How to Get a Work-Life Balance When Working at Home

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Although there are many advantages to working from home, there can also be problems associated with trying to work in the same place you live. Not only do you need to make sure you get all your work completed, but you also want to spend time with your family. Here are some of the ways you can try to achieve a better work/life balance.

Set Yourself a Schedule

When you are working from home, it can be easy to just pop into the office room and answer a few emails. However, if you do that, you will find yourself doing it more often, with opening a couple of emails to replying to them and then working a few extra hours – just because. It is important that you stick to a schedule, so create one that sets out your day carefully and includes an end to your work. Allow yourself time to work, but also make sure that you only spend set hours in the office. If you are working for someone else, then it is important that you are honest and clear about the hours you work from the beginning of your employment.

Give Yourself Space You Need

While you can set up your office area anywhere in your house, it can make a lot of difference if you need peace and quiet. Ideally, you need a room to yourself that you can use as an office, then you can close the door, and the others in the house will know you’re working. Alternatively, you can always look at mobile offices that you can set up in the garden. It will give you a dedicated space, and it won’t take up a room in your home.

Work Smarter Not Harder

There are some that believe you have to work all the hours you can to be successful. While you need to put in the hours to do a good job, you don’t have to spend the whole day and night in the office. By doing the things you need to do efficiently, you can get far more work completed in less time. If you have a lot of jobs to do, consider taking on a virtual assistant that can help you with the routine tasks.

Learn to Say No

It can be easy just to continue to do a thing for your clients or your boss without thinking about what it means to your family. You are not obliged to work 24 hours a day, so you should learn to say no when they are asking things that are unreasonable. If you have set hours of work, then it makes it easier to say you are not available. If you have a mobile phone for your work, then you need to make sure you turn it off when you are not available. People can leave you a message, and you can get back to them later.

There are many people who love working from home and still manage to fit both home and work life into their day. All you need is a little planning and to learn to say no when you aren’t available.

Highly Effective Habits That Make You More Productive at Work

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Whether you are a business owner or an executive, staying effective at work can be a challenge. There will be times when you are less productive and can’t seem to focus on the tasks in hand. Other times you cannot do things correctly and keep making unnecessary mistakes.

After speaking to a lot of successful entrepreneurs and professionals, we discovered that this issue can be solved by developing a few effective habits. We are going to take a look at those habits in this article.

Develop a Morning Routine

Having a solid morning routine is a must. It helps prepare the brain for a busy day ahead and it allows you to enjoy little, pleasant things as you start the day. Some entrepreneurs love to start the day by having a cup of coffee and reading the news. You can tailor your Google News feed based on your interests or catch up with the latest financial news from America Herald online.

Remember that you are free to develop a morning routine that works for you. You can add a short exercise – a 30-minute walk or jog can be very refreshing in the morning – and fine-tune every part of the morning routine to suit you personally. The only thing to keep in mind is staying consistent. You want the brain to know, unconsciously, that the morning routine means it is time to start the day.

Work in Short Bursts

Staying focused for a long period of time can be challenging, which is why it is often better to work in short bursts. Most entrepreneurs love to work for 30 minutes, and then take a break for 15 minutes before repeating the cycle. Others opt for shorter bursts with a longer break between them.

The time you allocate for working doesn’t matter. What matters is that you devote your entire attention and energy to getting some work done during those short bursts. You will be surprised by how much more productive you can be, even when the day is a difficult one to handle.

You can also use the breaks for productive yet relaxing activities. You can read books, check the latest news and updates, or deal with easier tasks that also help you refresh.

Get Enough Rest

Going the extra mile and working long hours are very tempting, especially when you’re trying to get your business or your career of the ground. That said, spending 5 out of 5 workdays a week working late is not necessarily something you want to do if you want to stay productive in the long run.

Keeping a balanced life is still important. In fact, multiple studies have shown that professionals who are able to maintain a more balanced life are also more productive at work. When it is time to leave the office, stop worrying about work and shut that part of your brain for a moment. Focus on leisure activities or getting enough rest instead so that you are ready for the challenges that come tomorrow.

These habits are easy to get into with a bit of practice, but they are known to be very effective in helping you become more productive at work. Give them a try and be sure to share your experience in the Comments section below!

How to Turn Traveling the World into a Career

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It’s a story everyone has heard and maybe even experienced a hundred times before – the hard worker desperate to escape their monotonous corporate life to pursue adventure in far off lands. Each of us has at least a seed of wanderlust waiting to grow and tempt us away from routine and stability. The biggest obstacle people face when torn between staying and leaving is usually their finances. How do you expect to support yourself and perhaps your family while you give in to your dreams of chasing the horizon?

Think Carefully

The romance of fleeing the stifling regularity of living in one place and sailing off into the sunset could come crashing down when you are suddenly struck by how much you miss your own shower or bed, so make sure you’re mentally prepared for your trips. Take a few weeks to think about your reasons for traveling – do you want to experience more of the world? Are you seeking excitement and new stories to tell? Or are you simply a bit bored and could easily cheer yourself up with a short holiday? Before spending a lot of money on tickets and hotels, check with yourself that you won’t regret it once you’re halfway across the world.

Get Organized and Explore Your Options

Now that you’ve thought about it carefully and got the right vaccinations, make sure to plan at least a little bit ahead, even if the lack of schedule is precisely why you want to travel. Decide on a few key locations and do your research. There are sites dedicated to helping you on your journey such as www.mrhudsonexplores.com where you can learn from the experiences of others before venturing out for yourself. Focus on the reasons you are traveling and make them marketable. Here are a few examples to inspire you:

• Foodies can get in touch with businesses to blog about the restaurants they visit in different countries.

• Backpackers and hikers are sought after by companies that sell travel products because they make great spokespeople for reviewing the equipment. You would be paid to test their gear and write about it to boost their sales.

• You can find work abroad teaching English as a foreign language.

• Working in the travel or tourism industry will allow you to visit new places while being paid. Cruise ships are especially good at offering a wide variety of jobs – chefs, hairdressers, entertainers, bartenders – the list is endless.

• Hotels also require a vast range of staff. Working in an international hotel will give you opportunities to live in exciting places and contribute to the fun of other people’s vacations.

• If you consider yourself very knowledgeable about the places you love, why not become a tour guide? Share your passion for the place by teaching others all about it. You will be paid to work in your favorite locations while getting to know them more intimately.

Look online for companies willing to sponsor you to travel for them or simply apply for jobs where ships, planes or hotels are involved. Everyone has skills that would be valuable abroad, so find out what yours are and book them a seat on your next flight.

Gear up for the Holidays: Get a Head Start on your New Year Resolution Today!

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It is that time of the year when you start thinking about the holidays. Finding just the right clothes for all those year-end do’s. Buying presents. Binging and letting yourself go. And of course then comes the inevitable New Year resolution to lose those post-holiday bulges and welcome a fitter you. This year why not try something new? Advance your New Year resolution and get that gym membership now! Without the pressure of living up to a New Year’s promise and competing with all those fabulous Instagram gym updates from friends, you might actually make use of that membership. Besides, you end up looking fabulous for the parties and might even skip piling on the pounds during the holidays! We at consolidate times have compiled a handy checklist that will help you get started and stay motivated right into the New Year!

1. Do the research

You know all those times when you started on a mission to get fit and it did not work out? This time don’t allow that to happen. Load up on the information before you start so that you won’t get dispirited by minor bumps and plateaus. First you need to understand your body type and what routines will work best for you. A certified trainer can help you with that. Secondly, don’t fall for the fad diet craze. What works best for a health regimen is a nutritious, balanced diet that is designed keeping your body and your tastes in mind. Get all the information you can and then talk to your trainer about customising the diet that you know you can stick to. And be sure to include some basic life style changes that will help you on the journey to fitness.

2. Indulge in some shopping

Nothing perks you up quite like a good-intentioned round of shopping for yourself! You are getting ready for a new you – be sure you have the right outfit for it! A fitness routine can greatly benefit from proper tracking. Go ahead and buy that latest fitness tracker you have been lusting after! And while you are at it, invest in some brand new training apparel and shoes too. There is nothing like being fully equipped when you start off on a mission! Now you can guilt – read motivate – yourself to get out of bed when the alarm goes off in the morning without hitting snooze.

3. Set clear goals

You know this is just a beginning. So don’t think about dropping two dress sizes by Christmas. Discuss with your trainer what is do-able by New Year and stick to it. And then discuss the plan for after the New Year bashes. Setting realistic expectations and practical timelines will give you greater chances of sticking to the routine. Also, the small successes you encounter on the way will fuel you up for the longer ride ahead!

4. Find a partner in crime

If you have a like-minded partner to join you in this endeavour you have greater chances of sticking it out! Don’t try to enlist your entire friends’ circle – that could end up counterproductive. Find that one person who is as motivated as you and you can make sure neither suffers a slump as you take it one day at a time all the way to New Year’s!

5. Push yourself

Now that you have made a commitment, make sure you stick to it! Reminders on your phone, Post-Its on the fridge, public pledges in a family group, a couple of supporters who call up to enquire if you have worked out today – do everything it takes to prod you to go forward! Once you move past the initial phase, you will need less reminders and you can begin to take pride in yourself and your body.

Get started now and when everyone else is still thinking about New Year resolutions, you will find yourself miles ahead! Happy holidays!

Effective ways to prevent muscle injuries

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You never know when a muscle injury may occur while working out. It may start as a discomfort, but if ignore – it can lead to extreme pain with a torn muscle. To ensure that you do not pull your muscle, it is prudent that you strengthen them and make sure you are prepared for any physical activity coming your way.

Here are some tips for helping you avoid most muscle injuries:

Practice eccentric training workouts

Muscle tears and hamstring injuries are common problems occurring during sports and other vigorous physical trainings. Recent studies have shown that practicing exercises such as Nordic-style Hamstring curls can help in prevention of uncertain muscle injuries. Such workouts help in training you muscles to regulate the tension and strength of the muscles while they are forced to elongate. This way any injury related to the muscles is avoided when the muscles are lengthened.

Keep track of your Vitamin D constituency in the body

Almost 70% of the popular around the world have shown cases of low vitamin D in the body. This can lead to extensive train your muscles. It has been seen that vitamin D helps in supporting the functioning of the muscles, for instance in protein synthesis and balancing electrolytes. Any person with unbalanced electrolytes can lead to muscle fatigue and premature injuries. And, without proper synthesizing of protein in the body, there is little chance of muscle tissue recovery. In addition, lack of vitamin D also deteriorates performance and strength. Therefore, it is prudent to maintain vitamin D in the body by keeping track of it.

Do not overstretch

Stretching the muscles of your body is a great warm-up that helps in improving one’s performance. However, extensive stretching leads to decrease in performance and overall muscle damage. Fitness coaches and instructors usually advice athletes not to stretch before a sports event as this could lead to uncertain muscle injuries. Sudden force on the muscles can lead to overexertion and eventually tear the muscle tissue if one is not careful. It would be prudent to perform light warm ups without over stretching the muscles.

Go for a screening that tests your functional movement

Modern methods of testing your movement in physical movement and muscle strength have welcomed a new screening strategy known as Functional Movement test where the fitness levels of athletes are monitored using a streamlined system. This screening activity helps in detecting states of fatigue in the body. The test also gives a score, which keeps track of the mobility of the person and indicate any possible weaknesses. When one takes such a screening for functional movement, it will show the way body uses muscles during a particular workout. Any discomfort will indicate chances of muscle injury.

While these methods can help in avoiding muscle injuries, there may still be an inevitable situation where athletes are unable to get past such injuries. In such cases, relax the tension of your muscle using a psoas stretch foam roller to relax the soreness.