udmmeditor

Regardless of what you do for a living, the end of your workday leaves you feeling drained and tired. It may also leave you feeling tense. These are just the most obvious signs of stress, which can seriously impact your health. Fortunately, there are easy and enjoyable ways to alleviate stress and feel more energetic away from the office.

Meditation and Yoga

You’ll find this on almost every list for ways to distress and for good reason. Practicing one or both together is highly effective in eliminating stress. Both yoga and meditation give the mind a chance to clear itself. While you turn your thoughts inward, you’re giving yourself a way to escape from the challenges of your life.

Physical Activity

We know exercise and physical activity is good for the body. It helps regulate blood pressure, improves heart health, and sheds excess weight. It’s also a great mood booster. Physical exertion stimulates the brain, causing endorphins to be produced and released. Endorphins are also known as “feel good” neurotransmitters, which help elevate mood and gives athletes that natural high.

Cutting the Cord

Another good way to decompress is to take a step back. Start by putting your phone out of reach or turning it off altogether. Try to power all of your electronics down. In fact, take an hour to really get away. Go for a hike in the woods or walk on the beach. Getting away from the grind and getting back to nature helps people feel healthier and happier.

Laughter

It’s an old saying, but it still holds true. Laughter really is the best medicine. When you’re laughing, you can’t very well feel stressed and tense. Try watching a funny movie or browse stand-up comics on YouTube. If your evening is free, visit a comedy club. A little laughter will go a long way toward helping you unwind.

Listen to Music

Music has a way of speaking directly to our souls, helping us clear the clutter in our minds. Try listening to meditation music, chants, or instrumental pieces. If that’s not something that appeals to you, select some relaxing music you do enjoy. However, stay away from loud, fast-paced sounds, since this type of music will be distracting and may actually make you feel more tense.

Chew Sugarless Gum

Yes, relieving stress can be as simple as chewing a stick of gum. A 2008 Australian study found that chewing gum reduces the level of stress hormones in saliva. Cortisol, which is the name of the stress hormone our bodies produce, is reduced by 12-18% by chewing gum. When you don’t have time to meditate or hit the gym, chewing gum can help you decompress on the go.

Sleep Better

If you’re like the majority of people, you’re not getting enough good, quality sleep each night. It’s not enough to lay in bed for eight hours a night, if you spend that time tossing and turning. In that case, you’ll wake up stressed and you’ll only feel more tense as the day wears on. If you are having trouble sleeping, examine your sleeping quarters. If there are street lights flashing outside your window, invest in a sleep mask. Similarly, be aware of noises that may obstruct your ability to sleep soundly. Try wearing earplugs to bed. You may also need new comfortable bedding. The bedroom is one area where you should definitely pamper yourself.

Take a Bath

Taking a relaxing bath can help, especially if you add aromatherapy to the experience. Choose a scented candle that soothes you and light it while you bathe. As you soak in the tub, let your mind wander and lose yourself in the experience. By the time you step out if the tub, you’ll feel refreshed, energized, and happy.

These activities are just a few ways you can decompress, following your workday. If these suggestions don’t appeal to you, look for other activities that you enjoy. Doing things we find fun and entertaining helps the mind relax, so there’s no wrong way to distress.

Adrian Rubin

Adrian Rubin is a writer, editor, and photographer. When he’s not pursuing his creative passions, he can be found giving back to his community. A love for animals inspires Adrian to help out at animal shelters in his Philadelphia community.

Life is busy and chaotic, especially when you juggle work, a family, and various other responsibilities while trying to enjoy your life. Often, the stressors of life lead people to have a few drinks or try to combat their anxiety in other ways. It quickly can escalate into a huge problem. Before you get to the point where drugs or alcohol are a regular coping method to manage your life, use a few simple tips to help manage your life better. 

Patients at behavioral health centers frequently say they couldn’t balance their lives appropriately. They constantly felt overwhelmed like they weren’t keeping up with all of their responsibilities adequately. As the negatives feelings surrounding their inadequacies grew, they tried to ease their anxiety with a few drinks or when they went out they did a few lines. They continued to have issues balancing their work and life, and they continued with their substance usage to cope. While this does temporary mask the stress, in the end, patients recognized that it created a vicious circle and only worsened their problems when they could changed their lives to promote a healthier balance of work and home life.

Schedule “You” Time Each Day

If you have time for a few drinks in the evening, you can turn that time into time to be creative or just do something you enjoy.  Run a bath and grab a book. Turn on some soft music and just set your mind free from all the stressors of the day. Maybe you enjoy painting. Instead of grabbing for a drink, pick up your paint brush. Maybe you could start taking a class to learn to cook or do some type of art. You just need to make sure you schedule time each day – even if it’s not at the same time or doing the same thing – for you.

Start Exercising

While it seems like exercising is just another task to add to your list of things to do, it energizes you. You’ll be more physically fit, so you can handle a great deal more. You won’t be as tired on a daily basis once you develop a tolerance for physical activity and build up your muscles. Plus, exercise releases endorphins, which make you feel better. You’re able to better handle stress when you exercise regularly.

Create a Routine

It’ll help you balance your life much better when you create a schedule and stick to it. You want to keep on a routine as much as possible. When you schedule yourself, you want to make sure you schedule time for you to do what you enjoy. You’ll also notice when you develop a schedule, you’ll feel more productive. You’ll want to continue to          keep on your routine once you realize how much more you’re accomplishing and how much extra time you have each day.

Get Enough Sleep

Once again, it may sound counterproductive to sleep more. You’re probably thinking you just feel like you don’t have enough time to sleep eight hours each night, but you’ll notice how much more productive you are. You’ll have energy throughout the day to continue to complete everything you need.  It’s also very beneficial to your health. If you don’t get enough sleep, you’re more likely to get sick. Once you get sick, you get even further off track. Not to mention, a common symptom of sleep deprivation is anxiety and depression. This means not sleeping enough is just making your feelings of not being capable of balancing your life even worse. 

Don’t Be Afraid to Pass on Extra Nonessential Activities

Far too often, people ask for help from others. And although they may genuinely need it, you don’t always have to be the person to assist. It’s okay to say “no.” If someone asks you to babysit their kids and you’re already busy with your own affairs, it’s fine to decline politely. Don’t feel guilty if you can’t be the parent to run the bake sale because you’re also working and taking care of your household. This doesn’t mean for you to bypass every opportunity to assist others, but it’s okay to focus on yourself every now and then when you absolutely need it.

Ask for Help When You Need It

You don’t have to be the “Super” parent and worker at all times. Don’t feel afraid to ask other people for people when you need. From rearranging your furniture to babysitting to completing that big project at work on time, everybody needs the help of others sometimes. You can’t do it all, and never for a second think you can.

Eat Healthily

This sounds like another activity that’s time-consuming, but if you don’t eat healthily, you won’t have as much energy to fulfill the duty you have. Not to mention, you can experience mood changes and a range of other symptoms when you’re not eating right.

Adam Durnham

Adam Durnham is a freelance blogger that specializes in mental health and addiction in relation to the workplace. He currently lives in Detroit, Michigan and can be caught frequently running downtown.

Every business owner must figure out the best location of a business and how it will contribute to his success. The most important thing is to choose the right spot that suits your business needs. Many entrepreneurs do not succeed in their businesses because they fail to invest the necessary time in finding the right location.  Location and success are closely tied, and therefore you should consider these tips that will help you choose the best location a little easier.

Know your business

The first step in finding a suitable location is understanding the needs of the business. How will goods be delivered? Will your customers come to your shop or call for appointments? Does it involve excessive noise that may disturb other business owners? Make a list of the specific needs.

Find your customers

You need to identify your customers to meet their needs. Try and find out the population of the area. Statistics and population trends can be helpful. When you have gathered all the information, target the people you are trying to reach. By doing this, you can determine where you are likely to get more customers. For example, if you are opening a canteen, you should target areas with schools, colleges and hospitals.

Get a flavor for the community

Before setting up a business in an area, get to know more about the community. Research by reading local newspapers or visit the library and study on the history of the place. Interact with small business owners in the area. Ask them how their business is doing as well as the challenges you might face if you decide to set up your own. You can also find out how the community reacts to new businesses that come to town.

Consider traffic and accessibility

It is one of the most important tips to consider. The area should be accessible to your customers. If your business does not have customers, then traffic and accessibility is not an issue. But if it involves customers coming to your shop, you should look for a place with parking lots, foot traffic and sidewalk accessibility. It is also advisable to check if the roads are in good condition due to the transportation of your goods.

Scope out the competition

In some businesses, this is not an important aspect. Five similar businesses may be in the same building without anyone noticing. But if you are looking for a restaurant location, you will want to know how many of them are in that area. That will give you a scope on how to deal with your competitors. You will start thinking of ideas on how to outdo them and come up with something that you are going to offer to your customers which your competitors do not have. This can help you gain a market share and also customers of your own.

If you have a difficult time trying to find the best location for your business try the above ways and you will realize that they will narrow down your options, and find the best spot. You will find the whole exercise more enjoyable and less hectic.

 Duncan Kingori

Duncan has been in the writing profession for a decade now. He has great experience writing informative educational articles and his work has been appreciated and published in many popular publications. His education background in communication and public relations has given him a concrete base from which to approach different topics in various niches.

LinkedIn Profile :  https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-kariuki-31733374/

Facebook Profile : https://www.facebook.com/dunco.kingori

The Dolinski Real Estate Group is extending sales of homes in the beautiful countryside! Anybody interested in buying a home in a lovely rural area can get a hold of the Dolinksi Group.
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Elder Law of Michigan invited to capture the Justice Summit this past spring to bring attention to the need to create a Justice Council. This will allow more awareness to the rights of elders in all communities in Michigan.

For more information on Elder Law of Michigan: https://www.elderlawofmi.org/
For more information on Michigan Coordinating Justice Council: http://mielderjustice.org/