Starting a Health and Wellness Business

Launching a business is a great way to establish your career. If you’re interested in health and wellness, you can explore many opportunities within this field.

Once you have a comprehensive understanding of the health and wellness industry, you’ll be able to determine the best way to launch a successful health and wellness company. Once you identify suppliers, prepare a business plan, develop a marketing strategy, and secure crucial resources, you’ll be ready to launch your business.

Research

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Learn about your chosen business field. Health and wellness companies focus on mental, physical, or spiritual well-being. If you’re interested in physical health you could prepare exercise plans for clients or sell dietary supplements. You may be interested in building relationships with long-term clients, or you may opt to focus on wellness tourism and want to launch a spa or health resort. Understanding the industry can help you determine which opportunities appeal to you.

You may also identify a great way to enter the industry and fulfill a demand the industry isn’t currently meeting. Exploiting service gaps is one of the best ways to distinguish your business from competitors and increase your company’s chances of success. You could also develop a custom formulation for a new product.

Identify Suppliers

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Identify the resources you’ll need to launch and operate your business. If you plan to sell nutritional supplements, you’ll need to research nutrition supplement manufacturing companies. Google “nutritional supplement manufacturers” to locate supplement manufacturers who will enable you to develop your formulation for the supplements you’ll sell. Choose a manufacturer using state-of-the-art equipment to produce supplements in the forms you want to sell, such as capsules, gummies, powders, and softgels. Once you’ve selected a manufacturer, determine how much it will cost to manufacture the products you plan to sell.

You will also need electronics and office supplies to handle essential paperwork. Locate a company that sells presentation folders suitable for your needs. Pocket folders can be embossed or foil stamped and may come with slots where you can insert a business card. You could present new clients with a folder containing documents outlining your goods and services. You may also need folders to organize important documents. The company supplying your folders could also supply other essential printed materials, including business cards, promotional pens, and envelopes.

If you work with people with disabilities you may want to educate them about new technology and resources available. Secure appropriate documents in a custom presentation folder. Perhaps a patient with hearing loss or a broken arm is interested in using a driverless car. You could gather facts about self-driving cars and present them with an information package, including reports on driverless cars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driverless car crash statistics, U.S. laws that apply to driverless cars, and fuel efficiency reports.

Some people may appreciate the peace of mind that comes from using an autonomous vehicle, and custom presentation folders are a great option if you’re looking for the best way to impress new clients with a professional information package.

Business Plan

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Develop a business plan. An ideal business plan should indicate your company’s mission and focus. Your business plan should also identify your chosen business structure, your company’s products or services, how your business will distinguish itself from competitors, your operating budget, revenue projections, and a marketing strategy. A comprehensive business plan will also identify potential challenges in the industry and strategies for addressing those challenges.

Your budget should include the cost of incorporating your business, if applicable, as well as the cost of essential resources. You may feel it’s crucial to develop mobile app clients can use, or pay a monthly fee for cybersecurity. Your revenue projections should determine how much you anticipate earning by providing services or selling goods.

Your business plan should also include a marketing strategy. Customize your marketing strategy to appeal to your optimal consumers. For example, a lot of teenagers are active online, so you may focus on social media marketing. Your strategy could involve developing TikTok videos featuring your goods and services or hiring social media influencers to boost your company’s profile.

You could also invest in cloud picture storage. A suitable cloud storage device will provide you with the storage capacity you need for photo storage. You can upload and download photos from your mobile device, computer, or external hard drive. Use these images on your company website or social media channels. Whether you hire photography professionals to capture images for you or purchase images from Flickr, a cloud storage device is an excellent way to store pictures safely or download images you can add to your social media timeline. You can also use cloud storage for photo backup to retain pictures you may want to use again.

No matter who your target audience is, an online presence is crucial for all businesses. With an effective search engine optimization (SEO) marketing strategy, your website will appear on the first page of search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keyword searches. Effective SEO marketing strategies include generating backlinks to your site from your social media channels and other credible websites and ensuring your website features appropriate keywords.

Secure Resources

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Use your business plan to secure financing from lenders or investors. Once you’ve secured the capital you need, you can purchase the resources you need to operate your business. Whether you plan to modify a room in your home and run your business from there or rent a storefront location, you’ll need funds to secure stock, hire employees, and purchase essential items, such as computers.

Launching a health and wellness business begins with research. Once you understand the industry and decide which aspect of health and wellness you want to focus on, prepare an effective business plan and marketing strategy. An effective business plan can help you secure the finances you need to obtain crucial resources and begin serving customers.

3 Resources for Managing Menopause

That first hot flash or night sweat is enough to make any woman sit back and wonder what’s ahead. If you’ve recently entered menopause, you probably have a lot of questions. The great news is that there are many tools you can use to make sense of things like sleep disturbance, hot flashes, loss of libido, vaginal dryness, sleep disorders, and more. From mobile phone apps to support groups, therapy, blogs, and books, the information’s out there for menopausal women looking for answers. If you or someone you love is entering menopause, read on for three resources to help manage it.

1. MenoLabs App

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Any postmenopausal woman will tell you that menopause isn’t easy. From changes in estrogen and other hormone levels that cause mood swings and night sweats to nausea and sleep disorders, some even report feeling a total loss of control. For some, managing menopause symptoms means prescription medicine. For others, it means becoming a Google scholar about everything hormone-related.

Whether your side effects are extreme or minor, MedLabs has an app that allows women to track everything from hot flashes to menopause insomnia while comparing themselves to other women with similar menopause symptoms. A great way to normalize what you’re going through and to help you feel connected, this app works for perimenopausal women, too. If you’ve started the hormone changes that are causing sleep problems or make you wonder if you need hormone replacement therapy, this app is a great place to look for answers.

2. Therapy and Support Groups

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If you need something more personal and face to face, another answer could be seeing a therapist. While a mental health therapist can’t offer hormone therapy, they can certainly listen to your problems and provide a safe place to vent your frustration. Maybe your depressive symptoms have you asking Google things like “is court reporting school difficult?”, when you would have leaped at the challenge of learning a new skill like court reporting in the past. Maybe you’re legitimately concerned you’ve developed a mood disorder because of sleep issues and a change in appetite. Seeing a licensed and trained professional might be enough to give you peace of mind.

While you should always see your primary physician for medical symptoms like iron deficiencies or changes in blood pressure, a mental health provider can help you work through things like emotions relating to aging and empty-nesting.

Perhaps even better than a therapist is a group of other women going through menopause, too. These women would understand exactly what you were experiencing and be able to provide their own testimonials of how they’re managing symptoms. A place to meet new friends and go through menopause together, it might be worth asking your doctor or therapist if they know of any support groups for mature women.

3. Books and Educational Blogs

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If you’re a person who naturally researches everything from CBD oil for anemia to chronic pain symptoms, you probably already know to do a Google search for books on menopause. Go further than that with your research. Look for blogs, vlogs, and pages or groups on various social media platforms. Challenge yourself to find informational material on things like menopausal hormone therapy, but also funny things. Laughing at this temporary state with other women is a great way to pull through.

In the end, remind yourself that menopause is only a temporary condition. While it may feel like you’ve been juggling hot flashes for a long time or that none of the treatment options are right for you, the reality is that menopause has an important role in your life as a natural phase of development. As you head into your golden years, do what you can to live in the moment. Those hot flashes prove that you’ve survived a life well lived and will again. Good luck to you on your quest for the right menopause resources!

Are You Ready to Start Your Own Beauty Brand?

The beauty world is a huge industry across the globe. From skincare to hair products and from fashion items to toiletries and cosmetics, there are so many areas that all fit under the umbrella of beauty care. Perhaps you’ve found your passion in this area. You love making people look and feel their best while coming up with new styles and solutions for beauty needs. With your innovative mind and passion for the industry, perhaps you’re considering starting a beauty brand of your own.

As the industry continues to grow, there are plenty of opportunities for you to break in as a new brand. However, there is always a substantial amount of risk when it comes to starting your own business. Before you take the leap, you need to know that you’re prepared and ready to enter the fast-paced beauty industry. Ask yourself the important questions to be sure your beauty brand has what it takes to take it to the next level. If you’re passionate and savvy, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to build something terrific and successful. Are you ready to start your own beauty brand? Here are a few things you’ll know when you’re ready to take that leap.

You’re prepared for the business and technical side of things.

Sure, you’re passionate and excited about beauty products, but running a real business is so much more than that. You’ll know you’re ready when you’re excited to focus on the technical side of things as well. Are you excited to make a business plan or discuss custom services and specifications of product design and how the items get made? Are you looking forward to doing market research to figure out your own competitive price? Do planning marketing strategies and forecasting interest you? These are the things you’ll need to do to run a business beyond just creating great products.

The process of making an item to sell is incredibly collaborative and more complicated than you may understand. When you need an assembly of custom molds or durable plastics, you need to connect with a manufacturer who can make custom products just for you. Consider a manufacturing process that can provide custom plastic injection mouldings, so you can get prototypes and molds that fit your beauty brand’s needs. These basic pieces will help you create your ultimate products and all the plastic components you need. These are the little details you’ll have to stay on top of when you’re ready to start a beauty brand.

You’ve found your niche.

While you may be interested in many different components of the fashion industry, you can’t possibly excel at everything within your single beauty brand. One way to know you’re ready for the next step is when you finally decide on your niche market. Are you going to sell hair products or focus on skincare? Do you want to offer goods or services? These are the kinds of questions you’ll need to answer. Once you choose a niche, you can focus on succeeding in that specialty. If you’re going with great nail art products for at-home pedicures, figure out all there is to know about fingernails and nail polish. This way, your peel and stick nail polish will be the best in the business.

You have a great brand in mind.

Beyond just your niche, you need to build an actual brand. Come up with a name and design that will be memorable and draw people to your products. Maybe include your story of why beauty products are so important to you. Once you’ve built that brand you’re really passionate about, you’re ready to take your idea to the next level.

Are You Setting the Right Goals for Your Healthcare Company?

When it comes to running a healthcare company, there’s a wide range of tasks to occupy your time. Especially if your healthcare business is mid-sized or larger, things can get a bit more complicated thanks to the fact that you have to manage a larger number of employees and clients. As such, it’s easier than ever to get overwhelmed with the day-to-day business operations necessitated by running your own healthcare business. That being said, running a healthcare company can be an incredibly rewarding experience since you’re helping others lead healthier lives and improve their quality of life and wellness with appropriate treatments and medical care.

One thing that you might not have thought about if you’ve been spending more time focusing on managing your daily business operations is finding a way to think more strategically about the future. Goal setting is an important part of any company, and the healthcare industry is no different. In fact, due to the agility that you need to operate and respond to patients’ healthcare needs in a timely manner, it’s even more critical to have an appropriate approach to long-term planning. This ensures that you don’t look up after several months in the trenches to realize that bigger goals you’ve had on your mind have passed you by. Whether you run a cancer center in Toms River, NJ, or are offering affordable nursing home care to senior citizens, there are plenty of ways that you can use goals to supercharge your business. Read on to learn more about goal setting strategies and how to audit your healthcare business to ensure that you’re using goals in the most effective manner possible.

Do you have an existing methodology or framework for setting goals?

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While you might think that you’re getting the right goals for your healthcare business, it’s just as important to think about whether or not you’re using sustainable practices and goal setting methodologies to actually achieve those goals. A framework like OKRs can be an excellent way to align your work tasks and departments with the goals and priorities that matter most to you. OKR stands for objectives and key results, and while it’s likely that you’ve learned about the OKR framework if you have an MBA, you don’t need to be a graduate student or complete any college coursework in order to get the gist of how OKRs work.

At their heart, OKRs ask you to define an objective that’s important for your business to achieve and pair it with the key results that shape what success looks like should you reach that goal. For example, in a hospital, you may have the objective to lower the average length of a stay in your emergency room by 20 percent. From there, you’d need to decide what sorts of key results would help you achieve that overall OKR objective. Some behaviors that could contribute to reducing the length of stay might be ensuring that specialists see a patient as soon as they’re admitted or adding another surgery slot for same-day surgeries. Once you’ve figured out all of the key results that would help you achieve that specific goal, you can share the OKRs with other teams and help them work towards achieving the desired result. If this all sounds a bit confusing to you, it may be worth attending an OKR training program and receiving a certificate that proves that you have the experiences and organizational leadership skills necessary to use this new way of setting and tracking goals.

Are you investing in your business by performing appropriate maintenance tasks and updates?

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While thinking about your internal operations is important to finding long term success, it’s just as important to find ways to keep your healthcare business running smoothly and functioning as designed. It doesn’t take a masters in sustainability to recognize that proper maintenance of your building and its systems is crucial if you’re in the private sector or running clinical trials for a new prescription. Through the lens of sustainability, it’s important that you invest some money and energy into keeping your place of business safe and secure. This may even involve tracking warranties on different equipment you use and getting annual inspections to ensure that your roof, HVAC, and other key components of your business are in proper working order.

Another area to pay attention to when it comes to effectively managing the maintenance tasks associated with your business is properly taking care of your outdoor space. Installing commercial retractable awnings, for example, may-be a great idea if, because of COVID-19 and social distancing measures, you have more people waiting outside before they can enter your building. The right installers can get you an awning that’s functional and stylish in no time at all. Best of all, awnings are appropriate for all sorts of climates since they can protect customers or clients from rain, snow, sleet, and even shade them from the sun. You may even want to talk to your retractable awning company about getting your business’s name or logo printed on your awning.

Have you defined what success looks like five or ten years from now?

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Strategic planning involves a lot of details, and it’s important that you pay attention to long-term goals as well as short-term priorities. Obviously, it’s crucial that your short-term goals align with your long-term strategic planning if you want to create a sustainable future for your business, which is why it’s critical that you spend some time thinking about where you want your healthcare company to be five or ten years from now. Once you’ve set a clear goal, you can start working backward in order to figure out what steps need to be taken in order to achieve those sorts of outcomes. Especially if you’re interested in topics like social innovation or renewable energy, taking the time to look at your business ecology and what practices and policies will need to change in order to help you reach your future goals can be a valuable exercise in strategic planning.

Small Lifestyle Changes To Help Manage Health Problems

Whether you’re facing a chronic medical condition or are simply sick of getting colds on a regular basis, it’s easy to feel like there’s nothing you can do to take control of your health. You can take your prescription or follow your doctor’s other medical advice, but you’re still likely to face further symptoms or more issues over time. Beyond the immediate medical attention you might receive, there are some ways you can improve your health and better manage whatever ails you. Small lifestyle changes, especially when used in a combination of multiple positive habits and professional medical advice, can help you better avoid health issues and recognize and treat any problems that do arise.

Understand your health.

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When you’re looking to manage your health problems and improve your overall wellness, it’s important to know the starting point you’re working with. For informational purposes, go beyond your existing healthcare knowledge and seek out diagnostic tools, symptom checkers, and other resources to better understand your body.

The best symptom checker will give you insights into possible causes for your health issues, common symptoms of your existing diagnoses, and possible conditions that may be undiagnosed for now. With this knowledge, you can anticipate issues that might arise and work to treat symptoms you’re already facing. A symptom checker or similar tool can make the process easy, so incorporating this sort of research as regularly as needed will be a simple addition to your life. By staying on top of your health, you can treat or avoid complications for a better, healthier state of being.

Know what you’re putting in your body.

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It’s important to put some thought into what it is you’re putting into your body. Take some time to consider your diet and any nutritional needs that might not be met. Think about upgrading your water products to avoid chemicals like chlorine from entering your body through your drinking water. Consider any allergies you might have, and take efforts to avoid any mild reactions you face, not to mention the potential of a more serious medical emergency. Give your body fewer toxins and other negative substances to filter out, and give it more of a chance to focus on the healthy food, drinks, and medications you’re consuming.

Stay active.

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Hand-in-hand with a healthy diet, the importance of exercise in managing your health should come as no surprise.

According to the Mayo Clinic, regular physical activity can help combat health problems like high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, diabetes, stroke, and more. As an added benefit, it can improve your mood and boost your energy levels, giving you more motivation and endurance to make other efforts towards improving your health and bettering your healthy lifestyle efforts. Talk to your doctor to see how much exercise and what kinds of workouts are recommended for patients with your health conditions and medical symptoms.

Take time to unwind.

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You already know that it’s important to get a correct diagnosis for your health problems, but have you considered whether your physical ailments could be caused, or at least exacerbated, by mental stress? Anxiety and other forms of stress can lead to physical symptoms like headache, nausea, and muscular or abdominal pain. By making time to relax and rest both your body and your mind, you can easily relieve some of the most common symptoms of stress and avoid more serious issues, like burnout, down the road. Schedule that spa day, spend some time in the hot tub, or give yourself permission to take a nap when you get home from work‚Äîand tell anyone that questions you that you’re doing it for your health.

When you’re dealing with health issues, whether they’re diagnosed conditions or new symptoms, it’s important to work with a medical professional to create a treatment plan. Creating a healthier you don’t need to end with taking medication or undergoing tests. By putting some lifestyle changes in place, you can take control of your health once more and even minimize the medical issues you face over time. From spending time with online symptom checkers to better understand your ailments to take time to clear your mind, your first steps toward better health can be easy ones.

Fight Off the Winter Chill With Smart Heating Ideas

The wintertime is a time of cold weather, wherever you are. This is obvious, but battling the winter chill in order to maintain the comfort level that you are accustomed to within your home can often feel a bit more difficult. Fortunately, homeowners all over the United States and abroad have come up with a good idea or two for protecting your home and family from the cold weather just beyond your windows in order to keep them comfortable, a toasty atmosphere that you are seeking for your home.

Keep up your home maintenance routine throughout the year.

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Home maintenance tips for wintertime begin early in the colder season. In order to protect your family and home from the cold weather in December and January, it’s essential to consider upgrades and repairs during fall that comes beforehand.

Planning for air conditioning repair in the months that come before the downturn in temperatures is the best way forward when prepping for this inevitable time of the year when furnaces start to burn and chimneys begin to see their highest period of usage. If you are worried about your family’s ability to stay warm all winter then you should begin to seek out AC repair technicians in your local area today in order to get ahead of any problems that may be headed your way in the near future. Hiring a contractor with years of experience in the industry is the best way to secure your family’s peace of mind as the temperature outside drops and the limits of your heating system are tested.

Regular maintenance is crucial to a properly working system, especially considering that your air conditioning unit is designed to last for fifteen or more years – barring any damage from extreme weather conditions, of course.

Add space heating capabilities throughout your home.

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Heating elements have come a long way from the antiques that you may have seen in old, grainy pictures of your grandparents. These days, homeowners can take advantage of floor heating solutions, space-saving radiators, and portable electrical heaters that provide intense warmth that rivals a fireplace or traditional heating system. Used in tandem with your existing heater, you can expect warm air to circulate throughout your home for the duration of this coming cold period, giving your family a warm and cozy living condition.

Creating this safe and comforting space is particularly important this year as we continue to battle the coronavirus pandemic. With the virus continuing to rage out of control around the United States, and indeed the entire world, we are finding ourselves spending far more time at home than we might otherwise. Therefore, the need to create a comfortable living space that can function as a workable office or classroom for your job requirements and children’s educational needs makes your HVAC system far more important during these colder months than in any year prior.

One important thing to remember when installing new heating systems in your home is to maintain your windows as well. These panes provide the best opportunities for heat to escape out into the open air beyond the confines of your home, so replacing seals, adding additional caulk, or replacing the windows altogether if they are aging beyond their expiration date is an essential component of winterizing your home. Without this additional step, you will end up running up a massive energy bill as your system heats a buffer around your home as well as the interior space.

Preparing for winter starts months before the temperature begins to drop. Prepare for the colder time of year with a plan this time around in order to make the most of the winter season and colder months.

Fight Off the Winter Chill With Smart Heating Ideas

The wintertime is a time of cold weather, wherever you are. This is obvious, but battling the winter chill in order to maintain the comfort level that you are accustomed to within your home can often feel a bit more difficult. Fortunately, homeowners all over the United States and abroad have come up with a good idea or two for protecting your home and family from the cold weather just beyond your windows in order to keep the comfortable, toasty atmosphere that you are seeking for your home.

Keep up your home maintenance routine throughout the year.

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Home maintenance tips for wintertime begin early in the colder season. In order to protect your family and home from the cold weather in December and January, it’s essential to consider upgrades and repairs during fall that comes beforehand.

Planning for air conditioning repair in the months that come before the downturn in temperatures is the best way forward when prepping for this inevitable time of the year when furnaces start to burn and chimneys begin to see their highest period of usage. If you are worried about your family’s ability to stay warm all winter then you should begin to seek out AC repair technicians in your local area today in order to get ahead of any problems that may be headed your way in the near future. Hiring a contractor with years of experience in the industry is the best way to secure your family’s peace of mind as the temperature outside drops and the limits of your heating system are tested.

Regular maintenance is crucial to a property working system, especially considering that your air conditioning unit is designed to last for fifteen or more years – barring any damage from extreme weather conditions, of course.

Add space heating capabilities throughout your home.

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Heating elements have come a long way from the antiques that you may have seen in old, grainy pictures of your grandparents. These days, homeowners can take advantage of floor heating solutions, space saving radiators, and portable electrical heaters that provide intense warmth that rivals a fireplace or traditional heating system. Used in tandem with your existing heater, you can expect warm air to circulate throughout your home for the duration of this coming cold period, giving your family a warm and cozy living condition.

Creating this safe and comforting space is particularly important this year as we continue to battle the coronavirus pandemic. With the virus continuing to rage out of control around the United States, and indeed the entire world, we are finding ourselves spending far more time at home than we might otherwise. Therefore, the need to create a comfortable living space that can function as a workable office or classroom for your job requirements and children’s educational needs makes your HVAC system far more important during these colder months than in any year prior.

One important thing to remember when installing new heating systems in your home is to maintain your windows as well. These panes provide the best opportunities for heat to escape out into the open air beyond the confines of your home, so replacing seals, adding additional caulk, or replacing the windows altogether if they are aging beyond their expiration date is an essential component of winterizing your home. Without this additional step, you will end up running up a massive energy bill as your system heats a buffer around your home as well as the interior space.

Preparing for winter starts months before the temperature begins to drop. Prepare for the colder time of year with a plan this time around in order to make the most of the winter season and colder months.

5 Ways to Celebrate Body Positivity

Body image is key to self esteem and identity. It’s easy to get down about our bodies with constant messages from social media about what makes someone beautiful or not. Instead of listening to all that and allowing it to hurt you, having a body-positive attitude is one of the greatest acts of self-care around. If you’re working toward body positivity, congratulations! Celebrate it. The world will be a better place when there are more people like you who celebrate body-positivity.

For those looking to celebrate themselves and the shapes and sizes they sport, there are easy ways to do that starting with rolling out that body-positive attitude. Here are five ways to celebrate not only your body but the fact that you are perfectly beautiful too.

1. Surround yourself with positive people.

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The journey toward how to be more comfortable in your own skin wasn’t likely an easy one. Learning how to be more comfortable with your body takes some people a lifetime. But if you’re there, stay there. Do what you can to surround yourself with others like you. Join support groups to celebrate and encourage each other along the way. It never hurts to have reminders that you’re perfect and beautiful just the way you are, and having a support network will be great, not only to celebrate, but to remind you to stay positive on the bad days too.

2. Have a photoshoot.

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If you’re finally where you’ve fought so hard to be and feel great about yourself, schedule that sexy photoshoot. Whether you do it in lacy undergarments, a bathing suit, or fully dressed in a fabulous gown, the only rule is to give yourself permission to be free about it. Have fun with it. Much like the effects of smoking a CBD cigarette, you should feel relaxed and stress free. This moment is about you, and whether you take the pictures yourself or have a friend or even professional help out, you want to create memories here too.

3. Dress to celebrate yourself.

Let’s face it. Not all clothes are made the same. Sometimes, it’s good to let our fabulous bodies dictate how we dress. The perfect demi bra will give you lift and help show off those curves. Being body positive doesn’t mean you have to feel great wearing a burlap bag or tent. Instead, find the kind of undergarments and that perfect dress that make you feel your prettiest. There’s nothing vain about it. Instead, you’re putting your best foot forward and granting other women the excuse to do the same.

4. Choose relationships carefully.

Not all people operate in modes of kindness. For this reason, to celebrate your happiness with your body, you want to make sure that the people in your life are body positive too. Especially in a romantic relationship, look for partners who love you just the way you are and who want to celebrate you and your body. Staying with someone who insults you or tries to micromanage your image and self-esteem can be toxic. You’ve come too far to stay with someone negative about what a beautiful person you are.

5. Start a body positivity blog or group.

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When you know you’re in a place to help others, consider celebrating this by starting a blog, online or in-person support group, or posting about your journey on a platform like YouTube or Instagram. Too many other people are out there feeling bad about themselves and their bodies. You could counteract those media messages about what beauty is if you use your own story to spread body positive awareness.

Why You Should Turn to Your Religious Community During Trying Times

Regardless of how much we plan our lives, we all find ourselves facing trying times sooner or later. There’s simply no way around it. Even the best planners can’t be completely ready for a natural disaster, or a sudden illness, or an accident, or financial ruin. Not that any of us would wish these events on anyone, but we still need to be aware that they are a part of life. The question is not whether we will encounter disaster over the course of our lives. The question is only how we will handle it when it comes knocking.

Whether you’re religious or not, it’s a good idea to have a robust spiritual community that can support you in your times of need. This may mean close friends and relatives, it may mean a psychotherapist or counselor, and it may mean a priest, rabbi, imam, or any other religious leader with who you feel comfortable. We are not islands; we need other people to help us endure the hardship and celebrate the joyous moments. To that end, if you are connected to a religious tradition it’s a good idea to find a corresponding community that will stand by you through the good and the bad.

Do some research about local religious events.

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There are so many churches and other religious institutions out there that you may not even know where to begin looking for the right one for you. Maybe you were raised in a Baptist church, but the one nearby is a Seventh Day Adventist community. Or maybe you’re more connected to an Episcopalian tradition but are interested in the philosophies of a Unitarian church. It can all get a little bit confusing.

The good news is that you can do some research, have some conversations, and make an informed decision on something that works for you. Religious leaders tend to be very open to speaking with potential congregants, and you should be able to set up meetings with local pastors, clerics, or priests with very little trouble. If you just want to sit in on a church event to see if it feels like the right atmosphere, check out local church bulletins for information about events that may be of interest to you. After all, you’ll want to know if the community feels welcoming or not.

Find like-minded groups to join.

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Sometimes you may want advice about how to handle a particular situation, but you don’t have quite the right friends to turn to. For example, if you’re looking for advice for planning a family when you’re older you might be concerned that your friends may be judgmental or misunderstand your motives for having a child. You also might just not have friends with useful expertise on the topic.

Many local religious institutions host group sessions for people who are facing similar situations. Whether that’s a TTC (trying to conceive) support group, mommy and me classes, Alcoholics Anonymous, or any other group that may be of use to you, take a look online at what your local church is offering. It may help to talk things through with someone, or a group of people, with a similar spiritual outlook.

Consider therapy as an option for support.

Religious leaders can provide a great deal of support to their followers, but sometimes it’s time to call in someone who has expertise in the human psyche. Contrary to many stigmas surrounding mental health treatment, a psychotherapist or psychiatrist can actually do a great deal of good for someone who is struggling or going through a hard time. Even your priest or minister will likely tell you to call a therapist or counselor if they believe that the situation is dire.

You may be nervous or unsure of what to expect during your first therapy session, and that’s completely natural. It can be nerve-racking to open up to a stranger about your traumas, or grief, or desires, or secrets. Remember, you can take it as slowly as you’d like. Also, the first therapist you work with may not be the right fit. You may go to a few different sessions before you feel like you’ve found a person who you can work with. What’s important is to take the first step towards healing.

Reach out to those in need.

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Sometimes, following the Golden Rule is a great way to feel better about the crises you may be facing. By doing for others as you would want them to do for you in your time of need you’re opening yourself up to human connections. Plus, you’re helping out others in need. By setting that example you’re sure to feel better and to make someone else feel better as well. It’s a win-win situation.

For example, you could join a program that writes letters to incarcerated people. You may not know this, but people in jail love reading letters. Many incarcerated individuals face a great deal of isolation; some may be hundreds of miles from their family members, making it nearly impossible to receive visitors. Others may be estranged from loved ones due to the circumstance of their arrest and conviction. Regardless of how the incarcerated person has ended up all alone, receiving some kind words from another person can breathe life and hope back into their lives. By reaching out to a person in jail you may find the connection you didn’t know you needed, and you’ll be giving another person the gift of friendship. There is truly no greater gift you can give.

Understanding that, eventually, hardship visits us all can be a hard pilot swallow. Nevertheless, it’s a truth we must bear. Instead of burying your head in the sand and hoping you never need to call upon a religious or spiritual community to keep you afloat during the hard times, act now. Find a person or a group of people who you can feel a connection to, reach out to a spiritual or religious leader who you can trust, and consider finding therapy to work through underlying issues standing in your way. You won’t regret it.

5 Things You Can Be Doing to Slow Climate Change

Climate change refers to significant shifts in weather patterns. It isn’t synonymous with global warming, although these terms are often used that way. Climate change includes global warming. Human activities that produce greenhouse gas emissions cause global warming, which changes the climate.

The effects of changes to the climate are widespread and catastrophic. As glaciers melt, sea levels rise. Temperatures are rising, and frost-free seasons are increasing. Consequently, more regions are suffering from droughts and prolonged fire seasons, which led to some of the worst fire seasons on record in California and Australia in 2020. Warmer temperatures are also enabling more hurricanes to form and strengthen and preventing hurricanes from breaking up once they reach land. The number and severity of storms are increasing, with 2020 producing the highest number of tropical cyclones on record. Environmental damage has severe implications for people and the planet, but you can take some crucial steps to do your part to slow climate change.

1. Support organizations dedicated to protecting the environment.

Join organizations that are fighting to improve the climate. Get involved with the Climate Leadership Council. The founding members include environmental leaders such as theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking and Christiana Figueres, the former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Climate Leadership Council focuses on supporting a viable climate solution to reduce greenhouse gases. Their membership includes business leaders, underscoring the importance of working with businesses to find practical solutions to environmental issues without shutting businesses down or significantly increasing operating costs. Whether you’re interested in volunteering or providing financial sponsorship, you can help slow environmental damage from global warming by supporting organizations dedicated to the cause.

You can also invest in mental health support for individuals affected by the repercussions of global warming. Farmers experience stress and financial hardship when crops are destroyed by drought. Individuals who’ve lost their homes to floods and wildfires also suffer from emotional strain. When people are affected by threats to their livelihood or primary needs, such as shelter, it can be hard for them to focus on environmental issues. Find therapists who understand the implications of climate-related disasters and offer in-person therapy, teletherapy, or online therapy sessions. Promote these counselors to people who are adversely affected by environmental issues. If you’re able, you may also be able to finance therapy for individuals who can benefit from counseling.

2. Protect natural habitats, plant trees, and keep oxygen-producing plants.

Pollution causes global warming. Burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide. When carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rise, they absorb solar radiation. Without a buildup of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases, solar radiation would drift into space. When toxins accumulate in the atmosphere, they trap the radiation in, which causes temperatures to rise. In turn, growing seasons increase, which also affects air quality. Longer growing seasons result in more pollen being produced. Tropical storms cause flooding, which produces mold that’s circulated in the air. Consequently, more people have asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

Low oxygen levels are also contributing to global warming because oxygen typically creates a protective barrier that reduces the amount of sunlight that reaches the earth. When oxygen levels are low, more sunlight breaks through the atmosphere. The sunlight produces water vapor—which is a greenhouse gas—because it causes water to evaporate.

Keeping potted patio plants and houseplants is an effective way to improve air quality and increase oxygen levels. Plants such as Lady Palm, Umbrella Plant, and an assortment of palm plants are some of the plants that most effectively improve air quality. Plants absorb carbon dioxide, which means they reduce the carbon dioxide levels in the air.

They also absorb light and water, which reduces the amount of sunlight trapped inside the earth’s atmosphere and water volume that vaporizes. As a result, investing in potted patio plants is one of the best ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Plants also produce oxygen. The extra foliage can also shield your windows from sunlight. Fill your patio with plants to reduce the amount of full sun that enters your home. This will help keep your home’s temperatures cool in the summer. If you’re a homeowner, care for your trees or add trees and annuals, such as geraniums, to your outdoor space. By extracting harmful elements from the air, plants improve air quality and prevent environmental damage from greenhouse gases.

Deforestation increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the air and reducing oxygen volume. Trees ingest carbon and store it. Like plants, trees also produce oxygen. This means you can reduce carbon dioxide levels in the air by planting trees.

3. Reduce the amount of energy you use.

Your energy consumption is one of the primary ways you contribute to global warming, which is why reducing your energy consumption is one of the most effective ways you can protect the environment.

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that heat and cool your home consume a lot of energy. You can reduce your heating bills by investing in energy-efficient windows. Search for “Grand Traverse window replacement” to find a window installation company in your area that specializes in energy-efficient window replacement. Old windows are drafty, and the unwanted airflow increases the demand for heat in the winter and cool air in the summer. Replacing your windows will prevent unwanted airflow and reduce the amount of time your HVAC unit operates, which will save you money and reduce the number of fossil fuels you’re burning.

You can expand your energy conservation by reducing your hot water tank’s temperature by 20°F. Use cold water when you’re brushing your teeth and washing clothes. These steps will decrease the volume of hot water you use, which will reduce the amount of time your water heater will need to operate. You can expand your savings by decreasing showers by one minute per person per shower, which will conserve water and further reduce your hot water consumption.

Conserve more energy by focusing on cold meals, such as salads, during the warm summer months so you don’t have to run appliances that will heat your home. You can also use a barbecue for cooking outside. Barbecuing food will decrease the amount of time you run your stove and oven, which will reduce the amount of time your AC unit needs to run to cool your home.

4. Invest in renewable energy and energy-efficient appliances.

Renewable energy is more affordable than ever, and you can help slow climate change by switching to renewable energy sources. Although this could mean investing in solar panels, it can also mean researching energy companies to find companies focusing on renewable energy sources. Solar and wind power are the leading sources of renewable energy. When you purchase your energy from companies using solar and wind power, you’ll decrease fossil fuel demand. This helps reduce the volume of carbon emissions and reduces global warming.

Additionally, you can expand your impact on the environment by investing in energy-efficient appliances. Energy-efficient appliances use less energy than older appliances.

5. Reduce your carbon footprint.

Every person produces greenhouse gases. The amount of greenhouse gases you create is your carbon footprint. You can help the environment by reducing the size of your carbon footprint.

One way to reduce your carbon footprint is by recycling. When people recycle, they decrease the demand for resources, preventing deforestation, and the environmental damage caused by drilling for oil and manufacturing products. Recycling also reduces the volume of materials entering landfill sights, which can cause environmental damage and produce greenhouse gases.

Reducing food waste can also reduce your carbon footprint. Plan meals carefully and reduce the amount of food waste you create by freezing leftovers. When you do have food waste, compost it instead of adding it to the garbage going to the landfill. Bagged food waste rots in the bag and produces methane gas, which is a greenhouse gas. Composting allows the soil to absorb the nutrients, and the food doesn’t rot and produce greenhouse gases.

Supporting organizations devoted to protecting the environment, growing plants and trees, reducing energy consumption, investing in renewable energy, and reducing your carbon footprint are effective ways of slowing climate change. You can have a significant impact on the environment with some simple lifestyle adjustments. While you’re helping the environment, you can enjoy the benefits of cleaner air and reduced energy expenses.