probably do without. Some plans are much pricier than other ones, and many will not provide the same kind of thing that you might need. You need to make sure that you always look closely at the table of benefits, so you know that you are being provided for in every way that is necessary for you. Some issues are very rarely covered by insurance: hearing aids and insurance, for instance, do not generally go hand-in-hand. Be sure that you know what you are getting with your plan, as fully as possible.

The Issue Of Pricing

Obviously, pricing is going to be an important part of all this too, as you don’t want to have to pay more than is necessary. You’ll also need to be sure that you are not overpaying for a less than adequate plan, which can happen a lot and often results in you merely feeling scammed in some way or another. By paying attention to the pricing – which means that you need to focus on the small print as much as the large – you can ensure that you are actually going to be satisfied with what you are getting. You don’t want to pay for something that won’t work for you.

Check With Your Employer

It’s also worth noting that many kinds of employer offer health insurance, and that you should therefore check with yours to see whether they do. If they do, you will certainly want to make use of it – as long as it seems suitable for you. Even if they just offer dental, say, or something else specific, you might want to make use of that and then find a health insurance policy which covers the rest. By looking at your options in this kind of way, you can hope to really end up with the best insurance for you.

This post was a collaboration.

Health

3 Kinds Of Health Check You Should Have Done

June 25, 2019 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

If you are serious about taking proper care of your health, there are many things that you might want to focus on. The fact is that looking after your own body is something that requires many diverse and distinct acts all at once, and the more that you are able to engage in those, the more likely it is that your health will be where you want it to be. An important part of all this is to ensure that you are carrying out regular health checks of a kind which might prove important for your future health. Some health checks are things which we all know we need to keep on top of, and others are a little less obvious. Either way, they are all important, so let’s look at just three which you should think about getting done soon.

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Eye Test

You should ideally get an eye test at least once every two years, even if you don’t think you have experienced any loss of vision. That’s because your current vision is not actually the only thing that the optometrist will check; they will also scan your eyes for any signs of lesions, tumours, and other problems that eyes can have. Something like glaucoma can take your sight extremely quickly, so finding it early is bound to be a good idea, and you can only do that if you make sure that you get your eyes checked frequently. Plus, if you do need glasses, then it is best to get them early so that you are not allowing your eyesight to get even worse over time. Of course, especially go to an eye test if you know your vision has become worse recently.

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Hearing Test

As with vision, you might not know that your hearing has got much worse if it happens gradually. But if it has happened quite suddenly, then you will probably be a little concerned, and eager to sort it out. That means that you are going to need to have a hearing test – and while less is generally made of these compared to eye tests, they are just as important, and you should make sure that you have them fairly regularly too. Make sure that you know all about the proper kinds of hearing test preparation so that you can absolutely make the most of it, and be sure to focus on doing whatever you can to keep your ears in check the rest of the time too. Hearing is hugely important, so look after it.

Blood Pressure

Your blood pressure indicates many things, and is related to your general overall health in a number of important ways. You want your blood pressure to be neither too high nor too low – too low, and it might mean that you need to eat more, too high and you could have to deal with the stress in your life or otherwise find a way to reduce it again. Make sure that you check your blood pressure at least once a year, and then make any necessary changes you might need to make to return it to normal if necessary.

What steps do you take to ensure your health?

This post was a collaboration.

Lifestyle

Make Your Party Go With A Swing With These Tips

June 19, 2019 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

Hosting a party can go one of two ways. It can be one where everybody has a great time, remembers all the little things that you did to make it unique, and gets you invites to many future parties – the other, well it doesn’t bear thinking about!

Here, we look at ways to avoid making the standard errors. With a little preparation and planning, and with these great tips in mind, you’ll be sitting back the next day and congratulating yourself for throwing a great party.

Photo by fu zhichao from Pexels

Guests

Know who they are, what they do, their partners, etc. This is essential to avoid any embarrassing faux pas such as the divorced guest being forced to introduce his new partner that’s not his wife! Also, expect some of the unexpected. If your invite says to bring a friend, then they might, so this needs to be taken into account for food and drink levels. It is also important to take in any considerations, like whether any allergies need catering for, or whether you need to make it accessible for disabled guests with handicap ramps. All of these small things can make the party experience much more agreeable for your guests.

Lower Your Expectations

Throwing a decent party is not difficult, so stop treating it as such. Building up the levels of expectation in your mind won’t help you and will inevitably lead to you panicking and making mistakes. If you say that the food is served at 8 pm, but everyone is chatting and relaxed, does it matter if it’s half an hour later? If it all goes wrong – well, everyone loves a takeout pizza!

Drinks

Drinks are crucial to a good party, so don’t forget to make sure there are plenty for your guests, together with the necessary add-ons such as ice and mixers and enough glasses or cups to go around. Most drinks are best cold, so think of a way to keep all of the drinks cold and ready for when the guests arrive. If you do want a cocktail, maybe make a punch bowl full for people to help themselves.

Remember though – not everyone drinks alcohol, and some may be driving, so have plenty of soft drinks and water available.

Food

Your party is not the time to become a master chef, undertaking an invention test, nor is it the time to cook complicated dishes you’ve never tried before. Stick to what you know is good and simple to prepare, have vegetarian options if necessary, and ensure that there are plenty of plates and cutlery.

Themes

If you want to go the extra mile, give your party a theme – just make sure that, unless you want your guests to put in hours of effort, it doesn’t require a tremendous amount of preparation or expense on their part. Think simple fun, such as celebrity face masks, tropical beach party, or the classic murder mystery.

So, as you can see, there is no need to worry. These simple tips will help guide you through the party process both before and during the event. There’s no need to hide behind celebrity masks either, just be yourself and enjoy your party. After all, you’ve earned it!

•Do you like hosting parties? What’s your favorite thing about it?

This post was a collaboration.