Health

8 Tips for Choosing the Right Pet Store for Pet Supplements

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When it comes to your pets, you want to make sure you’re giving them the best possible care and attention. A wide array of pet supplements are available at your local pet store, but some pet owners may not realize that these supplements may be better suited to dogs or cats than they are to other animals like birds or turtles. Here are some tips for choosing the right store to purchase pet supplements from if you have a bird or turtle as a pet.

1. Do your research

Choosing a pet store can be difficult. There are so many options, and it’s hard to know where to start. The first step is to figure out what you want and need. Do you want something specific to your pet’s diet? Do you need supplements or other items? Next, figure out what your pet needs. Are they picky eaters? Are they on a diet? Is there something in particular they need like vitamins or supplements?

Once you have this information, you can start looking at pet stores in person or online. If you’re looking in person, check out the store before deciding if it’s right for your needs. Make sure the store carries what you’re looking for, and ask questions about it if necessary.

2. Find a reputable store

It’s important to find a reputable store to buy pet supplements. One way to do that is by checking that stores are members of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC). Another way to know if a store is reputable is by looking at its products. If they carry high-quality brands, that’s another sign they’re likely reputable.

3. Ask around

When you’re looking to buy pet supplements, it can be difficult to know where to go. You want a place that is knowledgeable about pet supplements and has competitive prices on products.  The first thing you should do when looking for a store is ask around.

Ask friends who have pets or people you trust who work in related fields where they buy their pet supplements from. This will help you find out what stores are reputable and which ones might not be worth your time. You should also take into consideration how close this store is to your house or office. If it’s too far away, then maybe it’s not worth your while to drive there just for one purchase.

4. Compare prices

When it comes to picking a pet store, you want one with high-quality products at affordable prices. One way to do this is to compare the prices of products between different stores. This will allow you to know what price range a store falls into and help you make an educated decision when purchasing your supplements.

5. Check the return policy

One of the most important things to consider when choosing a pet store is whether or not they have a reasonable return policy. This is important because if you buy something and don’t like it, you’re stuck with it. It’s never fun when that happens! When you’re in a pet store, take note of their return policy and make sure it includes no questions asked for returns.

6. Consider the location

Consider the location. If you live in a rural area, it might be more convenient to buy online. But if you live in a metropolitan area, it may be easier to shop at brick-and-mortar stores that have knowledgeable staff members on hand. Think about what’s most important to you when choosing where to purchase pet supplements and figure out which one is best for you!

7. Read the reviews

Fortunately, Amazon and most other online retailers have reviews of pet stores that you can read before you purchase anything.

  • Check to see how fast they reply to questions.
  • Consider feedback from other customers on how quickly their orders were delivered or if there were any delivery issues at all.
  • What is the return policy like?
  • Does it seem like they are overly aggressive with up-selling products?
  • Do they have a wide selection of products?

Be careful with smaller stores that only carry one type of product or brand as these may be more expensive than larger pet stores that offer a variety of options for your pet’s needs at different price points!

8. Go in person

Walk in and ask around to see what people think. Visit their website to see how much information they provide about their products. Look up reviews online and see if there are any complaints or major red flags on them. Remember, you want to find a pet store that provides a quality product at a reasonable price and with customer service you can trust.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are several important factors to consider when choosing where to buy your pet’s supplements. By considering these factors, you can make sure that you are getting the most suitable supplement for your pet. Once you’ve decided on a pet store and have purchased your pet’s supplements from it, be sure to keep track of how they work out over time. If they don’t seem to be working well with your pets, it is best to switch them up until you find one that does work.

Author’s bio:

Mari Salome Malagar is a professional English teacher in the Philippines who is also a freelance content writer and social media content creator.  She loves to write and edit content for businesses and social media platforms. She has over 3 years of experience in teaching as well as digital media management.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marimalagar

Improved Mood with Dogs

Why You Should Consider a Stormwater Pit for Your Home

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If you’re thinking about installing stormwater pits, it’s important to know how it can benefit your home. A stormwater pit is an easy way to manage water in all kinds of weather, which helps prevent flash flooding and erosion. They also remove debris and pollutants from your property so that they don’t clog up pipes or cause problems with water pressure or quality.

Removes debris and pollutants

A stormwater pit is a place to collect water. It can be used to collect water from roofs, driveways, and other areas of your property. This will help you reduce the number of pollutants in your yard, making it healthier for plants and animals alike.

The collected debris and pollutants are then drained into the ground through an underground system which prevents them from entering waterways or polluting them with unwanted chemicals or materials.

Easy to maintain

A stormwater pit is easy to maintain. It’s a drainage system that can be accessed from the inside of your home without having to call in a professional to clean it out every few months. This makes it easy for you to keep up with the cleaning process yourself, saving money and time!

Prevents flash flooding

When there is a lot of rain, the water can run off your property and then cause flash flooding. A stormwater pit prevents this from happening by holding onto the excess water until it can be absorbed into the ground.

  • Flash flooding happens when excess water runs off a hillside or other high point on your property, causing it to flood areas below. This can happen during heavy rains or even in times with little rainfall at all as long as there’s enough runoff to carry away dirt and sediment from hillsides, slopes will eventually fill up with rainwater until they overflow their banks.
  • If you’re worried about flash floods in your area but don’t want to install expensive irrigation systems for every part of your yard, consider installing an inexpensive solution!

Creates water storage

As you can see, stormwater pits can be used for many different things. The first and most obvious use for your pit is to store water. This means that you’ll have access to clean drinking water whenever you need it, whether it’s during an emergency or not and that’s something everyone should have!

The second thing a stormwater pit does is create a place where rainwater can accumulate in the event of heavy rains or even just moments after they pass through your property. It also stores excess water so that when conditions change, then this stored water will still be available for harvesting later on down the line.

A third benefit of having a stormwater system installed on your property is its ability to irrigate gardens after storms pass through without turning too much attention away from other areas within reach; instead of having fields fallow while tending crops requires constant maintenance effort otherwise risk losing yields due outgrowth due lack proper care taken beforehand.

Minimizes erosion

You want to protect the soil from erosion, but you also want it to look good and be easy to maintain. A stormwater pit is a perfect solution because:

  • It minimizes erosion of the soil. When water washes away topsoil, this can cause problems in your yard or garden. The stormwater pits prevent this by intercepting any water that makes it through your property’s drainage system and into your lawn or garden beds below ground level.
  • It protects against flooding. When rain falls on topsoil, it slides down through cracks between rocks until there aren’t enough particles left behind for a proper foundation for new plants or even just grass!

A stormwater ditch prevents any excess runoff from reaching these areas so they won’t get washed away too soon after being planted; instead, all of those nutrients remain intact until needed which means healthier crops will come out much quicker than ever before!

A stormwater pit is a simple way to manage water in all kinds of weather

A stormwater pit is a simple way to manage your water in all kinds of weather. It’s designed for use during heavy rains and floods when runoff from your roof and driveway can cause flooding on the ground level.

A stormwater pit is just one part of a larger system that you install around your home, but it does its job well: it collects water from the roof or driveway and prevents it from entering the house through foundation cracks or other openings in the building envelope.

The size of your pit will depend on whether or not there are trees within 10 feet (3 meters) of where you want to install yours; if they’re too close then they’ll block some of its effectiveness! But even if there aren’t any trees nearby, don’t worry; we’ve got plenty of other options.

Conclusion

If you’re thinking of adding a stormwater pit to your home, we hope this article has given you some ideas. These stormwater pits are an affordable way to manage water in all kinds of weather. It’s easy to install and maintain, provides storage for rainwater collection and helps prevent erosion on your property by reducing runoff during heavy rains. They can also be used as part of a larger irrigation system that uses rainwater from above-ground infiltration drains or cisterns (commonly known as cisterns). In short: it’s an important part of making sure everything around us stays clean!

Author’s bio:

Mari Salome Malagar is a professional English teacher in the Philippines who is also a freelance content writer and social media content creator.  She loves to write and edit content for businesses and social media platforms. She has over 3 years of experience in teaching as well as digital media management.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marimalagar

Home Garden

5 Ways How Positive Thinking Can Help During Addiction Recovery

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People’s perceptions of the world are shaped by the thoughts they cultivate. Those who are pessimistic not only see the world through a fog of gloom but may also be laying the groundwork for future suffering. On the other hand, positive thinking has been shown to affect mental and physical health positively. This approach won’t solve all your problems, but it will help. Those in addiction treatment can benefit significantly from adopting a more optimistic outlook. Continue reading and find out how positive thinking can help during addiction recovery. Hopefully, we’ll inspire you to fully adopt this new outlook on life and stay positive after your crisis.

Think positive on linen as a featured image for a post about ways positive thinking can help during addiction recovery
Think positive always!

How can positive thinking help during addiction recovery?

Developing an addiction isn’t the result of a lack of strength of character, but it takes much more than sheer will to overcome it. No matter how bad things look or how many times you’ve tried and failed in the past, there is always a chance for a relapse. That’s why it’s crucial to understand the problem you’re dealing with before finding the right ways to resolve it. 

Woman smiling and holding a balloon with a smiley face on it
There are plenty of ways positive thinking can help during addiction recovery

Admitting that you have a problem and deciding to make a change is often the most challenging aspect of beginning the recovery process for many people battling addiction. However, even then, it’s very common to start questioning your readiness for recovery and your will to stop using. That’s why, besides strength and perseverance, positive thinking is a crucial element of successful addiction recovery. Further in this article, you’ll find out how positive thinking can help you stay sober.

#1 Positive thinking can help reduce stress during addiction recovery

When things don’t go as planned, we’ve all heard the phrase “think positive!” or “look on the bright side.” Despite how painful the truth is, it deserves to be stated. Stress is reduced, and one’s outlook is brightened due to practicing positive thinking. It is especially true regarding addiction recovery, a complicated process filled with roadblocks and stress.

People who adopt an optimistic frame of mind and live in sober living facilities have better coping strategies for managing stress and challenging situations. They are also less likely to turn to substance misuse to cope with difficult times or thoughts. The good idea is to choose one of the powerful affirmations to return to in case you feel too overwhelmed or stressed.

#2 Positive thinking helps boost self-efficiency

In a nutshell, self-efficiency means believing in yourself, and addicts in recovery have a better chance of succeeding at sobriety when they have faith in their abilities. It’s the conviction that you can achieve the desired outcomes through your efforts. It can alter one’s mood, outlook, and behavior.

Woman wearing a yellow t-shirt looking at a mirror and smiling
Thinking positively will help you gain more self-confidence and learn ways to pick yourself up whenever you have doubts about your recovery

Your mood, actions, and drive can all affect your confidence in your abilities. Therefore, it has potential utility in the field of substance abuse rehabilitation. Positive thinking can help you establish a strong sense of effectiveness. Another method that can help is picking a goal you would like to attain and planning how to get there. For instance, consider what you need to alter and devise a strategy for dealing with difficulties and accomplishing other goals.

#3 Positive thinking can improve the immune system and one’s ability to fight off illness

Positivity does more than make you feel better. New studies show that keeping a positive outlook can help the immune system. As measured by a study, cell-mediated immunity is higher among more optimistic first-year law students. In inverse proportion to the decline in hope, cell-mediated immunity also fell. As a general rule, those with a sunny outlook on life enjoy better physical health due to their decreased susceptibility to viruses and illnesses.

#4 Positive thinking means less depression

Mental health issues and addiction often go hand in hand. Substance abuse sometimes starts as a coping mechanism for the distress associated with mood disorders. However, in some circumstances, mental health issues emerge after several years of substance abuse. A decrease in mood is common in the weeks following rehabilitation, even for those who have not been diagnosed with depression.

Therefore, the question of which comes first – addiction or depression – isn’t important. What matters is finding ways to cope with addiction recovery in a way that won’t affect your mental health. That’s another superpower positive thinking has. Recovering addicts are less prone to experience symptoms of depression if they keep an optimistic outlook on life.

#5 Positive thinking can help you motivate others during addiction recovery

Lastly, positive thinking can help you motivate others going through addiction recovery. Living in a sober facility means spending a lot of time socializing with other residents that are going through the same things. Many pessimistic people under the same roof can negatively affect everyone’s recovery. Negativity, especially during addiction recovery, can spread like a disease.

Pair of glasses in front of a motivational poster on a wooden table
Positivity is contagious, and just one smile or a positive word can change a person’s day

However, the same is true when it comes to positive thinking. If you nurture a positive outlook on life, you are more likely to inspire others to follow you. By being positive, you can influence and inspire your peers to stay sober and enhance their level of positivity. 

The bottom line

We hope this article helped you understand how positive thinking can help during addiction recovery. Always remember that even positive words have more power than you imagine. It’s good to remember when you’re going through a hard time, whether because of an addiction or any other reason.

Meta Description:

Battling addiction is in no way a simple process, but you can make it easier. We’ll let you know how positive thinking can help during addiction recovery.

Author bio:

Lisa Marin is a school guidance counselor who volunteers at Harmony Ridge Recovery Center during her free time. She is a mom of two teenage boys who share her passion for volunteering. So instead of seeing them on the soccer field, you’re more likely to find them in an animal shelter. They are Lisa’s pride and joy, and her favorite part of the year is the summers they spend on camping road trips.

Self Care Is a Lifestyle – 5 Ways to Practice Self-Care at Home

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Self care is – and should be – part of an individual’s lifestyle. Only by taking the time to take care of yourself, rest, and recharge your batteries will you be able to tackle any obstacles that may come your way and overcome any challenges. The reason why we say that self-care is a way of life is that it involves doing things that can only be beneficial to you on a daily or weekly basis. Taking care of oneself shouldn’t be a part-time job or an every-once-in-a-while activity. Indeed, when life gets hectic, and you find it difficult to balance everything out, it is understandable that taking the time for yourself and allowing yourself to catch your breath may seem like a waste of time. Plus, it isn’t recommended to force any of the following practices that involve you taking care of yourself.

Self-care should come naturally and on your own terms, and in your own time. For this reason, if you are the kind of person who hasn’t really prioritized this until now and is having a hard time allocating some moments for themselves, it is essential to take it to step by step and not make out of self-care just another task. But don’t worry – you are not alone. This article is what you need to get you started.

You don’t necessarily have to go to a spa or in a remote retreat in order to make self-care part of your life. The good news is that you can start by doing this in the comfort of your home because self-care is present in the smallest things, from drinking a cup of your favorite tea in the evening while reading a book or watching a good movie to meditating and prioritizing your needs. Slowly but steadily, you will manage to put yourself first. Doing this will make you better prepared to support your friends and family and perform well in your professional life as well.

So, how can you make self-care your lifestyle? How can you practice self-care at home? Here are five ways to get you started:

1. Don’t Underestimate the Power of a Long Relaxing Bath

Taking a bubble bath, putting some music on, and reading a great book can be an incredibly effective method of relieving anxiety symptoms or de-stressing yourself after a day full of work and running from one task to the other. This can be an ideal way of practicing self-care and detaching yourself from any negative thoughts. Taking a long relaxing bath and doing essential skincare are excellent ways of having a home spa day or evening as frequently as you want.

Plus, you can go as extra as you wish. Who says you cannot include scented candles, various kinds of bath bombs, or salts? Depending on your preferences and style, your relaxing bubble bath can look as luxurious as you want.

2. Prioritize Getting a Good Night Sleep and Proper Rest

Never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. Getting enough rest and making sure you sleep well during the night are crucial aspects of self-care. This way, you ensure that the next day you wake up with your batteries recharged and ready to tackle any obstacles and fulfill your day’s goals with good energy. Otherwise, not getting enough sleep can worsen negative thoughts and feelings, making you more prone to anxiety disorder.

If you have trouble sleeping, there are some things you can do to ensure you get a good night’s sleep. First and foremost, you should never bring your work or assignments to a place dedicated to resting. Another suggestion is to purchase high-quality sheets made from breathable materials and wear ultra-soft and moisture-wicking pajamas that promote complete comfort.

3. Focus On Allocating Valuable “Me” Time

It is of the utmost importance to find the time to treat yourself like you deserve. For this reason, after a day full of activities, responsibilities, chores, and work, it is essential to allocate some “me” time once you get home. Indeed, social life is also crucial for your self-care, and meeting with your loved ones is vital for your well-being.

This being said, personal time can be easily overlooked when you need to fit many things – working or studying, seeing friends and family – into one day’s schedule. So, as important as prioritizing your social life, it is just as crucial to allocate valuable “me” time. This means doing only the things you love in the evening or on some weekends when your energy levels are relatively low, and you need recharging. Don’t be afraid to spend time with yourself.

4. Include Some Form of Exercise in Your Life

Indeed, having to include some form of exercise in your life can quickly transform into a task that you would rather not do, especially for individuals who are extremely busy. But the good news is that exercise can take many forms, not necessarily going to the gym if that’s not really your cup of tea.

Whether you sign up for a beginner’s Yoga or Pilates glass, you start cycling or begin a sport, such as swimming; it is all up to you and depends on your preferences and daily schedule. Regardless of what you choose, the important thing is to make sure you include this in your lifestyle. This means preventing sedentarism, improving your overall health, increasing your energy levels, which all represent self-care.

5. Disconnect From Digital Devices

Nowadays, with so many digital devices available and excessively present both in your professional and personal life, it is vital to disconnect from them every once in a while and focus your attention on your surroundings. So, you should practice digital detox as much as it is possible. For example, during the weekend, you can allocate at least a few hours during the day when you don’t prioritize using your smartphone or other devices.

Apart from listening to some feel-good music when going for a walk or even during chores around the house, you should try to reduce the use of digital devices for your well-being. If the weather is nice, choose to spend some time outside, either by yourself or with a few friends. This way, not only do you practice self-care and take care of your mental and physical health, but it is also an excellent opportunity to get creative. Who knows, maybe you’ll start a new hobby, like painting.

Self care

6 Ways How Words Can Affect Your Hormones And Improve Wellbeing

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Words can have a powerful impact on our bodies, both negatively and positively. Words are spoken, thought, heard, and even seen. All these sensory inputs cause ease or stress. Words have the power to generate negative emotions that will further cause you stress. One aspect that many of us have not thought about is the fact that the lack of positive words that we do not hear from the outside or in our mind, we do not read and do not see, can cause us as much stress.

According to doctors at Best HGH Doctors and Clinics, during times of negative emotions or stress, cortisol levels rise, which can affect various aspects of your life, such as concentration, anxiety, learning, and memory processes. 

1. Improve concentration

One of the enemies of concentration is interruption and distraction. Research shows that it takes you more than 20 minutes to get back to your original level of concentration if you are interrupted even by a simple message. In order to remember how harmful the interruptions are, you can put different reminders either on the phone or on small notes on your desk to remind you to stay focused. Words are useful because with their help you can write a simple message of “stay focused” or “take a break for 10 minutes after 50 minutes of focus”.

2. Have a better memory

A good memory is needed for everyone. Many times our memory is good not because we have not trained enough in our mind but because we have too many words in our heads. The easiest way to get rid of mind clutter is by journaling. Take an A4 sheet of paper and simply start writing any sentence that comes to mind. Don’t bother writing meaningfully. In fact, the more unrelated sentences you have, the more you clear your mind.

Our brain can only support a certain number of words a day. These words depend on the person. Think about it! In one day you hear words, you think words, you say words, you read words. There are so many words! Research shows that one day a book passes through a person’s mind. That means 7 books a week and 30 books a month. Journaling is the best way to get rid of negative thoughts. Journalism can help you come up with new ideas and improve your creativity.

3. Fight against depression

One of the best ways to fight depression and to overcome it is by practicing gratitude. Gratitude is a strong positive feeling that gives you a state of joy. It means taking time to think about the good things that have happened to you so far in your life. Think of the little things you can enjoy in the present and be grateful for the opportunities of the future. One of the processes of depression is to remember the bad things that happened to us, to remember the sufferings of the past. The emotion of gratitude is exactly the opposite, we help our brain to think and to remember happy events from the past.

4. Release anxiety

Anxiety is a destructive feeling that paralyzes your life. It’s not just the fear of something. It is a generalized fear combined with negative generalizations of all kinds. If you read a book from time to time about psychotherapy against anxiety you will start to understand more about this condition. With understanding comes solutions and the power to take control of your life. I highly recommend the books on anxiety and how to conquer it by the psychotherapist Dr. Albert Ellis.

5. Balance heart energy

Often the heart picks up packages of negative thoughts from all around. Yes, you read that right, I wrote thoughts because it has been scientifically proven that the heart has its own brain. As we know, the heart reacts positively to beautiful words. So I recommend that you write a list of positive words at least once a week. Then find out on the internet what resources you can find about these words. You can start with harmony, peace of mind, peace of mind, hope, gratitude, blessing, resilience, and more.

We often ask ourselves and read all sorts of articles and books about the differences between mind and heart. And we wonder which is more important? The answer is both. Both the heart and the mind are important to the human being. Think about it! If your heart stops then you die and if your mind doesn’t work at all you are in a coma at the hospital. You could say it’s better to be in a coma than dead. The perspective I am trying to emphasize is that life is neither dead nor in a coma, so life is lived with both heart and mind working together.

6. Think Positive

We often hear and read about the benefits of positive thinking. But what is positive thinking and especially how to think positively? Simple. To think positively all you have to do is form sentences and questions with positive words. Search the internet for lists of positive words and start memorizing them and getting used to them. Then your mind will do the rest. You will wake up talking about those words in your mind. And you will feel good.

When you think positively, the solutions come faster, you manage to control your anxiety because you don’t worry too much and stay away from sadness. A positive attitude is contagious and helps you a lot in relationships. Research has shown that the productivity and efficiency of a project are ensured by positive thinking.

When you have problems with projects, positive thinking helps you not to give up. When you don’t give up, you manage to find a solution in the end. In order to be able to complete the projects, you have to believe that you will succeed and have the hope that in the end, you will complete the project with flying colors. Confidence in yourself and your abilities, that “I can”, also comes from the ability to think positively.

In conclusion, good and nice words can help you focus better, have a better memory, develop your gratitude and gain against depression, fight anxiety, make sure your heart has good energy, and help you think positively.

Words Can Affect Your Hormones

How to Sleep Better Tips: 5 Apps to Cope with Insomnia

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Sleep deprivation is used to describe an inadequate sleep quantity or quality, including voluntary or involuntary disorders of sleep and circadian sleep rhythm disorders.

Sleep is as essential as food and drink for our human body, yet many of us do not sleep enough. Inadequate sleep quality, insufficient sleep (e.g., travels to a different time zone or work shifts), or disturbances to the sleeping cycle affect the way we work throughout the day, producing drowsiness and fatigue.

A tired person is prone to accidents, impaired judgment, and more likely to make errors. Waking for 24 hours results in reduced coordination between eyes and hands, similar to 0.1 blood alcohol. This is the reason for traffic accidents and work injuries caused by sleep deprivation.

Sleep deficiency may also impair academic performance and could increase the risk of emotional disorders such as depression.

There are several possible causes of insomnia, and many variables may be involved in many cases. Poor sleep may also induce or aggravate other problems of health, thus generating a complex insomnia chain. At a holistic level, insomnia is caused due to a hyperarousal2, which disrupts staying asleep or falling asleep. Mental and physical Hyperarousal may be caused by some circumstances and health problems. So, how can I sleep with severe insomnia? Is there an app that can help me sleep? Do sleep apps help with insomnia? 

Yes, there are many sleep stories apps that will help you to sleep calmly and cope with insomnia. Here, we will discuss five sleep apps that will help you to sleep calmly and adequately.  You can listen to different music using various online services, but they may be blocked in your country. To unblock music, you can use a VPN from the VeePN company. VeePN will helps you the unlimited access to free music anywhere from any country or region. If you want to try VeePNVPN, you can ask them for a free trial.

Apps to Cope with Insomnia

5 Apps to Cope with Insomnia

1. Talk me to Sleep

Relax Melodies helps to reduce insomnia by using more than 100 sounds of relaxation, binaural beats, white sounds, and soothing melodies. Guided meditations to enhance sleep are also available, and the sleep aid app is free for iOS or Android. Options for the purchase of your Relax Melodies content library are also accessible in this app.

Over 100 sounds and guided meditations are available to create a relaxing track with the possibility of adding a guided meditation. You mix and combine as many various sounds and melodies as you want. Some sounds are direct, such as “Rain” and “Cat Purring,” while others are a bit obscure, such as “Eternity” and “Music Box.” Finally, a custom ambiance is created that helps you feel comfortable and calm.

2. Pzizz

Pzizz helps to prevent insomnia by using sound sequences to improve your sleep. You can stay asleep and fall asleep when you wake up and feel rested. Pzizz may be downloaded for iOS or Android, as well as in-app purchasing options.

This sleep stories app has both sleep and nap options, it will continue to play until you wake up. It uses a guided meditation set against a backdrop of different sounds, in a male or a female voice. 

3. Stop, Breathe, Think

Stop, breathe, think, enables you to figure out how you do mentally, physically, and emotionally. Then it proposes meditations depending on your state of mind to reinforce the positive. So, if you choose “Restless, tired, exhausted, anxious,” several excellent guided sleep meditations will be suggested. In addition to Indian and Tibetan meditation traditions, the team behind the app relied on clinical studies to create their meditation tracks. For example, the falling asleep meditation is based on the teachings of Tibetan meditation master Tulku Thondup and utilizes guided imagery that helps you sleep easier.

4. Inscape

Inscape is a sleep stories app for meditation guidance that utilizes progressive relaxation stories, soothing sounds, and ambient music to help you sleep. According to Inscape’s website, by selecting a focus area in-app, you can have sessions to assist you in sleeping if you have insomnia; you may concentrate on the problems you want in everyday life. This sleep aid app is free of charge with in-app buying options but is only accessible on iOS.

5. Sleep By Headspace

Sleep by Headspace is intended to create a “soothing bedtime experience,” as sleep melodies and guided meditations aid you in sleeping and relaxing. Sleep by headspace content called sleep casts uses both sound and visuals to create optimal sleep conditions.

You can relax and sleep by using this sleep stories app, just make sure that it is updated to the current version. Note that only the basic Headspace Meditation course is accessible for free, you will have to subscribe to the complete content library. Subscriptions are offered for $12.99 per month or an annual cost of $94.99. This sleep aid app is free for Android or iOS, as well as in-app purchases.

Music helps to fall asleep better

It is natural to wonder about the best type of music for relaxing and sleeping. Studies have looked at many genres and playlists, and there is no clear consensus on the optimal sleep music. We know that studies have usually utilized either a self-curated playlist or one particularly intended for sleep.

One of the most important factors in how music affects a person’s body is their musical tastes. Effective personalized playlists may contain calming music or sleeping melodies in the past.

The tempo is one factor to consider while creating a playlist. The speed at which music is played is frequently measured by the number of beats per minute (BPM). Most research has chosen BPM 60-80 music. Since the regular heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 BPM11, it is frequently assumed that the body can synchronize with slower music.

Feel free to try various songs and playlists until you discover one that is perfect for you. You may also test out a few playlists throughout the day to see if they might help you relax.

General tips to sleep better

In the end, we discuss some general tips to sleep better.

  1. Do not consume coffee late at night.
  2. Reduce irregular or long naps during the day.
  3. Increase bright daylight exposure.
  4. Reduce exposure to blue light in the evening.

Positive Words Research – How to Sleep Better: 5 Apps to Cope with Insomnia

7 Basic Tips to Enjoy Your First RV Trip: Find out more Now

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The world of RV and motorhomes is having a great boom in recent years, and more so now in times of pandemic. In this article, together with Zervs, we are going to give you 10 basic tips to enjoy your first camper or motorhome experience. Type of vehicle, destination, where to sleep, applications, loading and unloading of water …

Choose the model that best suits your needs.

For this, it will be essential to know how many you are (family, partner …) and the type of trip you are going to do, especially for mobility. The bigger a camper/motorhome is on the inside, the bigger it is on the outside – watch out for this double-decker motorhome.

This is about sacrificing comfort for agility. If you take a well-equipped small van, you will get where you want; If you take the super motorhome equipped with all the luxuries, you will have to take a good look at where you are because it does not fit in many places.

  • Camper: very agile, perfect for two or a couple with 1-2 children
  • Camper with bathroom: agile, perfect for two or a family of 3-4. Total independence. Let’s say it’s a perfect balance because you sacrifice space, but you have everything.
RV Trip

Motorhomes:

  • Basic (2-4 people): wider than a Camper, more space, greater overhangs, and consumption.
  • Medium (4-6 people): everything fits here, a lot of space, and a lot of exterior volumes to move around. Higher consumption.
  • Comprehensive (2-4-6 seats): authentic mobile chalets, comfortable like a house, but very wide and not very agile.

Choose the destination and enjoy the road

Not everything is to go as far as possible and spend hours and hours behind the wheel while the family dozes or plays at the console. You have to enjoy the road, do days adapted to everyone’s needs. You can plan a route and stop at the places that catch you on the way. The journey is the path itself; the final destination does not matter so much.

Plan (a little) where to sleep and what to see

We are not referring to going with the established itinerary and the immovable stages, because the good thing about traveling in this way is that we can ride without plans, and if we like where we are, stay a few more days, or if we don’t like it, go off whistling.

If not, at least, know each day where we are going to sleep before nightfall. Because it is very cumbersome to find a place to spend the night with the night already over. It has happened to all of us …

I sleep, but where?

This is what usually brings everyone upside down, and more if we are neophytes in this world. There are many variables and no one has the philosopher’s stone:

Camping: there are people who go camping, they bet on a controlled environment, 100% safe and with services. Cons: 100% civilized (sometimes ) and you always have to pay.

Motorhome and camper areas: there are more and more, public and private, some better, others worse. They are a balanced option between spending and services.

In some states, free camping is not allowed, but we are not going to camp, we are going to spend the night. In other words, to spend the night, not to set up the stall in the town square. There is a lot to talk about here because each town has its municipal ordinance and each Local Police has its policy in this regard. That is why something that never usually fails, common sense and respect, and if we consult some of the APPs that we put in the following advice it never hurts. Or we ask the one in the van next door if we are not so “millennials”.

Optimize your luggage

Very easy: half of what you are thinking. We fill the suitcase “just in case” and when we return we realize that we have not used even half of our clothes.

Outside of jokes, in terms of clothing, comfortable and all-weather. We are going to travel and there will be changes in temperature, that is, a jacket is not enough, neither is the swimsuit, you never know where we are going to end up. If it can be a soft suitcase or put the clothes directly in the wardrobes, so as not to be with a hard suitcase from top to bottom the whole trip. Flip flops, sunscreen, an essential cap/hat, and a light front is great idea for the night. Do not forget that you are going to be in the field or on the beach.

Ahhh and most importantly, don’t forget the wet wipes, they can get us out of a hurry and save many liters of water. Traveling by camper many people realize that the shower is overrated

As for food, space is also limited, especially since the refrigerator is not the one at home. A first load is fine, but enjoying the local foods and markets in each place we visit is better. Are you going to leave without trying the cheese or the wine of that town? In this way, we also promote local commerce and sustainable tourism.

Each one has its own way of traveling and its pocket size, but gastronomic tourism is gaining followers among AC and Camper users. Many times a restaurant, a bar, or a sale is the perfect excuse to get to “that place”. Not bad, if you can afford it, go from time to time to a restaurant or a typical place to try such a dish. We get out of the van and pay homage to ourselves. At the end of the day, we are on vacation!

Loading and unloading clean and less clean waters

Motorhomes and campervans are mostly autonomous, that is, they usually have everything we need to be able to travel, eat and sleep with our balls … but of course, the water runs out, the batteries sometimes too … and the water tanks have to be emptied dirty and the toilet if we have it.

Clean water: they can carry between 30 and 150 liters of clean water. They are used to wash and scrub. Its use for drinking is not recommended unless we use water purification tablets and we are sure that we have always recharged water in drinking water networks. They are recharged in a tap by means of a hose that we will have to carry with different nozzles. Available in campsites, AC areas, gas stations, or recharging points.

Gray water: is the dirty water from the shower and the sink. It’s soapy water and some grease from the kitchen. The tank is usually sized to clean. They can be emptied at the filling and emptying points of camping and areas or in a sewer, but controlled, never freely. It is recommended not to leave without emptying for a long time, even if they do not fill because especially in summer they can cause bad odors that go up the drain.

Black water:  these are the waters of the toilet and usually contain a chemical that is poured into the toilet in liquid or tablets and neutralizes the bad smell and leaves everything a “nice” blue color. They are sewage and we cannot get rid of them anywhere. ALWAYS empty in an authorized place, in camping, areas, or unloading points. As the last option, we should empty it into a toilet bowl. It is what tends to give the most “disgusting”, but once we get used to it, it is not so bad, if we want to ‘decompress’ in our own water it is the price to pay/

Respect, if you don’t stay home

We have left the most important for the last. It does not matter if five people go in a C-15, that you do 500m at a stretch, that the night always catches you to find where to sleep, that you take the very trunk of La Piquer for the weekend, or that you eat barnacles or chopped sandwiches the whole trip…. all our advice does not matter if you are enjoying your trip.

The only thing that doesn’t matter is respect. Respect for what this itinerant tourism means, respect for nature, and respect for others. It is arriving at a place and knowing that we are guests there who are going to share that space with others and with the people of the place.

Let’s enjoy that place, let’s not occupy a place that is not ours, let’s not block the passage of other vehicles or people with our Camper or accessories and, above all, that when we leave it is not noticed that we have been. Let’s collect all our trash and don’t empty our deposits anywhere.

How Can Students Tackle Their Mental Health During Pandemic

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Nobody expected to experience a pandemic out of the blue and nobody expected the same to last as long as it has. Not only has it affected the global financial and economic stability, but the pandemic has also left students worried about their careers, especially the ones who were likely going to give their qualifying exams this year.

While everyone is trying to do their best to navigate through these rough times, students’ mental health is likely the worst hit. If your child or a student is complaining about not having the best time, you need to listen to them and give them the benefit of doubt that they need to feel the support they need during such hard and testing times.

However, as a student, here’s what you can do to tackle your mental health better during the pandemic.

Understand that it’s okay to not feel your best

Often, students feel the constant need to suppress their feelings because they have been told to excel in what they do. While it is true that studies matter and getting a good education is necessary, as a student, you need to realize that you are doing everything amidst a pandemic, something that is potentially threatening the lives of hundreds and thousands of people across the world. So, to have down moments and to not feel your best during times is completely fine.

Start a blog

Not many would say this to you but there are loads of benefits to starting your blog. You can vent, share and even interact with students who are possibly struggling the same way as you are. In such cases, you need to check host for good service providers, either pay for the hosting or opt for a free one and then start your blog. Not only does it help you cope, but it also lets you positively channel your creativity as well.

Learn a new skill

As a student, you will never really understand the meaning of upscaling and polishing your skillset until you subject yourself to the same. It is not a tedious task but something that does reflect well on your portfolio in the future. However, don’t feel obliged to do something just because everyone else is. If you feel less productive and want to just have a quiet lie-in, that is perfectly fine as well.

Students Mental Health

Talk to a professional

If you have the rightful resources, there is nothing wrong with seeking help during such trying times. However, make sure that you talk to a certified professional who knows what they are talking about. The last thing you need is to be misguided.

Taking care of your mental health during a pandemic is necessary, especially if you are a student. If you want to start your website or online business to cope, find host of website or get started on social media. At the end of the day, you need to do things that would bring you contentment and happiness, even if it’s something that’s not technically productive.

Positive Words Research – How Can Students Tackle Their Mental Health During a Pandemic?

HEART: Positive Word with Derivatives Improves Mental Health

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It’s hard to trace the exact way positive words and overall positive mental attitude affect our health, but, undoubtedly, the influence exists – and a positive one, at that. In explanation, the scientists tend to refer to the neurobiology concept, in which positive thinking in itself is some kind of placebo medication. The antinociceptive system quite real mediates the placebo effect. It releases endorphins that induce endogenous opiates, catecholamines, and corticosteroids. So, no metaphysics here, though the discussion is yet to conclude. 

Still, the positive mentality intertwines deeply and aims to achieve a healthy lifestyle. As such, as the spearhead of your attempt at a healthy, positive no-nonsense lifestyle, you may try to use the novel health metric – Heart Rate Variability (HRV). It is relatively unknown so far, so let’s explore it. 

The explanation of heart rate variability

The specialists at Welltory wrote an extensive comprehensive article regarding the topic, so, if you have sufficient spare time and enthusiasm, I strongly advise you to give it a read. Otherwise, I’ll try to answer the main questions briefly and concisely, perhaps with excerpts from the main article. 

So, what is heart rate variability? 

Heart rate variability means the phenomenon of the difference in time between heartbeats. That is, the heart is not perfectly rhythmic as a metronome but has a sometimes insensible variation of in-between intervals, measured in milliseconds. 

How to measure heart rate variability? How to measure stress levels? 

Vital stress levels information is obtained from the processed data of heart rate variability. To set up a chain of HRV measurements, we need only two chain links: hardware and software.

Gathering the data

The first one – hardware – means the need to collect the exact readings. Your best option will be to use one of a thousand specialized devices. There is a massive assortment of them in the market, being either standalone or integrated into fitness trackers, ranging from, for example, electrical chest-on straps to optical on-hand appliances. As always, the most rational way is to do one’s research and select what is most reasonable for you depending on the needs, availability, and cost.

Assessing the numbers

Then, some kind of HRV biofeedback app is required to comb through the data with sophisticated mathematical algorithms and present the user with results that are sometimes accompanied by conclusions and advice. 

As with the hardware, the software is presented abundantly on numerous app marketplaces. Consequently, the threat of stepping into such an industry can feel like a sword of Damocles. It is rationally correct to suggest checking out Welltory as your first heart rate variability app in these circumstances.  

The reason is as follows – Welltory is widely recognized as one of the most user-friendly apps on the market that also features a sleep analysis app and meditation tracker for its users. As the icing on the cake, with Welltory, the readings can be taken even with your smartphone’s camera (though the quality of readings is objectively worse than those of specialized devices), and Welltory follows a Freemium business model – its beginners’ functionality is free. 

Anyway, bear in mind – once you feel yourself confident enough, it is prudent to explore the market, finding the ideal fit for you – though there is quite a chance that you will remain by Welltory, enamored by its quality, style, and usefulness. 

What is good heart rate variability? 

Unfortunately, HRV does not conform to the “one size fits all” science. There is not an ideal standard. For example, the normal value of the SDNN measure is considered to be 141±39 ms – and note the sheer extent of standard deviation. Additionally, the rule of thumb – “higher is better” – exists. 

Indeed, high readings of HRV generally indicate the prevalence of the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system over the sympathetic. Yet, the ideal is unique for each human being and can be assessed during times of peace and stresslessness. The app’s algorithms will take care of that. 

Heart Rate Variability

How to improve Heart Rate Variability? 

Since good heart rate variability is a direct outcome of a healthy lifestyle devoid of stress, the tips for HRV improvement are relatively trivial and obvious. In a nutshell, HRV is increased by leading a more healthy life. It includes, for example, getting more quality sleep time. Besides, “Sleep” is undoubtedly among the positive words that start with S. It is a physiological need, but valuable leisure time has a maximum positive effect on your well-being. Other preferred elements of a healthy routine are:

  • always staying well-nourished and hydrated;
  • regular exercise;
  • avoiding bad habits, especially those associated with nasty substances.

Moreover, it is wise to empirically avoid the situations and encounters that are stressful for you since the primary function of stress is to tone up the sympathetic branch of the nervous system, decreasing HRV.

Among those positive words that start with H, “Heart” obviously makes a decent stand, being the integral part of the body that traditionally symbolizes life and love – both extremely positive words as well. This article also showed how intrinsically essential heart readings are to your health and well-being. “Harmony”, “Happiness”, “Health” are no less positive and cannot exist without a healthy heart, mind, and body. 

For conclusion

Heart rate variability is a handy tool and an essential component of a healthy lifestyle, especially in contemporary cities. It provides a great insight into the health status of a person and suggests improvements. 

However, HRV measurements and apps cannot replace an actual physician’s consultation, his sheer weight of experience, and knowledge about your body. Thus, should you feel unwell, even if any app shows you are fine, you should not hesitate to contact your doctor and let him solve it for you? 

Why Is A Good Night Sleep So Important For Mental Health

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Sleep fills us with energy to be able to face the day. But it’s not just about getting a good night’s sleep, it’s about having a good night’s sleep. For this, there must be quiet hours of sleep, without nightmares, and followed.

For example, if sleep is achieved but the person wakes up hours before their actual waking time, or if they wake up several times during the night, the sleep will not be as restful.

Although it is true that you should always go to sleep at the same time, and that it should be at night, scientists and doctors agree to advise a short nap during the day to reactivate our body and our brain. Of course, the nap (in adults) should be around half an hour.

Why we can’t sleep

Nowadays, people do not sleep what they should, television, the computer, or video games, they are the new “dream vampires”. Boy sitting with a glass, holding his face with his hand due to the sleep he has. That makes him not give up during the day, he is sleepy and even susceptible or anxious about daily tasks.

Headaches, dizziness, excessive tiredness, etc., are the side effects of not sleeping well. But many times the problems that we find when sleeping, actually hide other pathologies or diseases that are what make the individual not fall asleep. For example, trauma or situation of stress or nervousness, anxiety, difficulty or breathing problems, etc.

We are going to list some of the most common alterations that prevent us from having a restful sleep:

  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Respiratory problems
  • Heart problems
  • Noises (noise pollution)
  • Muscle or skeletal pain
  • A bad mattress and / or inadequate pillow. The mattress should be changed at least every ten years.
  • Bad habits: exercising before bed, eating large dinners, drinking alcohol, tobacco or coffee before going to bed, etc.
  • Not being regular in the schedules: going to sleep and getting up. A bad habit that makes the human body not adapt to these alterations.

There are diseases associated with sleep. Some of them hinder beneficial and correct sleep so that our body can be at full capacity.

Narcolepsy

It is a sleep disorder with low prevalence in the population. Only 0.02 to 0.16 percent of adults are affected. It affects both equally. It is characterized by access to sleep at any time in the daily life of the affected person. The patient with narcolepsy may have difficulty sleeping at night. But instead throughout the day, he has acute drowsiness attacks, which make him fall asleep in any situation, which is why it is especially dangerous. Muscle weakness, hallucinations, etc. are some of the symptoms that can also be suffered from this disease.

Apnea

It is a stop of the respiratory signal while we sleep. It is important to detect it. For this, what is called the sleep test is done. If a person suffers from sleep apnea it can cause headaches, pulmonary hypertension, heart problems, etc. It consists in that during sleep, the airway becomes obstructed, so that the person who suffers from it, remains at least 10 seconds without breathing, with the problems that this can be associated with.

There are different treatments for this disease – from medicines or surgery to devices that help to clear the airway. In some cases, it’s a good idea to get a service dog to help with sleep apnea by alerting when significant sleep problems occur during the night.

Insomnia

Insomnia is the difficulty that a person has to sleep. It can be of three types:

  • Difficulty for a person to fall asleep.
  • Have a person wake up several times during their sleep hours.
  • That a person wakes up time before he really had planned.

Insomnia most of the time is due to stress. Continued stress over time can cause severe or chronic insomnia. To end insomnia there may be several treatments. For specific cases, medicines are prescribed. But the right thing to do is to carry out behavioral therapies, and really see what it is that causes that nervousness that does not let us sleep.

In addition, the patient must carry out what is called “sleep hygiene”, which we will see in the section on tips to sleep well.

Nightmares

Nightmares have been the object of study, the plot of books and movies, and analysis for years and years. It is a sleep disorder that is more common in children between 4 and 12 years old, and that occurs during the REM phase of sleep (that is, when there are images in the dream state and rapid eye movements). Although that does not mean that adults get rid of them.

Centuries ago, on the 18th, people believed that nightmares were due to magic, possessions, or caused by monsters. Today we know that nightmares are due on many occasions, to the reproduction of our fears, reflected and brought to our moment of rest.

Somnambulism

It is a sleep disorder that stands out for “waking up” the motor activity of the individual. That is, the person will be completely asleep, but will be able to walk and perform daily tasks, although his pupil is not really seeing what is real.

It is said to be more common in children and adolescents. But it can occur in anyone who has suffered from this problem in their childhood. There is no really effective treatment for the problem.

Talk at night

Another sleep disorder is that of people who speak in dreams. This makes sleep less restful, since we are putting an additional load on our respiratory system and vocal cords. Usually the person may wake up with scratching and dry mouth.

Bruxism

In times of stress or nervousness, what is known as bruxism occurs at night. Which is nothing more than “grinding” your teeth. Of course, there are people who even have awake bruxism. Bruxism loads the jaw and is especially harmful because it wears down teeth and molars. Those who suffer from it must carry a “discharge certificate” so as not to “grind” their teeth.

Why is a good night sleep so important

Basic tips for a good night sleep:

  • Do not eat a lot before going to sleep.
  • Always go to sleep at the same time. And also get up at the same time.
  • Avoid noise and light.
  • Before going to sleep, do not exercise, try to stay away from video games and computers.
  • Avoid having insects in the room.
  • Make sure there’s no clock noise nearby.
  • Avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, or coffee

Positive Words Research – Why Is A Good Night Sleep So Important