Category Archives: Going Strong

Going Healthy, Going Strong, Health, Lifestyle, Tips

Tips To Help You On Your Wellness Journey

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What wellness looks like to you will be different from how it looks to your neighbor or work colleague. Achieving wellness and the journey you embark on to do so is different for everyone. That said there are a few fundamental goals of wellness that unite everyone’s journey. Everyone who is seeking to improve their wellness will be looking for ways in which they can reduce anxiety, and improve their health and happiness. So regardless of your reasons for wanting to improve your wellness or the specifics that are nuanced to you, here are some tips to help you on your wellness journey.

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Seeking professional help 

There is nothing wrong with admitting that you cannot go it alone. No matter who you are or what you feel you need to work on sometimes the only way you can help yourself is to turn to another and seek help. Professional help can come in many formats, it could be talk therapy, medication, or neurofeedback, and what works for you may not be right for another. The important step to take is simply recognizing that you may need extra support and help during this time. Once you have accepted this then spend a little time researching the different options available to you. Don’t be afraid to try something and if it doesn’t help then try something else, it is all part of the journey. 

Prioritize your health 

Your physical health can impact your mental health and wellbeing, often as a result of not prioritizing your physical health. It is not uncommon for people to feel anxious, overwhelmed, or stressed as a result of their physical well-being. To make matters worse people commonly put off trips to the physician to discuss any health concerns they may have and this then only makes matters worse. As daunting as it might be it is important to ensure that you take your health seriously and ensure you attend all of your medical appointments. 

Looking after your health goes further than this and includes ensuring that you maintain a healthy lifestyle. Eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and sleeping well can all have transformative effects on your physical health. This in turn will impact your mental health and overall well-being with the ultimate result being improved health and happiness, and a reduction in anxiety. 

Journal your journey 

For the ultimate inspiration, journaling your wellness journey is a must. By noting down the steps you have taken, the progress you have made, improvements noticed, and goals achieved you are providing yourself with your very own marker of success. The small improvements and changes you have implemented over time will build up to be big achievements all of which you should be proud of. Use these notes as a reminder of just how far you have come, as a source of pride and to inspire and motivate you to keep going on your wellness journey.

Going Strong, Life, Lifestyle, Parenting, Tips

How To Keep Your Family Safe On Road Trips

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The road trip is a pretty popular form of travel, and it’s quite easy to see why. After all, it’s a great way of getting around, it tends to be quite an affordable way to have a holiday, and it is altogether more eco-friendly than flying somewhere to go on a trip. But there is one major concern that might be playing on your mind if you are thinking of taking a road trip, and that is safety.

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Image Credit – CCO License

It is, after all, hugely important to make sure that you are keeping your family safe on the road at all times. In this post, we’ll take a look through some of the major ways in which you can hope to do just that.

Plan Out The Route

One of the most important things you can do here is to make sure you are planning out your route beforehand. The more fully you plan it out, the more likely it is that you are going to remain safe and keep your family safe too. Why? Because when you know where you are going and how long you have to drive each day and so on, you can simply relax and focus on the road itself.

Make sure you plan out each day, including where you are going to stop and when you will pull over for lunch and so on. The more fully you plan it out, the better.

Make Sure You Eat

It might sound simple, but you really need to make sure that you are eating regularly when you are out on the road. This helps you to concentrate more effectively, and means you have a faster reaction time, while also helping you to keep your wits about you and manage your emotions. All of that means you are driving better and that you are more likely to avoid collisions and other such incidents, so it’s surprising what a difference it can make to simply ensure you are eating.

Always have plenty of food with you in the car, and make it a rule that you eat as soon as you are hungry. This is the safest approach, and it will help in ensuring that you and your family are much safer while traveling on the roads.

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Image Credit – CCO License

Think Carefully About Peak Times

If at all possible, you should aim to avoid driving through busy metropolitan areas during peak times, as this is when you are most likely to get into an accident on the roads. It is much better to plan ahead and to think about how you can avoid driving in cities and other major areas at such a time. It’s one of those small planning things that you can do if you want to make sure you are keeping yourself and your whole family perfectly safe while driving.

This might mean some of your journeys are longer, but that’s worth it if it means that you will be safer, and that your kids will be safer as well.

Buy A Safe Car

The car you drive is another hugely important thing you need to think about here. Some cars are just considerably safer than others. If you are looking around for a new car, it’s a good idea to make sure that you compare the available vehicles enough so that you end up with one that you feel as safe as possible in.

How can you know that a car is more likely to be safe? Sometimes it’s down to the brand and the dealership combination – going for a Hoffman Ford is always a good bet, for instance – and there is also something called the reliability index that you can look up for any car you are choosing to buy. As long as you are careful about what car to drive, you should find this really makes a huge difference.

Check The Weather

Certain weathers are obviously a lot more dangerous to drive in than others, so it’s important that you are always keeping one eye on what the weather is likely to do, before you drive anywhere. As long as you have done that, you can at the very least avoid the worst weather, such as hurricanes and storms and so on, where you are always more likely to crash or sustain an injury. This is again one of those very simple things you can do which end up making a significant difference to how your road trips turn out. And you and your family will feel a lot safer for it.

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Image Credit – CCO License

Sleep Well

If at all possible, avoid driving while tired. The statistics infer that driving tired is more dangerous than driving drunk, so it’s definitely something you should think carefully about. You should do all you possibly can to try and sleep well every night, as this is going to help you to drive a lot more safely. Your reaction times will be quicker and you will avoid many more accidents this way. If there are two of you driving, you always have the option of switching drivers if one of you is too tired, so that’s something to consider too. It is not worth the risk, and it’s important that you appreciate just how dangerous it really can be to drive while tired.

Reduce Distractions

There can always be all sorts of distractions when you are on the road, and your aim should be to keep them to an absolute minimum. The fewer distractions there are, the easier you will find it to drive safely, and you are going to find that this makes everyone feel a lot better in general. If you have your whole family in the car, complete with kids and so on, there are a lot of distractions that can arise, so it’s going to prove important to keep a good control over your kids as well in order to help with this.

If you have done all that, you will find that your family is kept much safer on your road trips.

Going Strong, Life, Lifestyle, Parenting, Tips

6 Ways To Avoid Dad Burnout

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Being a dad is a rewarding role but it can also take a lot out of you. Working hard and trying to care for your family may leave you feeling exhausted at the end of the day.

If you have a busy life then it’s all the more reason why you need to put measures in place that help you to remain energized and in a good mood. What you don’t want to do is ignore how you’re feeling and hope that your anxiety goes away. Here are six ways to avoid dad burnout so you can get your health and happiness back on track.

1. Identify Your Stressors

A wise first step is to create awareness around what stresses you out the most. For example, it may be working long hours, having young kids who need you, lack of sleep, or having poor time management skills. Identify your stressors so that you can work with them and hopefully not let certain aspects of your life get in the way of you feeling your best. Once you know the causes you can better cope and take good care of yourself as soon as you notice your stress levels rising.

2. Find Time to Relax & Put Your Feet up

It’s also important that you find time to relax and put your feet up every so often. Rushing around and being on the go all the time will drain your energy and you might feel worn down. Avoid dad burnout by making it a point to rest and calm your mind and body. There are many ways to spend your time such as watching a movie, reading a book, or sitting on your patio and enjoying some of the best cigars and pipes on the market. You’ll feel refreshed and more like tackling your to-do list when you’re good about incorporating downtime and not always being connected and busy.

3. Set Boundaries at Work

Avoid dad burnout by not overdoing it at your job. Set boundaries at work so people understand your limits and your availability. Learn to delegate tasks to others so that you have a manageable workload and aren’t the one staying at the office late each night. Ask for help when you need it and set up a home office that will provide you with greater flexibility when it comes to your work hours and schedule. Make lists and set priorities so you know what needs to get done first and foremost each day. Take time off, eliminate distractions, and learn to say no when you don’t have availability.

4. Have A Personal Life & Hobbies

Another way to avoid dad burnout is to have a personal life and hobbies. This will keep you happy and engaged in life. It also provides you with the opportunity to have a social calendar and activities that help you build relationships with others. Hobbies enrich your life and leisure time allows you to take breaks from your responsibilities and work duties. There are many options out there to give a try so start by experimenting with different hobbies and see what you find the most rewarding.

5. Exercise & Break A Sweat

One of the best ways to stay healthy and beat stress is to exercise. Not only move more but also find ways to break a sweat regularly so that you sleep better and have less anxiety. You’ll feel more energized overall and will love the way you look which will boost your confidence. Work daily exercise into your routine and you’ll feel great and have a positive outlet for managing your stress. You’ll like the way you look and it’s an effective way to boost your mood and mental health. Even if you don’t feel like exercising you should try to because you’ll feel better once you’re done.

6. Open up & Talk

It might also help to confide in others when you’re feeling overwhelmed or need advice. Open up and talk to your spouse or friends and extended family and use them as sounding boards. Let them know what you need from them such as just to listen or if you want advice and suggestions for certain problems you’re facing. The more you get in the habit of opening up and talking about how you’re feeling, the more likely it is that you’ll avoid burnout and be able to navigate the future with a more positive and optimistic outlook. There are also dad support groups and other fathers out there who are going through what you are and would likely be happy to listen and converse.