Different kinds of headaches arise from different situations and are caused by different stimuli. I know how uncomfortable and how debilitating they can be.

Getting rid of a headache is sometimes as simple as taking a breather. If not, a cup of coffee or a quick nap might do the trick.

This is why I have put together a list of things that help prevent or get rid of both chronic and temporary headaches.

1. Stress headaches. I know I get these a lot. Chances are you might not even notice this type of headache creeping up on you as you are busy worrying about everything under the sun. If you get stress headaches often the first thing to do is to pinpoint the stressors that trigger the headaches. This will allow you to avoid, or brace yourself better, for the future annoying headaches that feel like they will never leave. Sometimes simply identifying triggers can help alleviate the symptom as the symptom is usually there to tell you something is wrong.
2. Check your diet. Some foods can trigger headaches if you eat too much or too little. For example, sugar and caffeine. Too little or too much of these can cause persistent headaches until you satisfy your body’s need. If you don’t drink coffee, there is still an added benefit to drinking a small cup when a headache arises. Studies have shown that a nice hot cup of coffee can curb an asthmatic reaction as well as headaches. They have also shown that caffeine can help alleviate muscle pain.
3. Exercise. This can prevent as well as get rid of headaches. A good, sweaty run can get rid of toxins in your body as well as charge neurotransmitters that help alleviate pain.
4. Drink lots of water. Some headaches are due to not drinking enough liquids, especially water.
5. Get enough sleep. Too little sleep can lead to headaches as your body is trying to signal you to sleep more. Also, too much sleep can also cause that dull aching in your head that makes it difficult to move and think. Most people do not realize the cons of oversleeping.
6. Keep a consistent sleeping pattern. Now that you drink enough liquids, keeping a consistent sleeping pattern will also avoid headaches by helping to prevent oversleeping or under sleeping. A consistent pattern is also important because your body will habituate to the cycle and it is by breaking this cycle that some headaches are formed.
7. Check your pillows or posture when you sleep and sit. Straining your neck during sleeping or when you sit can also cause headaches! Make sure your pillow is not so fluffy that your head is at and odd angle, and make sure that it is firm enough to support your head. When sitting, try to keep your back and neck straight.
8. Limit screen time. Watching too much t.v or spending too much time in front of a computer screen is also a cause of headaches. Especially if the screens are bright and the room is not well lit.
9. Check with your doctor. You might need glasses. Eye strain can cause headaches, and some eye strain is the product of needing to adjust your eyesight. A quick checkup with your doctor can also signal any other, potentially dangerous reasons you could be having chronic headaches.

Exercise is an important deterrent to headaches as well as keeping hydrated and watching your diet. You do not always have to turn to medications to help alleviate pain.

Finally, sometimes a simple smile will help get the endorphins going and the dopamine flowing and therefore getting rid of, or preventing an oncoming headache from turning into a monster.

photo by Mrs. Maze

Buying a house/condo/place to live is perhaps one of the biggest things you will ever do in your life. There are a few dozen things you must consider before signing the contract, from the neighborhood to the structure of the place.

The following tips and considerations are only a few of the most important things to think about. They should always be in your mind from the beginning of the process to the end.

1. Consider your finances

So this probably warrants a “duh” but believe me, I have seen people who buy something outside of their price range thinking they will get that raise next year or they will make it somehow.

Chances are if you can’t afford it now you won’t afford it in the future. Think cutting back on luxury items will help you afford the new place? Try cutting back for a few months to prove to yourself that you can and to see if you really will have enough money.

2. Prepare for future finance problems

Along the same lines as tip #1, plan for future problems or troubles you might encounter. For example, if you lose your job or if you need to make a ‘special payment’ one month. A special payment can range from medical to surprise bills.

It has been suggested to me to always have at least three months of rent in the bank in case of emergency. This should be the same for mortgage. Keep at least 3 months aside so that if anything happens, you will be prepared.

3. Check out the neighborhood

You might have found a great place but does the neighborhood suit you?

For example, are the grocery stores close and are there buses if you don’t own a car? What are the city services like? What are your neighbors like? Is it kid friendly, if you have children/planning on having children?
4. Get it inspected

This is perhaps the most important tip. An inspection will find anything wrong with the place you are about to buy so that surprise repair problems won’t pop up in the future. It will also avoid you paying more than you should.

For example, are there 5,000$ of repairs to do? You might be able to get this deducted from the sale price.

5. Goals

It might be a good idea to have a clear, defined picture of what you want or, chances are you might get overwhelmed thinking “This place is great. And so is this one. But this one is also amazing.”

I would search for places with a fireplace, central air and a nice backyard. In the end, this specific wants will help me narrow my search. Take a sheet of paper and take your time. Write down everything you need.

6. ” Investigations “

Ask yourself, or even the seller, why they want to sell. Is it because there are a lot of repairs to do? Or are they relocating? This could help pinpoint anything they are trying to hide from you. It will also help you decide if the place is the right place for you.

Also important to ask is how long the place has been listed. If it has been listed for awhile, there might be a problem with the place, or they might be taking advantage of you with the price.

7. Eyes wide open

Inside and outside. From the fences and shed to the basement. This will give you an idea of what it will be like to live in it and you might even find problems or things you don’t like which will sway your buying decision in the end. Also, it will avoid surprises in the end, for example finding the fence needs to be repaired.

These seven tips will help you find and buy that perfect place for you, and maybe even your family. It is a long process and there are a lot of things to think about. However, it is better to know now, before buying, the kind of problems you might encounter, for example hidden repair problems. Buying a place to live isn’t something to rush into. Get all the facts first.

photo by jsdart

Planning on buying a pet in the near future? I am, so I started looking for tips on buying or adopting pets and found some really great things to think about before actually doing it. You need to take everything int consideration before buying a pet ranging from what breed you want, to the lifestyle that you lead.

Here are the key elements of choosing a pet.

1. Future Pets

Will you be adopting another pet in the near future? You might want to make sure the pet you’re getting now will be compatible with the future pet. Some animals will not take to a new comer in the future. It all depends on the temperament of the animal.

2. Children

If you have children make sure the pet you get is ‘kid friendly’. Some animals will not react well to the constant pulling and shoving that kids will do. Planning on having children in the near future? Take the same considerations when buying. Some animals will react unkindly to having a new ‘baby’ in the house and may never warm up.

3. Living space and lifestyle

Take into consideration your living space. If you’re living in a city apartment with no backyard, a big dog might not be ideal or it may not be fair to the animal. If you travel a lot, a dog might not be that good of an idea either. Dogs need companionship, so a cat might be a better choice. Is your apartment full of expensive carpets and leather chairs? A cat might not be the right choice for you since most love to claw.

4. Animal’s origin

Does the puppy come from a puppy mill? Does the animal come from a tattered background of abuse? It might seem like a good idea at the time, it might even seem like the right thing to give the poor animal a good place to live. However, pups from puppy mills are easily replaced, and buying one there will only fuel the owner’s bank account.

Finally, if you really want to adopt the abused pet know what you are getting into. Some animals lash out, some animals will turn inwards. Simple things such as raising a hand to get a glass can trigger the animal to either attack or pee on the floor.

5. Research

Look up information on the breed that you want. This will help you decide whether you will be compatible with the animal. There are some breeds of dogs that I would love to have but shouldn’t adopt because they need a certain type of owner. For example, some breeds need a strong willed master so that they won’t take over the household. It may sound funny, but you will not be able to train a dog that won’t listen to you.

This is anything but an exhaustive list of what to consider before purchasing or adopting an animal. They are more a list of the most important tips that I came across while researching online. Pets do need to be compatible with everyone who lives in the household as well as the household itself.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, knowing where the animal comes from will green light any problems you might encounter in the future. Choose wisely, a pet is a companion for life!

photo by redmond.ridgeback

A lot of people claim to own a solution to getting rich quick. They offer free tickets and invite people to their seminars, talk about many things to get the crowd attention, and in the end they try to sell them a very expensive product, that won’t to earning money.

photo by emdot

If you’re thinking of such schemes to getting rich quick effortlessly, and I will have to agree it’s very tempting, then you should know it’s not you who’s going to make money, but those that present you these “opportunities”. The promoters.

The temptation is to resist to what these guys promise:
- huge profits in the real estate market
- huge profits in the stock market
- and a safe exit.

You can do all these with a broker or with a real estate agent if you are interested to enter these markets, but this doesn’t mean you will get rich quick. Money are needed to buy a property on the brink of foreclosure or to buy Apple Computers (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares and no one can guarantee you’re going to make a profit off of it.

One last thing that should make you think is the fact that these promoters offer financing solutions with extremely low rates (unusually low) and many times, they even offer guaranteed returns of 25 percent or even 50 percent on a short term.

I advise you to consider “work” as the best solution for getting rich.

Managing a family could be a full-time job. You are constantly playing every role imaginable from teacher to friend and sometimes, even foe. Another big role parents must play is mediator between siblings. We have all experienced sibling rivalry even if you are the only child.

photo by siwasun

As a parent, managing fights between your children is hard and sometimes even impossible. They love each other one moment and hate each other the next. The followings tips are meant to help improve sibling relations.

Everyone is important

The older child and middle child are important too. We have a tendency to pamper the baby of the family. It is ‘expected’ but can be harmful. It may create tension between the older siblings. Instead, try to equally pamper each child knowing that each deserves it. Also important is tip 2. Spend time with each one of your children.

Spend time alone with every child

Even if it is 15 minutes a day. This avoids siblings becoming jealous that you are spending more time with the ‘favorite’.

Spread the responsibility

New baby on the way? Spread out the responsibilities of caring for the baby with your other children. Getting them involved means they will become more attached to their sibling and therefore develop less resentment.

Have family meetings

At least once a week sit down with the entire family to discuss problems and solutions to these problems. Perhaps shuffle the chore list during this time, or create chore that require cooperation between the siblings. Force them to work together and not against each other.

No favorites, all favorites

Do not play favorites. Each child has their flaws and talents. Focus on the good in every child so as to not play favorites because “Jane is smarter than Joey”. Instead, realize that each child is unique and consider them equal. So, treat them all as your favorite!

Don’t compare

Never, ever compare siblings to each other. I have often heard this from my mother and father, “…but your sister would be able to do it…” or “…why don’t you be more responsible like your sister…”

This creates a hostility between siblings through the pressure being created by the comparison. Instead, if the child is having problems, sit down and treat every problem in isolation. Each child is unique and therefore has unique problems and successes.

Listen to every child

Fights between siblings are inevitable. When a fight does break out there will be the ever popular “…but she started it…” or “…its his fault…”. Be sure to listen to both sides of the story. Even if you don’t have time, reschedule to a time where you will be able to listen to both sides of the story.

Only listening to one leaves the other child feeling left out and that his or her opinion and experiences don’t count. This will cause resentment towards the sibling.

Teach problem-solving skills

You can’t be the mediator for every situation. Teaching your children how to mediate their problems is a good way to mediate when you are not actually around. Teach them to negotiate when they want to share.

Teach them to talk through their feelings when they are fighting and finally, teach them that fighting with each other does not mean that they do not love each other. Essentially, teach them that the emotions they get when fighting are separate from their feelings for each other outside the fights they may have.

Some children cannot separate their in the moment feelings and end up thinking they hate their siblings because of all the negative emotions during fights.

Being a parent is like being a superhero

Constantly needing to watch over your children to make sure they don’t kill each other during fights, making sure they learn to share and play nice and being there to fix all the other wonderful messes children get themselves into.

The biggest and more important tip would be to listen to each child and value their opinions and experiences. What may seem quite silly to you, like fighting over a truck, is actually quite important to them. Validate this, teach them problem solving skills and teach them to cooperate with each other instead of against.

I wish you all good luck and would love to listen to your experiences.

My new year’s resolution? To lose weight. The same as hundreds of thousands of other souls out there.

Where to start? A nice simple diet coupled with cardio every day. I know it can be difficult, as I have been tempted to quit nearly every day; tempted to give into that can of coke or that piece of cheesecake.

photo by Liberoliber

The following simple tips will help you keep on track. They worked for me in the toughest of times.

1. Hungry after a meal?

Drink water. This will fill up your stomach and alleviate your hungry pangs. This I have found the most useful. After supper, approximately 2 hours before bedtime I start to get snack-ish. By drinking a glass of water I trick myself into thinking I am not hungry. Then, by the time my body realizes, I am fast asleep.

2. Replace the sodas/pops with water.

This will cut down the calorie intake drastically. Bored of water? I know I am…try sugar-free flavored powder.

3. Stop eating 2 hours before bed.

If you have to eat something, have something light, or a meal supplement. Going to bed after having a huge meal is taxing on your digestive system. By not eating before bed you will get a better sleep and the calories won’t be directly stored instead of burned off immediately.

4. Eat 5 small meals a day.

This will keep your metabolism going and help to curb your hunger. Calorie burning will be easy if your metabolism is always idling.

5. Add protein into your meals.

As many sites state, they are better for you than carbs and fats and are good for helping repair your body after exercises, which you will hopefully coupling with your new diet.

6. Leave food on your plate.

This will short circuit the instinct to eat everything in sight. Stocking up on calories use to be beneficial to our survival since many days may have passed without any food. Since our society is now over flowing with food, this instinct to eat all is mal-adaptive.

7. Get stressed and look for chocolate?

Instead, deal with stress through cardio or through yoga or mediation. You will feel great afterwards.

8. Stock your house with healthy snacks.

I know when I am about to watch a movie I look for the candy, soda and popcorn immediately. Replace this with fruits or vegetables. Try the reduced calories popcorn. Cut out the soda. Trust me, it might be hard at first but it is doable.

9. Limit alcohol.

I freaked out when I saw how many calories were in a glass of wine or a bottle of beer. You may not think it, but alcohol is huge for calorie intake.

10. Hate to say it, exercise.

It takes about three weeks to make a habit. Start slow, about 10 minutes of running on a treadmill a day or something similar. I started in January, doing approximately 5 minutes on an elliptical bike, 2 days a week. I am now doing 30 minutes on weekends and 20 minutes during the week. If you want to lose weight you need to burn the calories.

It is not easy, I know it, you know it, we all know it. The previous tips are ones that I have found to be most effective in helping me keep my New Year’s goal. It has been three years since I have been making a decision to lose weight, this is the first year that has gotten off to such a great start.

If I can do it, so can you, and you have other tips share with all of us.

Right now I am on a train, traveling 600km back to my home town on a journey that normally takes 8 hours. Today however, I can add three more because of a sudden railroad strike. I can tell you it’s pretty boring. No music, no news, but a very upset ticket collector.

Anyways, no worries I have my laptop with me to keep me busy. So my question for you is what can someone that travels bye train, can do to feel good even if it takes a lot?

Here are a few thing that I’ve thought of.

1. Enjoy the view. If there are things you can view make sure you don’t miss them. For more than 25km we’ve been traveling along the Danube and the view was fantastic.

If you have your camera with you, take pictures.

2. Work on your laptop. It could be a business trip and you may want to read those charts again. If that’s the case take your laptop out of its case and push the buttons a little.

If it’s not business that you can do with it, then you may want to watch a movie, write down your thoughts like I’m doing now, a poem or who knows, play a video game.

3. Talk to your neighbors. From my experience, it’s easier to talk with other people on an airplane rather than on a train. I don’t know why this happens, but it did for me. However, if you want to chit chat with the person on the next seat you can start a conversation and see if it’s worth it. You can always find new things from them.

4. Meditate. I do this often. The train is not full and I have no distractions right now so this may be a good idea for me to meditate for a few minutes. I’m sure you would feel better.

5. Take short naps. If you’re traveling at night if it’s a comfortable chair you may even sleep. No one can blame you for taking short breaks and close your eyes. Studies revealed that a power-nap is very refreshing for the body.

6. Read a book. Since not everyone owns a laptop or not everyone carries a laptop while traveling, you may want to take a book with you. Nothing compares to reading a good book on paper, so why not do it? If you’re not much of a reader, why don’t you start now?

7. Cross-words or music. This is more like fun things to do. Get your iPod with you and listen to your favorite album while you solve crosswords.

8. Don’t forget to stretch. A train is not like school. You won’t get a prize for sitting on that chair for so many hours. Stand up every 30-60 minutes and stretch for a while. Your back will say thank you when you get to your destination.

9. Touch base. If you don’t have coverage problems like I do, then you may want to either send an email to your old pals you haven’t talked with in the last few months or maybe give them a call. I’m sure they’d appreciate. So will you.

This may not sound like the best guide for traveling on a train, but I just told you what works for me. If you have your own ideas and habits why don’t you let us all know!

ps: Arriving in the station and I’m happy after spending 11 hours on a train.

It doesn’t matter if you’re well into your working years or you’re just about to take the final step into retirement, because there are a few things that should be considered before.

An important fact is that you should determine your retirement needs. You will have expenses and sources of income that should be identified.

Many say that the right thing to do is starting early, but what if you didn’t do it so far. Is there anything that you can do? The answer is simple, yes, but we’ll go step by step.

The retirement checklist is different for those that are already saving and for those that are close to retirement. Anyways, following a few basic elements could lead to an effective plan.

1. Determine your retirement needs
Identifying potential expenses and potential income is crucial. Make the difference and see what you need to live a comfortable life. The sum could be big, but it’s for 20 or 30 years, don’t get too excited.

2. What to invest in
It’s very important to decide what to put your money in because you should know there is risk involved when you have to deal with stocks, bonds or cash. If your portfolio is rich in stocks then you need to adjust your asset allocation in response to significant market moves. Same goes for bonds or even cash. Make sure you always know what’s going on with your retirement plan and act accordingly.

3. Getting more
The money will work for you. It’s a true, old saying. If you start early or contribute as much as possible to a retirement plan (employer or sponsored) you’ll get the benefits later.

4. Asset distribution
If you have everything solved and you are near retirement, asset distribution is crucial. Set your annual withdrawal rate and make sure the possibility of outliving your money is null. This is something you may want to talk to a retirement adviser or a retirement planner. I know that whenI will retire, I will do it myself using an Excel spreadsheet with 25 years time frame where I can track costs (consider inflation, too), income from investments, major and medium purchases, income from SS and pensions.

These above, are a few general rules to follow when retiring, but here are a few questions you may want to ask yourself before actually doing it or when planning for it.

• Have you allocated your assets so that you can reach your goal in a certain time frame? Does it suit your risk tolerance?
• Contributing to a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA might bring you benefits. Checked that out?
• Do you know your payout options?
• Costs and income. How deep did you go? Are you sure you’ve included them all?
• The amount of your annual required minimum distribution (RMD). Do you know it?

If you guys can add more, this would turn out as mini-guide to retirement. What do you think of it?

photo by Jeff Holbrook

Lunch hour is not about food anymore or at least that’s what modern people are trying to demonstrate. Instead, people get their errands done and forget that the lunch hour was designed for what the name says, your hour at noon.

photo by dariuszka

One hour in the middle of the day means work for most of us. We grab a sandwich but we still have the phone connected to our ear talking to producers and clients. This is not healthy and people should change from such a habit.

Elvis Has Left the Building

No matter if you’re working in an offices building or if it’s in the comfort of your own house you should relax for a few minutes. Go outside even if it’s just for two minutes. Walking helps and so does seeing other people.

Changing the air (real air vs office air) is a fast-mode to recharge your batteries.

Power-napping

More and more studies explain how you can benefit from a 10-15 nap. Have you seen that after a good night sleep your mind is focused and you’re very productive? Same happens after a short nap.

“Your nap will refresh your mind and put a whole new perspective on the afternoon, because it breaks the tension of the day,” says Dr. Farrell.

A Healthy Lunch

If you plan to do the above you’re on track, but if you go back to your office and have a pizza or fatty, high-calorie foods this isn’t my idea of healthy eating.

The options are simple. Find a restaurant that serves healthy food,take a friend with you and eat out. The other one is packing leftovers from home. You should include fibers and protein because they give you power to finish your day.

Daydreaming

Just like napping for a few minutes, daydreaming in the park could be just as good. Take a mini-mini-vacation, leave your mobile phone at the office and head out to your favorite spot. How about meeting your girlfriend/boyfriend or wife/husband to kiss, laugh and hug? If you agree that this could be fun, I’m sure you’ll do it.

These are a few quick tips to improve your lunch break that worked for me. I’m sure they will work for you as well, but you may have your own habits. How about sharing in the comments below?