Home and Garden Diva

You are here: Home / Blog

How To Keep A Positive Mental Attitude When You’re Recovering From An Injury

by

and the instep (which didn't even hurt at the time)

Recovering from an injury is something that can really tire your body out and which requires your full dedication. Try to ignore your injury and you will find that it quickly gets worse, while ‘giving up’ and spending all your time in bed feeling sorry for yourself will only cause your body to give up too.

Recovery takes dedication in the form of exercise, correct nutrition and research. Throughout all this it’s crucial to maintain a positive attitude which has been shown to have proven benefits for the body and to help speed up healing. This can be difficult of course when you’re lying injured in bed, unable to move and in a lot of pain but there are several things you can do to keep your levity. Here we will look at how you can stay looking on the Brightside even when you’re body it failing you.

Get Support From Your Friends and Family

Getting support from your friends and family is rarely as important as when you’re struggling in bed after an accident. Of course you will be reliant on their good nature to an extent but just make sure that you are open to their help and their offers for support. If the support doesn’t come right away then don’t be afraid to reach out either; call up your friends, ask them to come round and generally try to stay sociable.

Treat Yourself

When you’re feeling sorry for yourself with your leg in cast or your ears ringing, there has seldom been a time that you were more deserving of a treat. Now is the time to finally let yourself buy that new computer, or to treat yourself to some new magazines and computer games. Whatever your particular weakness, this can give you something to take your mind off your situation and get you looking forward to things.

Monitor Your Progress

No matter what is wrong with you, there will be times when you see improvement. Perhaps it’s the first time you are able to stand, or perhaps it’s when your arm comes out of the cast. Whatever the case, focus on these mile stones as positive improvement and get a sense of progress from it. It can also help to come up with a plan for your recovery so that you feel proactive rather than helpless.

Get Even

If you are angry after your accident because you feel it was someone else’s fault then this isn’t going to help with your recovery at all. In this case you may want to try using a personal injury attorney who can help you to get compensation. Once you at least feel everything is fair you can focus on getting better rather than on feeling resentful.

CBT

Sometimes being injured can have serious psychological impacts on a person. If you find yourself really struggling with serious feelings of depression or stress, then you might want to get help from a specialist. Using CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) you should be able to change your thought processes and improve your mood.

Attached Images:
  •  License: Creative Commons image source
  •  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2012/04/25/00/23/icon-41335_150.png

Jack Blake is a physiotherapist is Atlanta. A happy go lucky guy, he treats his patients with a broad smile on his face, as he believes that it gives them confidence and helps them recover quickly. An avid blogger, he spends his free time writing articles on health issues.

Five Tips To Help Dog Separation Anxiety

by

taro shiba:

From puppies to adult dogs, anxiety can be present regardless of age, size, breed and gender. Separation anxiety can happen for a variety of reasons, but luckily for us dog owners, there are a lot of solutions to helping your dog overcome this problem. In order to help a dog feel comfortable being left alone, follow these five tips.

Exercise

Before you leave the house and leave your furry friend behind, make sure he or she has had a good deal of exercise. Whether this means taking a long walk or a short run before leaving your pet at home, exercise will help your pet feel more relaxed when you walk out the door. This is because your pet will have less energy to focus on being left alone and will most likely fall asleep easier when you leave.

Avoid contact

As much as you want to tell your dog you love them as you’re leaving and pet them, making a big deal about your departure is only going to make it more difficult. By being casual when you’re leaving your pet behind, it’ll seem less serious and won’t make them think that the world is ending as you shut the door. When you return after your departure, it’s also important not to overreact when you see your pet again. Remaining calm will help the dog feel relaxed and will make them realize you leaving and returning isn’t that big of a deal.

Say goodbye early

It’s always a good idea to prepare for your departure a little early so that your pet has time to cope with the situation. Just like you should be avoiding eye contact, you also should be avoiding showing any sort of affection right before you leave. Whether you’re putting your dog in a crate or you are simply shutting the door behind you, don’t say goodbye and don’t act like you’re leaving forever.

Be calm

Never feel guilty about leaving your pet, ever. Instead, show your pet that everything is going to be okay by showing confidence and positive energy. Being calm and assertive can help ease any feelings of separation anxiety in dogs and will help you break this habit faster.

Start small and grow gradually

The first step to breaking this habit from your dog is to start small. This could mean doing little things like only leaving your dog alone for five minutes or using one tip at a time until you can handle all five. The most important thing is to do things gradually so that it’s not a shock when you pay less attention to your dog as you’re leaving the house. Eventually over time, you will see that both you as the owner and your pet will be less stressed and hopefully anxiety free!

Attached Images:

Jessica McNeal is a freelance writer and dog lover. Because she loves animals, she loves to make sure they’re safe from harm and are protected with pet ID tags. She buys her animals ID tags from Ketchum Mfg. Co. and is always satisfied with their products.

Show Mom Your Love And Appreciation With Flowers

by



Gifts are our expression of love and appreciation.  Presenting someone with a gift means we care about them, and want to show them how much.  No matter what kind of gift is received, it should be accepted with thankfulness and grace, in the spirit in which it is given.  But when you see the person you are giving the gift to with their eyes lit up and then a smile breaks out across their face, you know you have hit the jackpot, and they love their gift.  Giving the gift of flowers is usually a guarantee that this will occur.


Flowers and Moms Equal Beauty and Love

Flowers are universal symbols of beauty, love, and warmth.  That is why they make such lovely and wonderful gifts.  Most women love gifts, and most women love flowers.  Putting the two together makes Mother’s Day the perfect occasion to have some delivered.

Florists Specialize In Flowers and Mother’s Day

Scheduling a delivery with your local florist is an easy way to accomplish your goal.  They specialize in flowers and Mother’s day, with product geared especially for the holiday.  Gorgeous flowers, keepsake collectible containers, lush blooming plants and gardens, delicious fruit and gourmet baskets, and fabulous gift baskets are just some of the offerings they have on hand.  Having to choose will probably be the hardest part of placing your order.  And they can even help you make your selection by giving you information about their specials and making suggestions within your budget. They can even help you figure out what to have written on your enclosure card.

Favorites Can Be Accommodated With Style

If your mother has a favorite color or flower, tell them.  They can feature her favorite flower in an arrangement, such as a vase overflowing with lilies, or design a bouquet with flowers that are all her favorite color, perhaps in every shade of pink.  You can also just simply leave it up to the floral designer, and let them create a unique piece with their picks of the nicest, freshest flowers they have on hand.  These one of a kind creations are often the ones people love to receive the most, as they are lovely, living, works of art.

Conclusion

Flowers best express our love and appreciation for our moms and all they have done for us.  Sending them something that will warm their heart and make them smile is the least we can do for them.

S.R. has been helping people send the perfect Mother’s Day gifts for many years as a professional florist.

5 Tips To Ensure Your House Is As Beautiful On The Outside As It Is On The Inside

by

home exteriorWith the property market stagnant many homeowners have opted to improve their existing homes rather than endure the stress and inconvenience of selling and buying. However it is often too easy to concentrate on improving the interior of your home and, if you are one of those seeking to sell your current home and to move, the importance of creating the right impression on the outside cannot be underestimated. Whether you are looking to sell your property or simply to give it a facelift, the warmer weather and longer daylight hours create the ideal time to concentrate on renovating the outside of your home for maximum kerbside appeal.

Smarten up the entrance

It’s the focal point of any home so it needs a little care. Front doors are unwelcoming if they are dirty, paint-peeling or faded so apply a coat or two of paint or varnish (and don’t be afraid to experiment with vibrant colours, unless you live in a street of period properties where a neutral black be more befitting). Polish the door furniture or better still replace it and ensure house numbers are visible, sparkling and straight.

Upgrade the windows

Window technology is improving all the time and if your existing windows suffer from rotting woodwork, leaking draughts or the unsightly aluminium frames of the 1980s, then now could be an ideal time to upgrade with modern uPVC replacements. New windows will not only offer improved sound and heat insulation but will also give your property an immediate facelift. Do take care to choose a style in keeping with the age of the house; the position of the glazing bars is crucial. With a wide range of windows at Wickes and expert advice on hand, you can be confident of choosing the perfect design to add a touch of class to your home.

Brickwork and Cladding

In older properties in particular the mortar between the bricks may need repointing to give your home improved protection against the elements and also a fresh appearance. Small areas can be completed by a competent DIYer but large expanses should be tackled by an expert who will also ensure the mortar is colour-matched to the brickwork.

Cladding was fashionable in properties from the middle of the last century and requires considerable and regular maintenance in the form of staining. One alternative is to replace them with a uPVC equivalent which will offer durability as well as being attractive to the eye. Cladding half of your home with horizontal cedar boards is a current fashion trend but consider whether your property would stick out like a sore thumb if your neighbours’ homes are more traditional.

Grow some plants

The modern trend for lawns to be uprooted and replaced with hard standing or ornamental stones can be sterile and unattractive. Simple borders or flowering beds can add a vital splash of colour, window boxes can add an instant homely touch and planters with leafy shrubs will help to enhance your home. Such improvements need not cost the earth but can transform a tired exterior quickly.

Clear up the clutter!

It may sound so simple that it’s almost daft but clutter around the outside of your property is unsightly. Find a new home for the bins and endless recycling boxes, put the kids’ toys and bikes in the garage and sweep the drive. It’ll make a world of difference!

Improving the exterior appearance of your home needn’t break the bank and with a little time, effort and well-planned budgeting your property can be as attractive on the outside as the rooms within.

For more inspiration visit http://www.channel4.com/4homes/build-renovate/building-renovating-advice/transform-your-homes-exterior or http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/renovatinganddiy/6254848/Kerb-appeal-10-ways-to-improve-the-appearance-of-your-property.html

Attached Images:
  •  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-16674940-contemporary-colonial-home.php

John is a freelance feature writer based in London, England.

Top Tips That Will Make Your Kitchen Easier To Work In

by

Day 180 - Bloody washing up

How many times has someone said to you ‘the trick is to wash up your dishes right after you’ve eaten?’. It sounds like good advice sure, but what these smug friends don’t seem to take into account is that it’s not always quite that simple. For instance, it might be that you often watch TV while you eat and that you want to watch the rest of the program before you do the washing up. Alternatively it might be that once you’ve sat down, you suddenly feel too tired to get up and do the washing up after your long day of work and cooking.

Finally though, it might just be that you don’t enjoy washing up because your kitchen is too crowded to make it easy. If you have a small or badly designed kitchen, then what’s already a tough and unpleasant job can become unbearable. Here we will look at some of the ways you can make your kitchen more conducive to work, including washing up.

Work Zones

No matter the work you are doing in the kitchen you will find you need work zones. Work zones are areas that you can stand to work and ideally you should be able to reach more than one surface as well as some kind of appliance. In other words a good work zone might enable you to reach two or three bare surfaces and the hob. This way you can chop vegetables, stir a broth and drop things into a bowl all at once. When you first come up with your kitchen design you should try to think about where the work zones are going to be and how you can include more if possible. Using a kitchen island is one great way to add reachable surfaces at multiple points around the kitchen.

Organize Your Small Appliances

265

Blenders, toasty makers and coffee machines are all great things to add to your kitchen that can help you to get more from it and provide better for guests. However they also have a downside which is to clutter your surfaces and make it harder to keep things clean. Keep them organized by providing storage for them, and make sure that there aren’t too many wires draped across your surfaces.

Have a Good Draining Rack

For washing up specifically a good draining rack is important and you should make sure that this provides enough space to keep all of your items on easily without it becoming overcrowded. A bowl in your sink can also help with the washing up.

Make Everything Accessible

While you should try to keep things out of the way and off the surfaces you should also ensure that you can quickly access anything you need to from the appliances to crockery and utensils. If you have to root around for ages to find a knife or climb up onto a step ladder to get the tinned beans then you’ll find that more often than not you end up just making ready meals instead…

Attached Images:

Gary Mint ia an interior designer. His area of interest is the kitchen. He loves to come up with new ideas for kitchen remodelling and is a firm believer in the concept of a spacious kitchen. His other interests include cycling and swimming.

Meta

Tags

basement bed bedroom clean cleaning clutter dog exercise family fitness flowers friends Furniture garden Health help home house husband ideas Kitchen laptop Lighting money Music neighborhood neighbors party plants room Shopping sick skin spring summer tips tired Toronto Travel tv Vacation walking warm winter work

Pages