How to Regain Confidence on the Road After a Minor Accident

How to Regain Confidence on the Road After a Minor Accident

By Nigel Hilton

Big or small, car accidents are scary stuff. They remind us of what could have been and just how lucky we are to walk away with nothing more than a few scratches – but sometimes, the reminder keeps us from getting back behind the wheel at all. Accidents affect us psychologically and what used to feel like a safe and comfortable zone is now a risky, dangerous, and traumatic way of transporting yourself from A to B.
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Fear grows as we give in to it and have the potential to grow monstrously huge with time; the more you accept it, the more likely it is to find a home in your mind. Here are a few empowering tips on how to overcome it after an accident, and confidently get behind the wheel once again.

Talk about it with others

It’s common knowledge that the more you share something, the less you allow it to expand in your head – yet, it’s easier said than done. It might seem strange that sharing your story repeatedly should be able to take your mind off it, but the wisdom still stands: talking about it decreases those insensible and intrusive thoughts of fear.

You need to pick your conversation partner with care, though, and someone who is particularly prone to negative thinking should be your least favorite choice. A good friend, for example, who can listen and reinforce your confidence by noting that you’re still here today is an excellent option.

Write down your experience

Talk about how the accident happened and write the details down as well; most people find it helpful to write a narrative to deal with their emotions. If you almost threw a cyclist off his bike, had to make a massive turn to avoid the cat in the middle of the road, or had a larger accident with an eighteen wheeler wreck, write it down and put everything in chronological order.

The problem with fear and trauma is that our memory tends to fade with time, which again leads our mind to fill in the gaps. It will make the experience seem a lot scarier than it was, making you numb at the mere thought of ever driving again.

Don’t let your confused mind lead you in the wrong direction, and make sure you visit the site of the accident so that you’re not feeding the anxiety beast. Read more about the benefits of writing experiences down in this article.

Bring a friend with you

The first time you get behind the steering wheel again, you should try not to do it on your own. If you’re feeling at ease and not as stressed about it as you thought you’d be, it might be sufficient to do a few test drives on your own. Laying up at night, on the other hand, and dealing with frightening thoughts is a clear sign that you should have a bit of friendly support by your side.

You never know when something unexpected is to happen, and it’s going to boost your confidence a lot to have a calm and steady person next to you in the car. With time, you won’t just be a calm and happy driver – but you’ll be a lot more careful on the roads as well.







TOURING IN STYLE: THE TOP TRAVEL DESTINATIONS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

TOURING IN STYLE: THE TOP TRAVEL DESTINATIONS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

By Haris Quintana

Southeast Asia with its cluster of diversely rich countries makes a very fascinating region to travel to. These countries are gifted with indigenous cultures, history and nature’s blessings. The people too seem foreign and fascinating with their mix Indian, Chinese, and western culture. The same region also has the largest Muslim populations as well as Buddhist communities.
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Photo courtesy of Flickr

Photo courtesy of Flickr

The local cuisines, temples, trails, and beaches all at affordable prices make Southeast Asia a very touristy region.

Brunei:

Those who are fond of architectural monuments and remarkable structural designs will love their visit to Brunei. Just make sure never to leave the country without trying their native delicacy Ambuyat. Also, the Billionth Barrel monument is a sight worth seeing!

Cambodia:

Cambodia is a country with astounding temples and a colourful culture to boot. Not to mention, the eighth wonder of the world, the temple complex of Angkor Wat is in Cambodia.  The empire of the gods is not the only attraction though. The historically evil Tuol Sleng Prison is equally fascinating and scary at the same time.  

Singapore:

Singapore has loads to offer. A backpacking trip to Southeast Asia can never be complete without a stop in the lion city. The skyscrapers, the gardens, the trails and places like the Raffle hotel all come together to make Singapore one of the best places for a retreat. Frequent flyers can buy Singapore airlines points to save some money on the trip, and enjoy the lavishness of Singapore on a budget.  

Island of Java:

The Indonesian island Java is a land of mystery and magic. Once upon a time, this land was the heart of Hindu-Buddhist Empire and while these people are not here anymore, what they have left in their wake still stands proudly and mysteriously. One of the most distinguishing attractions of Java is Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple. Made of 2 million blocks of stone, this temple was built over 75 years in the 8th and 9th century. By the time 14th century rolled around, this temple was found abandoned. The history of this temple is lost and no one can tell from where the temple came from. It lays hidden amidst the jungle, beneath layers of volcanic ashes.  Today it is a World Heritage site.

Bangkok:

The capital of Thailand, Bangkok is not a very old city. It started off as a trading post during the 15th century and has gradually turned into a city that is home to eight million people. The city’s floating markets and picturesque setting make it popular among backpackers. Temples, snake farms, bars on every corner and peculiar shopping centres make Bangkok one of the top destinations in Southeast Asia.

PUERTO PRINCESA:

If Philippines is Asia’s best kept secret, then the province of Palawan is Philippines’. This island is an unsurpassed destination for professional divers. Not only are the diving spots in Puerto Princesa perfect in every sense of the word, but Japanese ship wrecks from WWII attract explorers and adventurers from all over the world .

If you are planning a trip this year, perhaps a visit to Southeast Asia should be on the top of your list.





How To Make Your Workforce More Effective

How To Make Your Workforce More Effective

By Nigel Hilton

Businesses start to let themselves down when they forget the importance of their workforce. Each individual member of staff was chosen for their skills and abilities, but when you start viewing the workforce as a mob of worker ants then you’ve taken a little too much of a step back from the company. It’s important to invest time and energy into your employees as a collective and as individuals because they’re human beings. You wouldn’t want to be dismissed as the business owner, and it’s the same story for these hard-working individuals. Here are some tips on making your workforce more effective.


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Reward your employees.

You need to appreciate your employees and all that they do for you. Your office wouldn’t function without the people in it, but it also won’t function if you neglect the people within it. It’s important that you recognize real talent and effort in the workplace. If somebody finishes a project earlier than expected then give them the day off. If somebody goes above and beyond to point out specific problems within the company then give them a bonus that month.

Of course, you could go one step further than this if you want more of the workforce to be productive and effective in the office. You could incentivize people to work harder by offering rewards to all those who do so. The worker of the month could receive perks such as time off, a raise, or perhaps even a promotion. This will encourage everybody to work harder towards a goal. In terms of rewarding your workforce as a whole, of course, you should be allowing them time to relax and recover regularly. Put a pool table and some sofas in the breakroom to create a “chill-out” area for staff members to enjoy during their lunch break.

Flexible working.

In the modern age, businesses are starting to realize that working people into the ground isn’t just damaging to humans on a personal level but to the company as a whole. Diminishing returns on productivity are something you need to consider; there’s a point at which you’re not going to get any more out of your employees by working them for extra hours or asking more from them during the day. They’re going to falter and become less effective or productive members of the workforce.

If you want to fix this then you might want to consider flexible working options. Many workers are finding that the freedom to work from home really helps them concentrate. Whilst some people may work better in a team, others may get their work done better in solitude. You could allow members of staff a few days of the week during which they work remotely, but simply stepping away from the rigid limits of the 9-5 might be a good idea. Give employees the freedom to leave early for their kid’s school play or to go to an appointment.

Address office problems.

Remember that your employees are human beings and not simply more cogs in the system. Yes, you rely on your workers to keep your business ticking over as they’re the life-supply of the company, but these people can only work well if they’re treated like people. You need to make sure that you’re putting effort into addressing the problems or questions of your workforce whenever such things might arise.

Listen to your employees’ problems. You could even look into HR consultancy services if you want to enlist a professional helping hand because it can be quite time-consuming to set up human resource services. Nonetheless, this doesn’t neglect its importance. Outsourcing such a service could be a great way to avoid impact on your business’ operations whilst still offering your workers a way to sort out their vacations, discuss potential conflicts in the office, or sort out other problems. The point is that your workforce just wants to be heard.

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Encourage collaboration.

The concept of teamwork is so important in a workplace, but everybody knows that. You’re probably bored of hearing it by now. However, that doesn’t mean you’ve necessarily got a strong and collaborative team yet. You need to work hard to integrate and deeply embed employees into the company. The goal is to see fewer employees absent-mindedly clocking in at 9 and clocking out at 5. You want people to thrive off one another’s ideas, and that starts by making them feel as if they’re part of the big picture.

Your business needs to have a strong brand which seeps into the inner workings of the company. If you promise to be helpful and caring then be helpful and caring to your employees as well as customers. People are people, at the end of the day; you shouldn’t just be trying to impress your target market and expecting your workers to continue operating like robots. You need to be a little proactive and get people working together as a community or a family rather than co-workers and colleagues. Encourage “downtime” so that people can build friendships and bonds so that they collaborate naturally rather than forcefully.

Better communication.

At the end of the day, if you want your employees to work more effectively for your company then you need to stop seeing a separation between yourself and the workforce. Open up communication channels so that you can be a better boss to your workers and they can better understand your ideas and objectives for the business. You can offer feedback to your staff members to ensure that you’re staying on track and on task but they can also offer feedback to you to ensure that you know what is or isn’t working around the workplace.

Essentially, if you want your business to be organized then you need to ensure people are clear on what the business is striving towards. A more effective workforce starts with more effective communication, respect, and flexibility. People will work harder when they feel less like a slave and more like a valued member of the team. Keep your workforce energized and motivated to work hard.





How To Get The Most Out Of Your College Experience

How To Get The Most Out Of Your College Experience

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By Lina Martinez

College may be the time of your life, or it may not. You shouldn’t feel under any pressure to make these few years the most incredible of your life because we can’t control that. The most incredible years of your life may come in your thirties or your forties. Still, whatever the case, the one thing you can control is how useful these college years are to you, and you should see them as extremely useful. This is an opportunity to pave the path to your future, but it’s also an opportunity to socialize, have fun, and meet people who could potentially be your closest friends for years to come. Here are some tips on getting the most out of your college experience.

Don’t narrow down your options.

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You’re young, and you still don’t know what you want out of life. That’s probably a relieving thing to read because it’s what you want to keep shouting at the adults around you who are trying to push you in certain directions. Use college as a chance to figure out which things you do and don’t like, in terms of subject areas and possibly even career options. You shouldn’t jump into any rash decisions because you’ll be a different person in a few years time. Avoid majoring in anything too specific because you don’t want to force yourself into a certain job role at the end of your degree if you change your mind.

Build up your CV.

You may not want to think about jobs when you’ve got a 3 to 5 year course ahead of you because there’s a lot of studying to do before you can think about getting a career. Nonetheless, you don’t want to be caught out after graduation day when you realize that it’s tougher to get a job than you thought. You need to start early when it comes to working on your CV. Having a degree says a lot about your intelligence and commitment to working hard, of course, but an increasing number of people are going to college and getting degrees these days. It takes more than that to make an impression on potential employers.

That’s why you need to continuously edit your resume before you’re even ready to make applications to businesses. You’ll be able to add on all your qualifications, first of all, but then you’ll want to think about what you can add on top of that in terms of experience and interests. Volunteering for things on the college campus could make for good references to add to your CV; if you volunteer for an important cause then that can also be used to highlight your interests to employers. Of course, part-time work is also great experience. You could look into these rewarding Walmart careers if you wanted somewhere to begin. It’s not about relevance to your future career; it’s about proving that you have the willpower to stay committed, focused, and organized within any job role.

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Have fun.

Most of all, have fun. This is a pretty straightforward point. Don’t get too bogged down by work and worrying about the future because this is a special time in your life. You’re surrounded by thousands of your peers and they’re all in the same boat as you. This will be one of the best opportunities in your life to make connections with like-minded people. Again, you don’t have to feel pressured to meet as many people as possible; just have fun with the people you do meet.




Computers And Illness – The Truth

Computers And Illness – The Truth

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By Nigel Hilton

Can computers really make you ill? Some people would like you to think so.

There have been various reports in the media that there are now some modern diseases and health conditions that stem from our excessive use of computers and laptops. But is that really the case? Read on to find out the truth about computers and illness!

Back And Neck Strain

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Lots of people find that they start to develop back and neck pain after they use their computer for a long time. This is because most people slouch when they are sitting in front of a computer. There are some ways to try and remedy this. The first thing you should do is buy a professional computer chair as these are ergonomically made to help with posture. You can find these at most good office chairs stores. It is also important to make sure that your screen and keyboard are correctly placed on the desk. Ideally, your forearms should have enough room to rest on the desk. Your screen should be at eye height, but not too close to your eyes.

Repetitive Strain Injury

If you are on the computer for a while, you will no doubt be typing for a lot of that time. And that can be bad for your hands and wrists. In fact, if you regularly type for long periods, you might find that you end up developing repetitive strain injury (RSI). This occurs when joints are repetitively used and end up getting strained. The best way to deal with this condition is to rest your hands as often as possible. You can also buy special wrist rests to place under your wrists while you type. These take away some of the strain from all that typing!

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Insomnia

Do you find that it takes you awhile to get asleep after you’ve been working at your computer? That’s all to do with the blue light that computer screens emit. This blue light reduces the amount of melatonin that the body produces. Melatonin is needed to help the body and mind fall asleep at nighttime. Overnight, our melatonin levels fall, causing in us waking up in the morning. After a long time at the computer, your melatonin levels will be very low, making it much harder to fall asleep. For this reason, it’s important that you have a break away from the computer for at least an hour to give your melatonin levels a chance to build up.

Radiation

Some people believe that computers are dangerous because of the amount of radiation they emit. It’s true that they do emit radiation – but is it really damaging to our health? There are still lots of studies into this and, thankfully, most of them say that the radiation levels are too low to make us ill. However, if you are worried about radiation, the best thing you can do is limit your time on the computer.

If you take all the right precautions, you shouldn’t have to worry about any adverse health effects from your computer.




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