3 Thoughts Going Through Hiring Managers’ Heads When They’re Rejecting You
Menopause can be a traumatic experience for some women. Aside from the changes in hormones, it can also cause several unpleasant symptoms that can range from migraines, mood swings and even digestive issues. To know more about how it can affect you and how it can cause menopause health problems, here are some of the essential things you need to know.
All women have to deal with the physiological, psychological and emotional challenges associated with menopause at some point in their lives. Although there are medications that can help ease its negative effects, not all of them have the capability to address all of menopause’s symptoms.
The best way to prepare for this major milestone for women is to know the right information. Knowing what it is and what it’s not can help you avoid menopause health problems.
Estrogen significantly drops during menopause. It is the hormone that regulates many body processes, including cortisol and androgen levels. It also plays a part in bone development, blood clotting, and even certain brain functions.
This hormone can also affect your libido and vaginal secretions. This is one of the reasons why you experience a lot of sexual changes during this phase.
Estrogen regulates good and bad cholesterol levels. It also has an effect on the size of your veins and the way fluid and nutrients are transported in your body.
During menopause, you should expect to go through a lot of changes in your emotions, mental state and even your health. As if these aren’t enough, you should also watch out for signs that indicate your risk of the following menopause health problems:
Low estrogen levels can affect your hormones, specifically the stress hormone cortisol and the hunger hormone called ghrelin. As the levels of these hormones fluctuate, so does your insulin level.
With the constant changes in your appetite and sugar level, two things happen to your body: intensified cravings for sweets and increased resistance to insulin.
Rapid bone loss after menopause isn’t that fatal. However, since it can still put your safety at risk, it’s something you have to be prepared for. Exercise is one of the best ways to decrease the rate of bone loss during the said period.
This is a condition that can cause the various organs of your body to experience inflammation. It can be triggered by any drastic hormonal changes,such as during the menopausal period.
According to the Center for Disease Control in Prevention, more than 50,000 American women were diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2013. In the same year, over 9,000 women died from the disease.
Uterine cancer commonly happens among women going through or have gone through menopause.
With the decreased lubrication and changes in your hormones, your vaginal wall can thin out and lose its firmness. It can even become inflamed after sexual intercourse.
Over time, these changes can lead to vaginal atrophy. In some cases, it can even make urinating very painful, too.
The increased levels of bad cholesterol can put you at a higher risk for hypertension or high blood pressure. This is something you have to closely monitor since hypertension can lead to a lot of health problems.
It’s closely associated with kidney failure and heart problems.
Shortness of breath and hot flushes are very common during menopause. These symptoms are manifestations of a weaker heart too.
As your estrogen level drops, your heart also loses its ability to expand and contract without difficulty. This makes your heart more fragile and at risk for several heart issues, including enlarged heart and blocked arteries
See Also: 4 Essential Checkups You Should Have Each Year
Menopause is challenging and it carries a lot of risks, too. To make sure you don’t end up with these menopause health problems, it’s a good idea if you can consult your physician. Proper consultation with a health professional can rule out any symptoms that may be triggered by another underlying health condition.
The post 7 Unexpected Health Problems Related to Menopause appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
Mermaid are fascinating creatures of the magic realm. Every girl out there dreamed at least once to be such a magic being. And every boy dreamed to meet and fall in love with one.
Let’s finish the work week on a magic note and imagine a world full of impossible things. In the process you will also find out some things about you.
Take just now this quick and fun quiz and find out what kind of mermaid are you!
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The post Which Kind Of Mermaid Are You? appeared first on Change your thoughts.
Retirement might seem a long way off, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t prepare for it ahead of time. With the right tips for retirement planning, you can take a proactive approach in preparing for your future. Here are seven of the best tips you can use.
When it comes to planning for your retirement, there’s really no such thing as starting too early. In fact, the sooner you start planning and saving, the easier and more comfortable your future will be.
You can start with a small amount and just work your way towards increasing your savings. Twenty to thirty years from now, your savings will add up and you’ll have a good amount of money to spend for your retirement.
See Also: 6 Ways How Twentysomethings Can Start to Save
You should join your company pension scheme as soon as you can. Even if you’re not planning to stay in your job for a long period of time, it’s still a good idea to save something from your work.
Schemes often offer excellent value, especially since employers are the ones required to pay for their employees’ pensions. This means that you ‘ll be getting more money from your employer without having to do more work.
One good way to increase your pension contribution is to wait until you have a pay rise. This can help ensure that you won’t fall short of your budget.
If you get a pay rise, make sure that a large percentage of it goes directly to your pension. This way, you’ll be able to continue your current standard of living while saving more for your future.
As the old adage goes: “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.”
There are a lot of people today who can offer you attractive ways to invest and grow your money. Although they can look legitimate, you still have to be cautious. Make sure you do your research first and seek professional advice before giving anyone your money.
As your retirement age approaches, it’s a good idea to free yourself from debts. Given the high-interest rates of loans these days, you wouldn’t want to be stuck with so many dues once you retire.
Although it’s more convenient to pay the minimum and avoid the interest for now, it can only prolong your paying time. This means that you’ll end up spending more money than you’re supposed to for your debts.
Instead of choosing convenience, set aside a specific budget so that you can have enough money to repay your loans. This may sound like a lot of hard work and sacrifices, but it can shorten your paying time and you’ll be able to free yourself from debt earlier.
See Also: 5 Ways to Help Get Out of Debt
Creating a final will is one of the most overlooked tips for retirement planning. If you have assets and would like to give them to a specific person, you can specify it in your last will and testament.
A will is essential no matter where you are in your lifetime. However, as most people are uncomfortable to talk about death, they are likely to postpone and even neglect creating a will.
If you fail to draft one, there’s a good chance that your final wishes will not be addressed properly. It can end up taking a very long time before your assets get distributed to the right people.
Everyone’s situation is different. If you are having difficulties planning for your retirement, you can seek professional help. There are actually people who offer such services. Although they can require a certain fee, you can rest assured that their pieces of advice are very valuable.
The post Seven Top Tips for Retirement Planning appeared first on Dumb Little Man.
There was a little boy at the swimming pool. His friends were making fun of him, and he was clearly nervous about something. He didn’t want to jump off the diving board. He didn’t do it. After his friends moved along he finally summoned up the courage and jumped off the plank. When he surfaced, he erupted from the water with a giant smile – “I did it! I conquered my fear!”
It was that simple for the boy.
Many of us live everyday wrapped up in a conundrum of anxieties, fears and insecurities. We’re worried about the present, past and future. We we’re about our clothes, what we said last night, spiders, theft, robbery, the weather. For some of us, our daily insecurities are the reason we spend hours rolling around in bed at night or make strange decisions during our vulnerable times.
We don’t want to let our fears stop us, or get in our way. We want to walk around with confidence, be able to talk to whoever we want, and do the things we want to do. Overcoming your fears is simpler than you expect, and there could almost be a formula to it. After all, we do subconsciously everyday.
Never let fear decide your future
Always remember that at the end of the day, you are who you want to be. If you want to be a strong, charismatic, confident person, you must grow and train yourself to become that. You must remind yourself that in order to succeed, you must overcome your fears. If you do not, your insecurities pose a threat of taking over your true personality and commanding the avenues of your life.
Say to yourself everyday that you are strong. Remind yourself in the mirror. Watch affirmative videos that will offer you guidance. Speak to yourself until you know it to be true.
Sometimes the only way to overcome fear is to introduce it into your life. Imagine a little boy or girl that is so scared of spiders, garden snakes, or big dogs. These are mostly harmless creatures, but to an inexperienced child they can be truly terrifying since they have no prior experience with them. But as soon as they have a few experiences, good experiences, with the animals, you can reassure them that they are not so bad, and may be on your side. This is all just practice for growing up.
Same goes for adults. If you are terrified of talking to people, practice it more often. Force yourself into casual small talk and interactions. Nothing too serious, just a few things to get yourself warmed up. Even the most elite socialites need to practice communication from time to time. It happens from the minute we wake up to the time we go to bed. We need to continue to practice our social muscles. When it is fear based, it is even more quintessential.
Fearing something will not make it disappear. If you are afraid of something terminal, like death, it is best to come to grips with that immediately. For children it is easy for them to run away and hide, but we know better than that. Consider spending time with people who are dealing with something terminal in order to recognize the bravery and composure they have during their ordeal. It is a life worth examining.
How about turning your fears into something fun? Sometimes the adrenaline rush is all you need to reconnect with yourself on the inside. Do you think comedians weren’t terrified the first time they went on stage? They were, but they did it and dealt with the emotional consequences. Or how about extreme sport athletes, F1 drivers, or others in high risk employment? These people risk life and limb everyday with courage, but they certainly didn’t start that way. Use adrenaline as motivation to get over that hill, and you might find yourself doing something you now love.
If you’re in a pinch and your fears start coming up fast, remember to slow down. If you make decisions from a basis of fear, you’re going to make some emotionally charged decisions. Use it as an exercise. Every time you feel that anxiety coming up, use it as a cue to start breathing properly and relax. Use simple mantras like “there is nothing I cannot overcome,” and “there is nothing here to worry about” to give yourself real time motivation. Analyze the situation and realize, there is nothing to be worried about at all!
People find fear through a place of anxiety, and anxiety is often a lonely, isolating place to be in. We always forget that – hey! – there are a lot of other people who are also nervous about this! Lots and lots of people around you hide from anxiety and fear everyday; in fact, just about everybody. Remember that you’re not the only one. The best thing to do is simply talk about it immediately with someone. The more open you are about it, the more people will help you with the problem, and you will feel better to know that everyone else knows what you’re going through.
The post 6 Ways To Break Through Fear appeared first on Change your thoughts.
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities” Stephen R. Covey
I know I’ve been guilty of this one. I plan, I even write down my intentions and goals every new year, but end up postponing them till the following semester. Then before I know it, the end of the year arrives and I haven’t accomplished much. Something huge always gets in the way – life and everything in between.
A lot of us have a hectic lifestyle and schedule. If like me you’re a single full time working mom with an active toddler at home, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Our work life and other responsibilities get in the way, emergencies and unexpected events, chores and errands, kids’ endless demands, distractions, tiredness, and as much as we’re reluctant to admit it, laziness.
Hey I’m not a robot! I get tired sometimes, laziness is just a side effect; my body needs to rest so I can recharge my batteries. Distractions and other entertainment help me to unwind and clear my mind. On my own free time I love sipping iced tea in my hammock watching an all-time favorite movie. Or just lounge on the beach – and think about nothing at all.
So you’re talking to me about listing down my priorities? I only have time for one priority: to survive and meet my family’s needs – trying to throw in a bit of light heartedness and fun here and there. If I had an assistant or a nanny, I would have plenty of time left to daydream about my many desires and set my priorities around them. But as far as I’m concerned, we only have 24 hours in a day, minus 7 hours of sleep to function properly (would love to prioritize nap time.)
To that I respond to you my dear: you are right but also wrong. Priorities may in fact simplify and improve your life. Hear me out.
Fast forward a couple decades from now. If you’re 35, imagine yourself at 55. You’re still at a job you that doesn’t fulfill you, (even if you’re making more money,) still wishing you had more time to relax and enjoy yourself, or doing the things that are important to you. Still following your ego’s whims that don’t contribute to your highest good, breaking harmony with your greater self and heart’s desire. Still not seeing the bigger picture. Drifting through life, like in a foggy dream, days and years blending into one another. Going wherever the wind carries you, doing whatever your friends, family, or significant other want or expect you to do.
Personally, visualizing this kind of future makes me want to shake myself to wake up. I deserve better than to live my life just so that I can survive – work and pay bills – we all do. I want to live life now, not let it pass me by. I long to radiate positive vibrations that can only be achieved when in touch with my inner light. I want to learn and grow as a person, to contribute in a positive manner and make a difference in this world, while using my unique set of gifts and experience. I yearn to nourish my soul through creative endeavors or leisure time. To exemplify the right values to my daughter – not just hardworking values. Those are my goals that will serve as the foundation for my priorities.
Instead of allocating 90% of my time and energy around fulfilling my basic needs, going through the motion, I’ll take control of my life (and myself) and try to incorporate my goals in everything that I do – even in the most mundane tasks like cleaning the bath tub: I can tap into my inner child and listen to my favorite tunes while scrubbing it. While commuting to work, I opt to listen to spiritual or self growth messages and later apply the teachings in my life. A new day will be viewed as another opportunity to learn, grow, laugh, connect with my inner self, or make a positive impact – these priorities of mine will influence everything that I do. And yes setbacks will be inevitable but won’t throw me off track; I have my priorities in check.
Essentially setting priorities isn’t about having enough time for them, but about deciding what you truly want and reserve your energy around those specific endeavors or goals that you choose for yourself. Because at the end of the day, we’re always presented with choices. We thus control our fate by the choices we make.
So in lieu of watching TV every night after work, even when I am tempted to watch The Office, I tell myself that this isn’t my priority. If I’m invited for drinks and I haven’t finished a post on my blog that I needed to complete this week, I will decline the invitation. As I type away, I kill three birds with one stone; I help others as I help myself, while getting in touch with my true self. If my daughter wants to play and I have a pile of laundry and dishes calling my name, I will choose to play with her, clear my mind, and fully enjoy the moment. On the days I feel like frowning, I will lift my head up and smile at a stranger. Basically I vow to discard whatever does not support my purpose and my priorities – including negative thoughts.
Until my early 30s I had my priorities all wrong. As a result, I was stagnating, feeling trapped, not knowing exactly why – indeed something was missing in my life. So I reset my priorities around in order to carve a better future for myself and my daughter. To live more effectively, with meaning and purpose. A successful present is a successful future for sure.
Priorities are important because:
Personally that motivates to not want to waste these two most important resources we have. Otherwise I will continue to focus on and do the things that don’t serve me, and live life feeling depleted. My mind will be filled with worries that shouldn’t concern me. As a result, I will not be able to enjoy my life the way I could and should. Incorrect priorities can rule and taint my entire life.
No priorities or incorrect priorities mean that you are neglecting them, also forfeiting your purpose in life.
‘First things first’ mindset will give your life direction. Your decisions are protected as you know what you stand for – you will know what to eliminate and keep in your life by setting priorities, whether they be in your personal or career life. All this will help you to continue
about your journey most efficiently by setting clear intentions.
Write down a list of all the things you value such as: happiness, tranquility, respect, traveling, friendships, health and fitness, honesty and depth, kindness, God, family, helping others, entrepreneurship, adventure, freedom, good will, rest and relax, love and romantic relationships etc. In short, anything you stand for or are passionate about. Then do a bit of reflection:
Is your life at the moment aligned with your values and passions? What can you do, in practical terms, to live the life you really want according to your priorities?
For example if you prioritize:
Your kids – Postpone your chores for awhile or do less of them. Put your phone down. Play and interact with your children, giving them your full attention and love that they crave and need from you.
Fitness – Wake up an hour earlier to go for a run or work out in front of the television after work. Say no to junk food and sodas.
Traveling – Stop going to Starbucks for a few months or eating out as often. With your accumulated savings go on trips. If you’re willing to invest in your abilities and time, find ways to put them to good use, and make your own money so that you can be your own boss and travel whenever you want.
Respect – Have zero tolerance for abuse, put downs, taking advantage of, or other disrespectful attitudes towards you.
Tranquility, peace of mind, and happiness – Practice gratitude. Regain access to your empathetic abilities. Focus outside of yourself. Be more considerate, spread the love and help others whenever you can (starting inside your home.) Enjoy more tranquility in your life by living in the moment, or by letting things slide i.e picking your battles
Make a positive difference in the world – Volunteer, smile at people or speak kind words, help out a neighbor, share freely, have positive thoughts.
Personal freedom – Reset your boundaries and say no to the people, engagements or activities you do not enjoy. Do it unapologetically! Also stop worrying about what strangers think of you to in order to increase your personal freedom. Take time off for yourself and do the things you love.
Setting the right priorities is crucial if you want to live a life of quality. I used to believe that taking life as it came and going with the flow, wherever my whims at the time took me, was the best way to live. Little did I know that I first have to steer my ship in the direction I truly want to go – become the captain of my life and mold myself into the person I want to be. Only then can I allow things to unfold naturally and take their course – going with the flow of my own life and not anyone else’s.
Our life is the result of all the decisions that we’ve made. If we have our priorities all wrong, we will end up in situations we don’t like. We will never progress in life.
With a bit of soul searching, defining your priorities will keep you focused on what matters, building yourself a brighter present and future.
Remember to be kind with yourself as you try to find your way. Experimenting, failing, and mistakes are part of the process of refining yourself and your priorities – of knowing yourself and what matters most to you in life. Sometimes it takes time to decide which priorities are truly aligned with your heart’s desires (instead of your ego’s.) Perhaps this is why your new year’s resolutions never really stick. You didn’t really think about what you needed to give up in order to keep them. You didn’t efficiently organize your time and energy around them. You thought they would make you feel better or fulfill your life but didn’t deliver such results. In short you didn’t set the right priorities.
Create some time for what’s most important to you – make room for the things that you truly value, the people you love. Because life is more than paying our bills and partying on the weekends. Ultimately, isn’t your self worth more important than just getting by and satisfying your basic human or egoistic needs?
The post If You Want to Turn Your Life Around, Make Priorities a Priority appeared first on Change your thoughts.
This is one of my favourite videos by Prince EA, where he talks about auto correcting humanity.
The post Can We Auto-Correct Humanity? appeared first on Change your thoughts.
Imagine this:
(1) You wake up to the sound of your alarm, see that you snoozed one too many times and you now have to run into the shower, pick up some random bar laying on your kitchen counter for breakfast and drive as quickly as you can to work, infuriated with all the “horrible drivers” around you.
or
(2) You wake up an hour before you actually need to leave your house for work. You spend the first 30 minutes getting ready, making sure the shower water is the perfect temperature. You have ample time to make some amazing eggs with toast, and you look like a 10 because you had more than enough time to get ready. You spend the last 30 minutes before you have to go to work either meditating, planning your day, spending some time with your kids, writing in your journal, reading the book you’ve been dying to get to, or knocking out a work-task you know you’ll have to finish later that day. You leave to work feeling incredible. You look great, your stomach is satisfied, your brain is ready for action and for some reason the drivers around you aren’t driving you crazy. You of course, get to work on time, feeling relaxed.
The fact of the matter is, that it doesn’t matter who you are, what your job is or where in the world you are. It also doesn’t matter what exactly you want to do in the morning. Becoming a morning person creates time for you to engage in all the activities you want to do, and complete all the work you need to do without feeling stressed or under pressure.
Becoming a morning person is the single best change you can make to your life.
Why?
Because time increases exponentially the earlier you wake up.
How?
The extra time gained by not having to deal with transportation time and external distractions are all compounded by either knocking out necessary tasks of the day or making sure your heart, body and mind are properly fueled and primed for a fantastic day ahead.
With less external distractions, less time wasted getting from one place to another, and getting out of bed on “the right” foot, you can get a lot more done a lot, more quickly, plain and simple.
It all sounds nice, right?
The real “problem” is actually beginning to take steps towards becoming an early riser who makes use of the morning hours.
Here are some the steps you need to take if you’re serious about becoming a morning person:
If you REALLY desire to be an early riser and you’re willing to commit to the challenge, then the one thing you really need to understand is that you need to break your negative connection with the early morning by:
That being said, the transition is difficult, so here are some of the tips to get you through the struggle!
Waking up early isn’t easy and to become a morning person you need to make the transition as simple and smooth as possible. One of the ways to do that is eliminate all the decision making you usually do in the morning. Decision fatigue is a real problem, and in the morning you need all the energy you can get, you can’t waste it making petty decisions about what is going to look cute to wear today or thinking about what you really feel like eating for breakfast today.
You need to have the following items done before you go to bed:
I know you’ve heard it a thousand times and it still doesn’t get any easier, but I PROMISE if you do this, you’ll automatically start feeling more energetic when you get up.
As soon as you open your eyes and turn on your alarm, you forget about what your mind and body are saying, they’re lazy. They’re exactly what prevent you from being an early riser. They need training.
So this is what you do, you open your eyes and the second you realize you’re awake you JUMP out of bed and do 10 jumping jacks.
How simple is that, just 10 jumping jacks. Your blood starts flowing, your energy increases instantly and you’re awake, it is actually that easy if you just commit to doing it one day you’ll see, I PROMISE!
No, I don’t mean wake up and think about how beautiful life is and how lucky you are to be alive (if that’s what you want to do with the morning time, then I’m all for it). I mean you need to have something that you want to do in the morning, a task you want to accomplish early on before the madness of the day starts to slow you down. An appointment or meeting you need to go to, maybe you want to exercise early in the day.
You need a reason to get up because if you wakeup without any intention for specific action you want to take, you’ll get up, think about why the hell you’re awake so early, and you’ll end up falling back into bed. You need to have something that you’re energetic about and excited to complete because it is either a necessary task you can get out of the way and clear up your day, or an activity that will drive your day in the best way possible – give you some energy, and get your happiness going early on.
The post How To Make The Most of Every Morning appeared first on Change your thoughts.
Menopause can be a traumatic experience for some women. Aside from the changes in hormones, it can also cause several unpleasant symptoms that can range from migraines, mood swings and even digestive issues. To know more about how it can affect you and how it can cause menopause health problems, here are some of the essential things you need to know.
All women have to deal with the physiological, psychological and emotional challenges associated with menopause at some point in their lives. Although there are medications that can help ease its negative effects, not all of them have the capability to address all of menopause’s symptoms.
The best way to prepare for this major milestone for women is to know the right information. Knowing what it is and what it’s not can help you avoid menopause health problems.
Estrogen significantly drops during menopause. It is the hormone that regulates many body processes, including cortisol and androgen levels. It also plays a part in bone development, blood clotting, and even certain brain functions.
This hormone can also affect your libido and vaginal secretions. This is one of the reasons why you experience a lot of sexual changes during this phase.
Estrogen regulates good and bad cholesterol levels. It also has an effect on the size of your veins and the way fluid and nutrients are transported in your body.
During menopause, you should expect to go through a lot of changes in your emotions, mental state and even your health. As if these aren’t enough, you should also watch out for signs that indicate your risk of the following menopause health problems:
Low estrogen levels can affect your hormones, specifically the stress hormone cortisol and the hunger hormone called ghrelin. As the levels of these hormones fluctuate, so does your insulin level.
With the constant changes in your appetite and sugar level, two things happen to your body: intensified cravings for sweets and increased resistance to insulin.
Rapid bone loss after menopause isn’t that fatal. However, since it can still put your safety at risk, it’s something you have to be prepared for. Exercise is one of the best ways to decrease the rate of bone loss during the said period.
This is a condition that can cause the various organs of your body to experience inflammation. It can be triggered by any drastic hormonal changes,such as during the menopausal period.
According to the Center for Disease Control in Prevention, more than 50,000 American women were diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2013. In the same year, over 9,000 women died from the disease.
Uterine cancer commonly happens among women going through or have gone through menopause.
With the decreased lubrication and changes in your hormones, your vaginal wall can thin out and lose its firmness. It can even become inflamed after sexual intercourse.
Over time, these changes can lead to vaginal atrophy. In some cases, it can even make urinating very painful, too.
The increased levels of bad cholesterol can put you at a higher risk for hypertension or high blood pressure. This is something you have to closely monitor since hypertension can lead to a lot of health problems.
It’s closely associated with kidney failure and heart problems.
Shortness of breath and hot flushes are very common during menopause. These symptoms are manifestations of a weaker heart too.
As your estrogen level drops, your heart also loses its ability to expand and contract without difficulty. This makes your heart more fragile and at risk for several heart issues, including enlarged heart and blocked arteries
See Also: 4 Essential Checkups You Should Have Each Year
Menopause is challenging and it carries a lot of risks, too. To make sure you don’t end up with these menopause health problems, it’s a good idea if you can consult your physician. Proper consultation with a health professional can rule out any symptoms that may be triggered by another underlying health condition.
The post 7 Unexpected Health Problems Related to Menopause appeared first on Dumb Little Man.