Basic Meditation - Stress Relief

If you were to request individuals to list the stresses in their life, office stress would probably be on the list for the majority of those individuals. The duties and challenges of our work can sometimes seem overwhelming. This makes office stress relief crucial to a vibrant and happy life. There are a wide range of tips and strategies to keep job stress under control. Even doing merely one of these techniques will help decrease your stress levels.
Stress meditation resources are plentiful, and they are obtainable in nearly every medium and for practically every proficiency level. Classes and workshops can give instruction for beginner to advanced levels of stress meditation methods, while books and websites are outstanding resources for guiding your own practice at any stage. This is an art form that can be practiced for a lifetime with regular improvement, but the best way to commence is to merely sit down in a quiet place and dedicate yourself to trying. More sophisticated skills can then be learned as your skill progresses.
Basic meditation can be accomplished fairly easily. The first step is to locate a great place to begin your meditation. The location you pick should be free from distractions and comfortable. You should stay away from busy places or any location that you affiliate with work or other potentially stressful circumstances. Your house or a peaceful outdoor spot are good options. Make yourself relaxed in your chosen location by sitting or lying down. Next, close your eyes to prepare for your reflection. To start the progression toward clearing your mind of all thoughts, notice your thoughts but do not concentrate on them. Let them slide away without being completely developed. As soon as you are comfortable with the primary steps, carry on by starting to pay attention to the sound of your own breathing. Center all of your attention on this sound. Focus your attention on the air in your lungs and attempt to picture the course that the breath follows through your body. Feel the breath as you inhale, and sense the breath as you exhale. Continue repeating this process until you have pushed the stress from your body or you begin to lose control of your focus. As you train, you will be able to maintain your focus for longer periods and reduce your stress levels further and further with every attempt.
Trying several different meditation techniques is the best way to find one that suits your life. Meditation is a fantastic first step to stress reduction, and almost everyone can profit from its effects. Meditation merely needs a few minutes of your time every day, and those few minutes can go a long way toward reducing your stress levels.

Balancing Exercise and Healthy Eating

If you are like most people it is easier to exercise or eat right, not both. This is one of the main reasons we find it hard to lose weight. Exercising and eating healthy are both part of the equation. I personally find it easier to exercise than eat healthy. Unfortunately, this part is a big problem for me, because eating healthy is 60% of the equation and 40% is physical activity. If you are the person who finds it easier to eat healthy rather than exercise you are off to a great start. How do we balance this for successful weight loss?
Successful weight loss requires at least 5 days a week of healthy eating and physical activity. As we all know there are seven days in a week. To tackle our shortfalls we need to choose at least 3 days to start working out or eating healthy for starters.
If you are the one who has trouble exercising, my suggestion is start off walking for at least 30 minutes 3 times a week. This is one of the easiest and cheapest forms of physical activity. You walk somewhere everyday, either to your car, up the stairs in your home, down the hall of your job, we all walk is my point. Walking for exercise requires continuous movement for 30 minutes or more. Walking burns calories and improves your overall cardiovascular health.
Now if you chose walking as your form of activity you need to walk at a steady pace. If you can you should move your arms while you are walking to get the maximum calorie burn. All you need do is find 30 minutes a day for walking and work yourself up to 5 days. If you choose another form of physical activity such as running, jogging, video tapes, swimming, or joining a gym that is even better. Once you feel comfortable with your 3 days a week, move your routine up to 4 -5 days or increase your workout duration from 45 to 60 minutes each day.
Healthy eating is the largest part of the equation. We want to apply the same 3 day rule, which is to eat healthy at least 3 days and work our selves up to more days. It takes a greater amount of effort to eat right. Eating healthy means paying attention to what is going in your mouth as well as portion sizes. If you work packing your lunch everyday will keep you from the fast food restaurants. You will save money and you will have more control of what you are eating. One thing to remember regarding healthy eating is fruits and vegetables is King! Eat as many as you like. Lean meats and beans are excellent protein choices. Poultry and fish are also good sources of food. Experiment on those 3 days a week with some new healthy recipes you may find a new favorite.

Latex and Nitrile SafeSkin Gloves Compare

There is some give and take when it comes to the differences between latex and nitrile SafeSkin gloves. Originally, nitrile gloves were introduced as an alternative to latex, due to the high propensity for allergic reaction to latex gloves; a fact owing to their increased use by laboratory and healthcare workers with the emergence of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. The nitrile style of glove offers a better puncture resistant material. Compared to latex, however, the increased glove thickness runs the risk of a loss of sensitivity and manual dexterity. To this end, studies have been performed to actually test the differences between the two materials with some interesting results.
Testing Parameters
Before testing, there were questions posed to the participants. First was establishing the clarification as to whether individuals usually wore latex or nitrile gloves while on the job and second, the preference of which glove was the preferred choice amongst workers. Participants were then asked to select the glove size they would typically use.
In addition, hand dimensions were measured using calipers and the findings recorded prior to any actual dexterity testing. The length of the thumb, index and middle fingers were measured as well as their widths at the halfway point on the distal phalanges, or the ends of the fingers that carry the shape of the nails.
Finally, the two types of gloves tested were those used for a range of laboratory work performed. These were the Latex SafeSkin Satin Plus Powder-Free and the SafeSkin Purple Nitrile Powder-Free exam gloves, both manufactured by Kimberly-Clark. Both types of gloves provide a comparable level of protection for workers needing a barrier of protection between themselves and exposure to chemical and biological agents in the course of their work. Among the concerns for health and laboratory workers was a reduction in dexterity and the increased risk of injury from sharps or chemical spills.
Test Results
The only appreciable loss of dexterity found with the nitrile SafeSkin gloves was 8.6 percent less fine finger dexterity when compared to latex with no difference noted in gross dexterity. Participants expressed that the nitrile gloves seemed to be more narrow across the width of the hand, which prompted the decision to go for the next larger size. Those of average hand size found this resulted in some excess material at the ends of the fingers that can lead to trapping and obstructed visual fields. However, those with longer, more narrow fingers found this fit improved dexterity. Smaller sized nitrile gloves are responsible for considerable discomfort, especially among those wearing them for any length of time. The fundamental challenge to glove manufacturers is in having established an "average-sized" glove designed to fit the majority of users.
Participants consistently selected SafeSkin latex gloves on the basis of digit size but avoided choosing Nitrile SafeSkin gloves the same way, indicating nitrile gloves were perceived of as smaller by comparison. Those fearing the latex allergy chose nitrile despite discomfort or dexterity. However, in general, the majority of participants preferred to use the latex gloves, perhaps out of familiarity, perhaps because they simply fit better. While these results cannot be considered conclusive, further tests, including a wider range of gloves, are necessary. In addition, perhaps glove manufacturers can consider alternative sizes, especially for lab workers who are required to wear gloves for extended hours of their day.

Picking The Right Emergency Care Option

Emergency care providers are available in most areas. In some cases, these providers will give you the type of treatment you need right away. Though many people travel to the ER for service, this is not always necessary. You do not always have to sit and wait in the ER waiting room for minor concerns just because your doctor's office is no longer open for the day. Yet, finding the right provider to help you with any health concerns you have takes some research. You will want to ensure the person you are working with is the best possible one for the job.
Who's On Staff?
A good place to start when comparing emergency care providers in your local area is with the doctors themselves. The doctors should be board certified professionals who you know you can trust. These professionals should be the same types of doctors you would find if you did go to the ER and someone you can trust like your family doctor. The good news is that some facilities now employ top notch professionals who you can trust to do a great job.
What Can Be Done?
What you may not realize is that many of these facilities offer a full range of services for patients. When comparing the options in places to go, look for one that can help you with all of your needs. This includes exams for illnesses and injuries. It includes getting blood work done so you can have an official diagnosis. It means getting shots, physicals and getting x-rays if you need them. Most of the best facilities are happy to offer you most types of service; however, they do not often offer surgical wings and cannot treat all types of life-threatening injuries. For these, seek out the local ER instead.
What About Cost?
The good news is that such a provider is going to charge you significantly less than your average ER bill will cost. Even more importantly, these professionals are often covered on health insurance forms and accept flexible savings account funds. What does this mean? It means that you can afford to get the help you need from these providers right away, often within a matter of minutes, so you can feel better now.
Take the time to find out which emergency care facilities in your area can offer the services that you need. Then, invest some time in getting to know the doctors and nurses on staff. Are they the type of providers you can feel comfortable with? If so, go in for treatment. Most do not require appointments and can provide for your needs right away. There is no reason to put off getting help.