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Custom Living: 7 Essential Tips for Building a New Home

By
Elizabeth Williams

Thinking about building your dream home? Be sure to do your required research beforehand and check out these tips for building a new home.

The idea of building a brand new home can be exciting. Imagining yourself living in a home no one else has ever lived in is a comforting thought. It’s the ultimate sanctuary for you and your family alone.

However, without proper planning and the right mindset, building a home can be incredibly challenging. It’s vital that you go into it with all of the information. It’s also important that you take all the right steps, rather than diving into headfirst and blindfolded.

Take a look at our top seven tips for building a new home before you start the process!

Tips for Building a New Home

Reading through these tips for building a new home will put you in the right mind space to begin your journey. Additionally, it may help you remember something you were forgetting!

Keep in mind, building a home for you and your family is a big investment, both of your time and your finances. However, it’s also a big emotional investment. Your whole family gets ramped up about it.

The last thing you want to do is let important things fall through the cracks or create a long stall before getting the house complete. Take a look at these essential tips to avoid headache and heartache in the future.

  1. Plan Well in Advance

First, and most importantly, you need to plan ahead. Obviously, when building a new home rather than just buying one that’s prebuilt, there’s a lot that goes into the creative process.

This also depends on if you’re designing it room by room or hiring an architect to do it for you. Regardless, you still need to have some prudent planning in place.

For example, you need to consider your family. Will it be growing? How much space will you all need?

Additionally, you need to think about other factors. How often will you be entertaining? Do you need guest rooms?

There are countless factors to consider comfort and convenience as well. These include where you want your laundry room, how many bathrooms you need, where you want plugins, if you want a large deck or patio, how many common area rooms you want, where the garage is going to be, etc.

The list goes on forever, and you need to have it all planned out!

  1. Know Your Budget

After you’ve got a good idea of what you’re home is going to look like, you need to get a lockdown on your budget. Knowing how much money you want to spend is one of the most practical tips for building a new home.

We recommend creating your dream home, then scaling it back where necessary to meet your budget. However, we also recommend creating an extra room within your budget as things will inevitably come up throughout the process.

Remember also that you never want to max yourself out. For example, just because you can afford a $400,000 home, it doesn’t mean that you should.

You need to factor in your monthly costs to include all the factors such as land, taxes, insurance, and utilities. Can you afford those monthly payments without breaking the bank? Most Americans make this mistake and live paycheck to paycheck, endlessly trying to catch up financially.

  1. Find the Right Land

Next, you need to find the right plot of land to build your home on. Location is an incredibly important aspect of where you decide to live, especially if you have children. It’s also one of the most important tips for building a new home.

How close do you want to be in town, schools, and work? Do you want to have parks nearby? How safe are the neighborhood and surrounding areas?

These factors all play into your quality of life and the potential resale value of your home, should you ever decide to move.

  1. Save Money Where You Can

Next, you need to be willing to compromise when necessary. As we suggested before, things will inevitably come up over and over again. Some of it will be time delays and some of it will be financial setbacks.

Learning how to scale back on certain things to save money where you can really help you stick to your budget. This can also apply to things that can always be changed later, such as expensive fixtures, doors, windows, etc.

  1. Hire the Right Builders

One of the most important tips for building a new home is finding the right builders for the job. The contractors you hire will determine everything from price, efficiency, communication, quality and more.

Make sure you do your research before hiring a contractor. Look up reviews online, ask for recommendations, etc. Never pick the first company you find. If you do plenty of research can come back to the first company, no problem.

You may also want to consider a prefab home company. Prefab homes are cost-efficient and are more stylish and high-quality than ever before. Learn more here about the ever-improving industry.

  1. Keep Communication Strong

Next, it’s important that you keep a strong and open line of communication with the builders. You need to be as available to them as you expect them to be to you.

If anything goes wrong or needs to change during the build, you need to be in the know. Additionally, if things change on your end, you need to know that you can get ahold of your contractor.

Communication is essential for a smooth build.

  1. Roll with Setbacks and Changes

There’s a popular saying that it takes a strong couple to build a home together without breaking up. That’s because the process can be incredibly frustrating. Things come up left and right.

Being able to roll with the punches is one of the most vital tips to building a new home, especially if you want to make it out with your sanity intact. Don’t take anything too personally and remember that your home will be beautiful no matter what.

Good Luck

Now that you have all the essential tips for building a new home in your tool belt, you’re ready to get started.

Remember to take your time and plan everything out before anything else! Also, make sure you put plenty of wiggle room in your budget for emergencies and setbacks. Otherwise, have fun and enjoy the process of creating your new home!

Good luck and remember to check out the rest of our articles about family, lifestyle and more!

 

Healing Anxiety, Naturally: 5 Easy Ways to Reduce Anxiety Without Medication

By
Elizabeth Williams

Having issues dealing with anxiety, but don’t want to take medicine for it? Read on to learn everything you need to know about healing anxiety naturally.

40 million adults suffer from anxiety in the United States.

That’s a scary statistic. After all, anxiety is a debilitating mental condition that impacts almost every area of life. It can sap the joy from daily experience.

Modern treatment approaches can help. But they’re far from fool-proof.

Therapy can be costly and isn’t always effective. Medication can have nasty side-effects and, equally, might not work.

Looking for alternatives? Here are 5 methods for healing anxiety without medication.

  1. Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise can be anathema to anxiety.

It doesn’t have to be anything excessive. Sometimes, just getting out of the house and walking around the block can work. Fresh air, oxygenated blood, and the release of endorphins all make a difference.

Similarly, there’s a sense of growth and progress that comes with exercising regularly. Focusing your attention on this goal can help alleviate negative emotional experiences.

  1. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is vital for our mental health.

Unfortunately, it’s also one of the first things that seem to be affected in difficult times. You might find it harder to sleep when you’re feeling acutely anxious. Thoughts race around your mind. Relaxing enough to get some sleep can be a tough ask.

If that’s the case, then try and cultivate a sleep routine. Go to bed at a certain time each night. Remove electronic devices. Avoid using your phone just beforehand. Set a reasonable temperature and sleep in a comfy bed. All of these factors can help.

  1. Meditate

Mindful meditation is well known and scientifically proven to reduce anxiety.

Mindfulness is about tuning into the present moment. It’s about non-judgmental awareness of the here and now. Focusing on the present provides some much-needed relief from the incessant worry and concern that can dominate the anxious mind.

Try and incorporate a mindful practice into your day.

It doesn’t have to be for long. You could start with ten minutes in the morning. Sit, focus on something sensory, and see what comes up.

  1. Help others

Strangely enough, helping other people is often the best way to help ourselves.

It simply feels good!

Anxiety is a natural human experience. It’s an evolutionary system designed to protect us from harm. Generally speaking, anxiety levels reduce when a perceived threat goes away.

However, in some cases, anxiety sticks around. Threats are perceived from all angles. It’s difficult to turn outwards and focus on anything else. Helping other people provides an outlet. It shifts our attention to other things and releases positive chemicals in our brain that lifts our mood.

  1. Try CBD

CBD is becoming increasingly recognized as a help for anxiety.

Short for cannabidiol, it’s a cannabinoid found in cannabis plants. However, unlike its cousin, THC, it won’t get you high! Instead, CBD is used by masses of people for its health benefits.

One of which is a calming, anxiety-relieving effect. CBD is slowly becoming a recommended treatment approach. Unlike typical medication, it’s entirely natural. Something like CBD oil contains no THC and can be taken in all manner of ways.

You can rub it into your skin, cook with it, and so on.

Final Thoughts on Healing Anxiety

There you have it: 5 easy methods for healing anxiety without medication.

Anxiety is immensely common in the United States. This debilitating condition affects millions of people every single day. Unfortunately, current treatment approaches are far from perfect. Many people seek alternative ways to cope.

Hopefully, this post has highlighted some of the best ways to reduce anxiety outside of the conventional medication-heavy approach.

Want more articles like this? Head to the Anxiety section of the website now.

 

Til’ Broke Do Us Part: The Top Tips for Opening a Joint Credit Card

By
Elizabeth Williams

Are you thinking about applying for a joint credit card with your spouse? Check out this guide to learn the top tips for opening a joint credit card.

You’ve thought about it for some time now, and after plenty of discussions, you and your spouse decide that it’s time to open a joint credit card account. It’s a big step in the relationship, and it should take some serious thought. This account will join you and your spouse together financially for as long as it’s opened for.

Are you ready to make this big commitment? Keep reading for a complete guide on the top tips for opening a joint credit card account!

Know the Multiple Types of Shared Accounts

There’s not just one type of shared account. And in many cases, people tend to use the term “joint credit” very loosely. However, it’s important to know that different lenders and banks offer different types of shared accounts.

It’s important to know the difference between them. 

Authorized User

As an authorized user, you have permission to use the credit, but you’re not responsible for paying it back. The account holder is responsible for making the payments because it’s their account and they’ve simply given you rights to spend money on it. 

You, as an authorized user, never filled out or signed an application for the credit. However, do keep in mind that even though the account holder is 100 percent responsible for paying the credit back, if the account holder fails to make payments, some lenders will come after you for payment.

Joint Credit

With a joint credit account, you’re a partner on the account. This means that you’re 100 percent responsible for the bill and making payments. In this situation, you sit down and fill out and sign an application for the account.

This means that the account is in your name and the credit you use goes towards your credit score. The other person on the account, your spouse, is also 100 percent responsible for making payments and handling the bill. 

Co-Signer 

As a co-signer, you’re signing to be responsible for making payments, however, the account is in someone else’s name. Because it’s in someone else’s name, you cannot use this credit or loan and you most likely won’t have access to the account’s information.

The account holder will be the one receiving and paying the bills for the account. But if the account holder fails to make the payments, or is late on a payment here and there, the bad credit behavior can affect your credit score. 

Know Joint Debt Is Your Debt

When opening a joint account, any debt that is accrued is 100 percent your debt. It’s not split 50/50. You’re responsible for paying all debt off. 

Joint credit history does not exist. This will affect you and your partner equally. The entire debt is put onto your credit history as it is put on your partner’s credit history as well. 

This can either be a good thing or a bad thing. If you have a credit card account in both names that’s never used and always kept paid off, then it’ll significantly boost both of your credits. However, if one spouse is using this account and maxing it out without paying it back, then it’ll significantly drop both of your scores.

If you have weak credit and don’t want to bring your spouse down, then there are other options. There are guaranteed approval credit cards as another option. This is also true if you have great credit and don’t want to add your spouse with weaker credit to your account. 

Even those with bad credit can apply, and you don’t have to worry about it affecting your spouse. 

Discuss a Purchase Limit

Once the joint account is opened, it’s ideal that you and your spouse discuss a purchase limit. Talk about what the max amount of money is that either of you can charge to the card. Be sure not to go over this limit and always keep the credit card at least at 30%. 

If you set spending limits and stick to them, then trust is built and credit scores remain healthy.

Communicate Effectively 

Always communicate about the credit card account effectively. Aside from discussing purchase limits and setting them in place, you want to be open about any spending associated with the account. Even if it’s a purchase made below the discussed limit. 

Keeping your partner in the loop helps both of you stay on top of the spending and payments. If a situation calls for a purchase to be made that’s larger than the purchase limit, discuss this with your partner. You should seek out other alternatives first.

But if there aren’t any, be sure to have a payment plan in effect for paying this large purchase back. 

Always Check the Balance

At the very least, always check the balance. Communication is key when dealing with a joint credit card account, but it’s still important that you check the balance and monthly statement regularly. It’s easy to forget all about that $22.93 purchase at the grocery store, and the $15.72 purchase at the drive-thru, and that $10.99 transaction at the car wash.

These small purchases add up quick, so be sure you’re constantly checking the balance to ensure you’re not over-spending.

Ready to Apply for Your Joint Credit Card?

Are you ready to begin the application process with your spouse for your joint credit card account? After reading these helpful tips above, we hope you’re now better prepared than you were before. 

Interested in more topics on love and relationships? Be sure to visit us daily for more!

 

Understanding the Power of Prayer

By
Elizabeth Williams

When you think of the power of prayer, what comes to mind? Understand just what it means and how to incorporate it into your daily life.

According to the Pew Research Center, 76.5% of people in the United States consider themselves to be religious.

In many respects, religion is as important to our lives today as it was centuries ago. And while many things may change, there’s always one constant when it comes to faith: Prayer.

Keep reading as we explore the power of prayer and its place in modern society.

Why We Pray

The biggest reason why we pray is that it gives us a direct line to our preferred deity. It makes us feel as though we can contact them whenever and wherever we need to.

The great thing about prayer is that there isn’t much of a secret to it. You can do it anywhere at any time.

In this respect, prayer helps us feel as though we’re never alone, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

We may also pray as a sign of goodwill toward others. Have you ever prayed for a friend or loved one? You’re practicing a type of prayer known as intercessory prayer.

Praying for someone else is a way of showing concern or care, and lets us help even when we can’t take direct action.

Benefits of Prayer

Whether you believe in a divine being (or beings) or not, science tells us that prayer does, indeed, make a difference in our lives.

In 2009, two scientists in India set out to study the impact of prayer on medical conditions such as depression, anxiety, and even infertility.

To start, they followed the lives of 219 infertile women who had recently undergone in vitro fertilization treatment. They were then set into two groups: One who would receive prayer, and the one that wouldn’t.

The women who received prayers had almost twice the rate of pregnancy compared to those who weren’t prayed for.

While both scientists were quick to point out that prayer may have caused a placebo effect, the point still stands. Prayer can be an effective way of dealing with hardships. You can browse around this website for more effective and beautiful prayers to be used daily

Making Time for Your Faith

Given the power of prayer, you might feel like opening your heart. Of course, we live in a busy world that never stops. Finding the time to pray can be as much of a challenge as anything else you face throughout the day.

Still, if you’re leading a faith-based lifestyle — or if you want to inspire positive thoughts — you must find time to pray. Making time to open your heart doesn’t have to be tough.

You can pray during the quiet moments of your day, such as when you first wake up or right before you go to bed. Or take regimented prayer breaks throughout the day if you don’t already.

Never Underestimate the Power of Prayer

As we wrap things up, we’d like to stress again how important it is to believe in the power of prayer. Even if you don’t have faith in a higher power, it never hurts to send good vibes into the world.

So give it a try and experience the benefits for yourself.

And if you’re looking for more coverage on topics like religion, psychology, and spirituality, make sure to check back with our blog!

 

Retro Is Back: 5 Awesome Vintage Things to Collect

By
Elizabeth Williams

Do you love dumpster diving or checking out thrift stores? Here are some awesome vintage things to collect (that might even be worth some money!).

You know the old saying, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” this can be true in more ways than one! 

Do you love dumpster diving or checking out thrift stores? Here are some awesome vintage things to collect (that might even be worth some money!).

  1. Old Toys Can be Fun Things to Collect

Believe it or not, there is a big market for people who collect old toys and action figures. The nostalgia factor plays a huge part in driving the market for these items and its a great opportunity for you to take advantage of it. 

Toys and figurines from the 70s, 80s, and 90s are popular right now because the kids from those eras are all grown up and are looking to bring back some childhood memories. If you come across any of these items, be sure to grab them up because they might be worth a fair amount, and who knows you might still have some from your collection at your mom’s house. 

  1. Coins

Old and rare coins have always been a popular item to collect because many of them are made out of precious metals like gold and silver. There is a wide range of different coins to collect from military coins, historically significant ones, or mistakes that were printed from the mint that were accidentally passed into circulation. 

When collecting coins, it may be easier to focus on one particular niche so that you can become familiar with the different aspects that make it valuable. Also, be careful not to try and clean the coin because certain chemicals can be damaging, that is best left up to a professional. 

  1. Classic Books

Classic books can be a fun thing to collect especially if you are a big reader. They are also easy to find at a thrift store and garage sales and are usually pretty cheap to invest in. 

Keep an eye out for the classics because they can fetch a lot of money if you happen to find a rare edition or are lucky enough to find one with the author’s signature.

  1. Comic Books

Comic books are great vintage items to collect. When they originally came out they were priced inexpensively and were easily bought but some of the rarer editions can be worth thousands of dollars now. 

Comics have gained in popularity with the success of the Marvel Universe movies, so if you had a collection when you were a kid now is the time to root around your parents’ attic or basement and see if any of the ones you had are worth anything now. Keep an eye out at thrift stores too, sometimes these can be donated without people knowing their worth. 

  1. Old Technology

With everything becoming digital these days it’s easy to understand why some would have a yearning to collect old record players, typewriters or televisions. Some of the oldest models were created to be a feature in your home and were crafted to not only be functional but artistic as well. 

If you are curious about technology, this is a great niche of vintage items to start collecting. 

Are You Ready to Check Out Some Thrift Stores?

These are all great ideas for things to collect and there are many other great items to look for!

Be sure to visit our website daily for other great ideas and lifestyle tips!

 

How to Cope With Chronic Pain: 9 of the Best Tips

By
Elizabeth Williams

If you are living with chronic pain, you should click here to learn some tips that can help when it comes to coping with the pain.

If you’re one of the 50 million Americans suffering from chronic pain, you know how debilitating it can be. Constant pain affects every facet of your life from your relationships to your physical and mental health to your career.

The good news is that there are things you can do to make living with chronic pain much more manageable. 

Learning how to cope with chronic pain can be a challenge. It may require some trial and error to find what method works best for you. The challenge will be worth it in the end when you’ve found a strategy that helps.

Keep reading to discover our seven favorite methods for dealing with chronic pain.

Try Meditation

Deep breathing techniques and meditation can be handy tools to have in your back pocket when your pain flares up. Both breathing deeply and meditating can cause your body to relax, ultimately reducing the amount of pain you’re feeling.

We often get in our own way when we try meditation for the first time. We worry we can’t “shut off” our brains and fret over whether we’re doing it right. There is no wrong way to begin a meditation practice. 

The act of meditating may not be able to alleviate all of your pain symptoms completely. But it can certainly help to reduce any anxieties you’re feeling, which can help to lower your pain levels, too. 

Find a Support Group

There is power in solidarity. When you’re around people who share the same struggles as you, it’s more clear than ever that you’re not alone.

Not only can you commiserate together in a support group, but you can share pain management tips. Making new connections with people who know what you’re going through can prove to be helpful on your road to acceptance and pain management. 

Quit Smoking

We all know how bad smoking is for us. But if you needed another reason to quit your habit, here it is. Smoking can make any circulation problems you have worse, all while increasing your risk for heart attacks and heart disease.

Nicotine can be a short-term painkiller for some people. But you should never reach for a cigarette if you’re having a pain flare-up. Try some of the ideas in our Pain Reduction section below instead. 

Keep Track

Head to the closest dollar store and buy yourself a cheap notebook. Use this book every day to keep track of important things related to your chronic pain.

It’s essential to be as descriptive and thorough as possible in your pain journal. Here are some things to track:

– your daily pain level (on a scale of 1 – 10)

– what type of pain you’re feeling (tingling, burning, throbbing, etc.)

– time of day your pain occurs

– what you were doing before the pain flare-up

– what you’ve eaten/drank that day

– what your mood was like

A pain journal can be a handy tool. It can help you to identify what is triggering your pain so you can avoid it in the future.

 Be sure to remember to take your book with you to your doctor’s visits, too. Having a detailed view of what you’re dealing with daily can help your doctor fine-tune his/her treatment plan for you.

Pain Reduction

Managing chronic pain can be difficult. Thankfully, there are a lot of options out there for you to try. The hard part is waiting for pain relief while you test out the different techniques to see what works best for you.

Pain management at home is a possibility if you are patient. You can talk about your options with your doctor or do your research online to see what treatments are available.

If you look for chronic pain doctors near me, you will most likely find a variety of clinics which specialize in managing chronic pain.

Painkillers, muscle relaxants, and heat/cold therapies are popular options you can test out at home. CBD oil can help to treat certain types of pain, such as migraines, fibromyalgia flare-ups, and neuropathic pain. 

If you have insurance coverage, you may wish to consider visiting alternative healthcare practitioners. Massage therapists, acupuncturists, and reflexologists can help folks who have certain types of chronic pain. 

There are even pain management options if you’re open to trying an integrative medicine approach. Trigger point or joint injections work great for managing chronic pain. Be sure to learn more information about this method of pain management before going down that route. 

Stress Management

Physical and psychological pain often go hand-in-hand. People who regularly suffer from psychological stressors may find that it exacerbates their chronic physical pain. It’s crucial, then, to find a way to manage stress levels to avoid pain flare-ups.

Stress management will look different for everybody. Some people may find that having nutritious meals can help lower their stress levels. Others might have success with exercise or meditation. 

Exercise Implementation

If you’re experiencing a pain flare-up, the last thing on your mind is probably exercising. Who would want to cause more pain when you’re already suffering? 

Being inactive will actually cause your muscles and joints to weaken, which can lead to further pain. Regularly engaging in exercises that feel good to you will help to regain your strength and increase your energy levels. Exercising will also release the feel-good hormones that can help to improve your mood, too.

You don’t want to overdo it, though. Ask your doctor what exercises you can and should be doing. Remember to gentle with yourself, especially if you’re an absolute beginner. 

Now You Know How to Cope with Chronic Pain

Hopefully, our blog has taught you a little bit about how to cope with chronic pain. With these seven strategies in your arsenal, it’s now time to begin trial and error to see what will work best for you.

Remember to go into treatment with both an open mind and patience. It can take some time to find a method that clicks with you. But once you’ve determined how to deal with constant pain, you can begin your path to wellness.

Be sure to check out the Health section of our website for more healthy living tips.

 

Three Main Differences Between Laziness and Procrastination

By
Elizabeth Williams

Good old procrastination! Everyone experiences this at least once a month. However, some people have overcome the strong urge to postpone things, and now they work on important and urgent activities and get them done effectively before a deadline while many still wonder why they battle with laziness and procrastination. You really want to study and ace that exam, but you spend your time with Netflix munching a bag of potato chips. We’ve all been here, are we right? And that’s precisely what you end up doing.

There are days you don’t feel like studying at all, and days you don’t feel like going to school. At one point or another, the school stress must have made you feel like quitting. These are days when you have no set goals, no passion, and all you want to do is eat, drink, sleep, and do other pleasurable things. Those days, which may lapse into months or years, you can as well be referred to as lazy.

Getting important tasks done effectively and in time is the exact opposite of procrastination. Actively setting a goal and pursuing it with passion, while putting in all your effort and commitment is the opposite of laziness.

One of the primary reasons for procrastination, especially among students, is the overwhelming workload in school, such as writing many essays and assignments that must fit a long list of requirements. Your professors or tutors want your work hard to write error-free and plagiarism free essays. One proven way to solve this is to delegate responsibility or seek help online. By seeking help online, we mean get reputable services that help with writing customized and original essays. If you have already written the assignment, you could use some online services to check for plagiarism your work. Using this checker https://phdessay.com/online-plagiarism-checker/ you will save a lot of time, and it may help you avoid postponing your responsibilities unnecessarily.

Differences Between Procrastination and Laziness

 

  1. The origin of the words is different

Though procrastination and laziness may seem to be the same thing, they are not. Procrastination is derived from the Latin word ‘cras’ which means ‘tomorrow,’ while the origin of the word laziness is gotten from the Latin word ‘indolent’ which means ‘painless’ or ‘without taking the trouble.’

  1. The pattern of the behavior

Procrastination is the urge to put things off until the last minute while focusing on less important, less urgent, and irrelevant plans. The procrastinator waits till the last minute to get things done, and most times underperforms or does something that is below par. The lazy person generally is passionless about life, goalless and has the ‘I don’t care attitude.’ The lazy person hardly or seldom gets anything done; every job or work done is carried out slothfully.

  1. The cause of the behavior

Different factors cause laziness or procrastination. The reason for laziness can be attributed to lack of motivation. Slothfulness being synonymous with laziness means disclination to action or labour, which is as a result of an individual seeking the least resistant path to get something done. Procrastination is mostly caused by fear. A person sees tasks as complicated; the fear of taking on such responsibility leads to a subconscious decision to defer it for as long as possible. The fear of underperformance, the fear of potential rejection and failure, causes us to postpone indefinitely until the eleventh hour, which most times prove to be detrimental.

How to deal with Laziness and Procrastination

The cure for laziness generally, is for an individual to find something about what they are passionate.

Dealing with procrastination requires you to obtain clarity about what is causing you to be afraid. Also, listing out those things, including the worst possible scenarios that may play out if you don’t take action. It requires a firm understanding of the items you want to get done. Get a detailed explanation of why you don’t want to do it and how exactly you are going to overcome the resistance to do those things.

Laziness and procrastination can be helpful at times. Feeling lazy after a hard day’s work and only wanting to relax can be refreshing and help to boost your drive and morale for future tasks. However, over-indulgence can be harmful to you.

Postponing things until the appropriate moment does not equal procrastination. Having the judgment to procrastinate rightly is helpful to us. Everyone procrastinates, yet, some do it to their benefit, others – to their detriment.

How to Come Back Into Study or Work Mode after Summer Break

By
Elizabeth Williams

After a long summer break with a nice long rest away from books, it is definitely challenging getting back into your study or work mode. Thinking of going back to school after a summer break was one of my most dreaded thoughts. If the thought is giving you a cold spine as well, this paper is here to help know how to get into study mode fast. The tips worked for me!

The first thing that will give you a shiver when you get back to school is writing assignments. Most people opt to choose assignment writing service websites to help. However, you don’t have to seek for help from assignment writing service websites when you are back in your right study mind. Without further ado, let’s jump into it.

Why is it so difficult to return to study mode after a long summer break?

During summer breaks, you have a lot of time at your disposal to travel or work on things you like. It is when to live out loud and bask all day. How do you recover from that? Sounds unnatural! I used to be among the mob desiring that each summer break be extended.

It is challenging clicking back to study mode after a long summer break because it means your time freedom is over. Back at work and class, you have to make sure that you meet all assignment deadlines and attend all the essential trainings and classes promptly. Remembering the freedom you have had in that break makes it harder to click back to serious routine work.

How to click back to studying effortlessly after the end of summer?

How to get into study mode fast after a long summer break is a concern for many students. Well, here are some practical tips you can use resume your normal life with ease.

1.    Plan ahead

You adapt quickly if you plan your schedule way before you resume your semester. Organizing my study schedule always worked like a charm for me back in college. After such a long rest, this is the only way you can get back on track with zeal.

2.    Have a positive attitude

How fast you bounce back into study mode depends on how positive you are. You need to look forward to the reopening and think of it positively. Don’t you miss your friends and crazy colleagues? Then at least you miss sleeping in class or lunch. Look forward to something.

3.    Consider finding a study buddy

On your own, it can be very hard to follow your already organized study schedule after summer. However, you can make it easier to get back the study groove by involving a friend. The trick is to find someone who will encourage you to study.

I remember how challenging it was for me to stick to my study schedule, especially at the beginning of the semester. For me to gain momentum, I always had to involve a study group of one or two people. We spent a lot of time talking about the nice breakaway but got to study as well.

4.    Do not overstay your vacation

You often find that most students overstay their vacation up to about a week or less to the opening dates. This is not advisable since it gives you a harder time adjusting.

From experience, I know it is important to give yourself some time to get over the experience of your vacation. You need at least two weeks to prepare for school before the actual opening dates to be psychologically prepared. This is when to check emails and complete pending assignments. Take it as a chance to count your failures if all motivation strategies do not work.

5.    Get enough rest

When preparing to resume your studies, you need to make sure that you are well-rested. The summer break is supposed to give you adequate time to rest and enjoy yourself. Therefore, you need to get as much rest as you can. This ensures that your mind is fresh, active and ready for the new challenge.

6.    Start small

After such a long rest, it is absurd to think that you can jump right in and continue from where you left. Instead, you need to take it slow by starting with short and simple projects before you can start on the bigger ones. You can never start climbing a tree from the top; it is practically impossible.

7.    Attend all your classes from the start of the semester

Make an effort of not missing a single class, especially at the beginning of the semester. Some lecturers will hand out assignments in these classes, and you might not be aware. This may eventually make you seek help from assignment writing experts, thus costing you money.

8.    Organize your wardrobe

Summer is over, and so is the dress code. When you put back in order what needs to be used at work or school, your brain begins to accept that the summer fun is over. It totally works. You will find yourself going shopping for more official clothes after so that you can kill the looks when back to work/ school.

No matter how long or short the break was, it will take some time before you can completely get back into study or work mode. However, it can take a very short time if you have the right attitude and will. All you need to do is follow these simple tips highlighted above. Good luck as you prepare to get back to your life.

Here’s Why A Great Number Of Mothers Are Drowning In Stress

By
Riley Cooper

Balancing child-rearing, household duties, and work in these modern times is not easy for mothers at all. Indeed, parenthood has become more difficult than ever, and sociologist Caitlyn Collins has found that mothers in America have it the worst.

Collins devoted 5 years to studying parenthood in 4 rich western countries. She interviewed a great number of women and found that there was one constant desire among moms. Namely, women wanted to feel that they were capable of combining child-rearing and paid employment in a way that was beneficial for them both at home and at work.

When it comes to work-life balance, Collins discovered that in Sweden, mothers and fathers have an equal share in parenthood and bread-winning. However, even in this country, motherhood puts pressure on the women.

In East Berlin, mothers enjoy broad support in the form of childcare and policies. Yet, even in East Berlin, a lot of women are not eager to pursue a “career.”

In Italy and Western Germany, on the other hand, women feel that pursuing a career is not compatible with child-rearing and they’re stigmatized if they try to make one.

When it comes to U.S. mothers, Collins has found that America is in the last place in providing support to working mothers and children. Moms in the U.S. stand out in their experience of dealing with work-family conflict and guilt. They try to resolve this by becoming more efficient and changing their jobs.

Mothers in the U.S. are caught between two opposed cultural schema, that of family devotion and work devotion schema. Namely, women that are committed to their work, but take a lot of time away for their family are considered to disrupt the work devotion schema.  On the other hand, those that avoid their commitments within their family disrupt the family devotion schema.

In the U.S. the ideal of motherhood is considered by most to be an all-absorbing devotion to her kids as the source of her fulfillment and life’s meaning. Children are perceived as properly taken care of by loving moms. And when it comes to fathers, they can’t help a lot, since they are considered not to possess the suitable nurturing skills.

Collins has explained that she wants mothers in the U.S. to stop thinking that they’re the ones to blame for their work-family conflict and that if they put in more effort, started their day earlier every morning, planned and kept to a new schedule, they could somehow find the key to controlling and handling their stress. Why?

Because this is not an individual problem. Instead, it’s a structural one. And as such, it demands structural, collective solutions, not individual ones.

She also adds that as women in all 4 countries hold to unrealistic standards, the best solutions require that we change the way we think about motherhood, family, and work.

8 Ways Children Appear To Be Misbehaving But Actually Aren’t

By
Riley Cooper

Following are 8 ways children may appear like they are misbehaving, but actually aren’t. When we recognize children’s naughty behaviors as a healthy and normal phase of their development and as reactions to our own actions or environmental conditions, this lets us respond to their “bad” behaviors proactively and in a compassionate and constructive way.  

When we see children’s naughty behaviors through a more thoughtful lens, this lets us understand that misbehavior is not an indication of bad parenting or a sign that your kid is naughty.

Here are 8 of the most common reasons why children may appear to be misbehaving but actually aren’t:

1. Overstimulation.

When we go shopping with our children or when we take them to the park or their friends’ birthday parties, we often see hyperactivity, meltdowns, or resistance.

Due to overstimulation,  hectic schedules, and exhaustion, which are all hallmarks of 21st-century family life, kids experience cumulative stress. That’s the reason why when a child displays a naughty behavior while playing with his/her friends, this may actually be their way of coping with their cumulative stress.

2. Core conditions.

Have you ever been angry or out of patience because you were ravenously hungry or you only slept for 4 hours? Well, small children are tenfold affected by this kind of “core conditions”  of being thirsty, hungry, exhausted, or ill.

Children’s ability to manage behavior and emotions is significantly reduced when they are hungry or tired. That’s why a lot of parents spot a sudden change in kids’ behavior approximately an hour before meals, if they’re going down with a cold, or if they woke up in the middle of the night.

3. Children can’t always control their impulses.

How many times have you told your child, “Don’t do that!” and they do it anyway? Well, the reason why kids behave this way is not always disobedience.

The thing is that the brain regions which are important to self-control are immature at birth and they mature slowly throughout childhood. This explains why two or three-year-old kids aren’t always able to resist the urge to do something they’re not allowed to.

4. Children have a developmental need for a lot of movement.

How many times have you said to your kid, “Stop chasing the dog around the house!” “Can’t you just sit still while you’re eating?” “Stop jumping on the bed!”

Children have a great need to play, jump off things, crawl around the house, run around things, and ride scooters and bicycles. So, instead of calling a kid “naughty” when they are doing rough and tumble play, it may be better to take them to the playground.

5. Expression of powerful feelings.

As grown-ups, we have been taught to distract from or hide our powerful emotions. But, children are not able to do that yet. They can’t ignore, hide, or suppress big feelings, such as crying, yelling, or screaming.

That’s why when a child shows powerful emotions, their parents shouldn’t react angrily to or punish them. They should let feelings be instead.

6. Having strengths which trip them up.

Not only kids but adults, too, have strengths which can trip us up. Perhaps we are highly intuitive, but absorb other people’s negative feelings and energy like a sponge.

Well, children are similar. A child may be extremely cautious, but resistant to doing new things, e.g. refusing to take swimming lessons. A child may have good grades at school but have trouble coping when they make a mistake, e.g. shouting when they mess up.

Recognizing when a kid’s bad behaviors are actually the flip side of his/her strengths can help you react in a gentler, more compassionate way and with more understanding to them.

7. Children are developmentally-wired to become independent.

Yes, it can be irritating when a kid claims that it’s warm enough outside to wear shorts when it’s actually not, or when they cut their own hair, or when they make a fort with piles of clothes, but they are doing what they’re supposed to be doing – making their own decisions, making their own plans and carrying them out, and gaining independence.

8. Children absorb and emulate their parents’ moods.

You don’t need to be an empath so as to pick up on other people’s moods.  And children especially absorb and emulate their parents’ feelings and energy. So, whether you are distracted, anxious, stressed, afraid, angry, or sad, children pick up on these moods.

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