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How to Live with Solar Panels in Your Home

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Not everyone powers their homes with solar panels, but if you want to get off the grid, it’s the way to go. Check out the best way to live with solar panels.

Did you know that the average American family spends close to $1,500 a year on electricity?

This is not necessarily surprising, since we rely on electricity for many modern conveniences, ranging from lighting, to appliances, to our cell phones.

But what if you could save on your electricity costs without having to cut back on your electricity? By making the transition to live with solar panels, you may be able to do just that.

Interested? We have the details here on how you can go off the grid, save on utility bills, and help the environment by switching to solar.

Understand Your Electricity Usage

Before you can switch over to solar energy, it’s important to know how much electricity your home uses. This will help you evaluate how much energy you will need to be able to generate with solar panels.

You can easily determine how many kilowatt hours you use per month by looking at your electric bill. That said, if your current usage is high, you should look for ways to cut back before switching.

Easy ways to do this include updating old appliances, installing energy efficient bulbs, and cutting down on heating and cooling.

Assess Your Solar Potential

Unfortunately, not every home is a good candidate for solar energy. If you live in a shaded area, or your neighborhood doesn’t get much direct sunlight, you may not have the ability to power your home with solar alone.

If your home does not have high enough solar potential to power the whole home, you can consider partial options. For instance, using solar panels just for your hot water heater can be a good option.

Compare Solar Panel Options

Once you’ve determined that your home is ready for solar, it’s time to consider options for installing solar panels.

If you are using solar to power your entire home, installation can be expensive, ranging from $5-$10,000. Luckily, there are options for installation that are more affordable.

For instance, you can consider a solar lease. With these arrangements, a company installs solar panels on your roof and retains ownership of them. In return, any excess energy the panels generate goes back to the company.

Or, you can look for companies that offer a discount or wholesale solar panels. Online retailers like 4WD Supacentre offer high-quality equipment at an affordable price.

If you do decide to purchase solar panels, you may be eligible for a tax credit from the federal government. This benefit can make the cost more manageable.

Learn How to Live With Solar Panels

With these tips in hand, you will be ready to live with solar panels to get your electricity.

Have you switched to solar panels? What strategies have you used?

Let us know in the comments below!

Finding A Way Out of Caregiver Exhaustion and Burnout

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In the USA, the number of elderly persons is rising at a steady pace and this trend is expected to continue in the coming few years. In the context of a similar scenario, it can be said that the cost of looking for elderly persons can be a worrying aspect for a majority of families. In addition to the same, there remains the guilt factor associated regarding having to hand over the care services to a concerned third party. As an adult child, it is quite normal to feel that it is necessary to stay committed to looking for one’s parents and there are many who do not even hesitate to part with their jobs so as to engage in care giving services on a day-to-day basis. It holds true that taking care of someone is indeed a rewarding experience. In fact, there can be no denying that doing the same is the highest form of love. However, at the same time, it is important to realize that the same can be mentally and physically stressful and this ultimately may give way to caregiver stress. Having to deal with the fear of losing someone who happens to be really close to you can be really difficult to handle at times and often it is another cause of stress to occur.

Stay away for a while

Caregiver exhaustion is quite common and there is no point in believing that it is something with which you shall not be able to deal with in an effective manner. Firstly, you ought to stay informed about some of the common symptoms of stress. Some of these are depression/anxiety, frequent mood swings, irritability, change in bowel movements, change in appetite, loss in the ability to think critically, change in sleeping habits, and many more related symptoms. Once you have identified the stress generating symptoms, only then must you focus on the ways in which the same may be handled in the best possible ways. Firstly, it is imperative that you find a time for yourself even if that means that you can spare only a couple of minutes and not more. The singular aspect, which assumes paramount importance, is to do all it takes in order to stay away from the stress generating factors and then provide your mind with the much-needed scope to feel rejuvenated.

Explore your known circle

Getting in touch with caregiver support group and sharing the workload is another way in which you may be able to de-stress yourself. One of the best ways of managing your stress level is to interact with people who are on the same boat as you are. Talk to them, share your feelings and thoughts and through this way find out the best route available. It is not necessary that you have to take care of your loved person all the time. Reach out to all your family members and friends and who knows someone from your close quarters and familiar circle may be willing to help you out during such a critical phase of yours. There also remains the scope on your part to schedule shifts and there is no real need for having to spend all your energies in attempting to extend the care services all alone.

The topic specific to caregiver stress and elder abuse is generating immense interest these days. Caringpeopleinc.com has covered this topic in detail. Go through the details and put to rest all your queries within a matter of a few minutes.

Nice Guy Life Hacks

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Do nice guys finish last or are they, instead, the ones that last? It’s all very well and good being a bull in the boardroom, and when it comes to business it can pay to be ruthless, but it’s not so clear that being a domineering character leads to healthy relationships and a happy life overall. Your work should define you to a point, but it won’t hold your hand when you get old or notice when you’re not your usual self. Whatever your job, it does pay to be a bit nicer sometimes, and making people feel valued and respected is the cornerstone of good management and getting the most out of people. Perhaps people view you as a bit of a shark, or maybe you are lacking meaningful relationships with people and wondering why, and what you can do to change the situation. You don’t have to be a psychopath to be a little selfish sometimes, and just because you have to put a bit more effort in than others to learn these things doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Without overhauling your entire personality there are a few things you can do to appear a bit softer and be more considerate. Herein lies the systematizers guide to enjoying close personal relationships.

Train Your Memory

To build close relationships you need to put the effort in, and remembering key personal information and important dates is a good place to start. When you see a friend, partner or even a colleague, remembering what you spoke about last time you met or what they have going on at the moment is crucial to making them feel like you care. Similarly, do not forget important birthdays or anniversaries, if you are rubbish at remembering this sort of thing, try to find a way to store the information somewhere in your brain. You can’t always have your phone on you, and Facebook can’t save you when you are put on the spot by an irate spouse.

Apportion Time For Helping Others

Whether at work or at home, the idea of chunking your day so that you dedicate a good portion of it to helping others is a good way of making sure you maintain the effort. If you know that for a certain amount of time during your day you are helping so-and-so to meet their needs, or even just catching up with them, it is easier to balance the demands of your job and interests with your relationships.

Listen to People

It might sound obvious, but how many times has somebody started talking only for you to switch off thinking you know what they are going to say. You might even be one of those people who finishes sentences for others. Don’t be this guy. When somebody is speaking to you, concentrate on the words they are using and what they are saying. Even if you have been with your significant other for years and years, and even if you know what they are going to say nine times out of ten, there will always be one time when you are surprised.

Treat the Ones You Love Often

If you live with somebody, go the extra mile to make sure that they feel appreciated and loved. Beyond making the odd cups of tea, sharing the responsibilities as much as possible and buying a good wine for dinner is a good way to show you care. If you notice that their phone case is cracked, for example, buy them new Custom Envy Phone Cases and score some serious brownie points. Even if you’re strapped for cash, small spends like this go a long way, and might be the difference between a lasting relationship and an impending breakup.

Be Generous

Being generous isn’t just about giving money away, it’s also about investing your time into things you deem worthwhile. If you find yourself at a loose end, instead of surfing the web in your underwear, why not meet that friend who’s having a bit of a hard time for a coffee? When life deals you lemons, often people give you the slip. Show that you’re not like that by remembering to check in, after all, if all they want to do is talk about their breakup, you can leave after an hour. It’s only coffee, but it could make the world of difference to the other person.

Manage Your Expectations

Often, when we are disappointed with something it is not because that thing is bad, or insufficient, it is because it is not how we ideally wanted it to be. These kinds of frustrations are natural, and sometimes people do need a bit of a reminder to up their game, but a lot of the time it is you who has to accept how things really are and move on. If you are the sort of person that cycles rapidly through short term relationships, it might be for this very reason, that you are not able to discern what a person is like from how you imagine them to be. Just as a partner has to accept how you are, you also have to accept them. By accepting only the best qualities in a person and not their difficulties, you are setting yourself up to fail.

Channel Compassion

The greatest resource available to the nice guy is compassion, so try to up your game a little in this regard, and you will reap great rewards. When we judge others and get angry with them, what is really happening is we are failing to understand why they are behaving in a certain way. If somebody is late, rude or in a bad mood, it might be that they are having a bad time and need your support, not your condemnation. Don’t be a pushover, but also know when understanding is the best way to deal with the problem. It has been shown that, contrary to popular belief, compassion is something which you can improve with effort.

How to Stay on Top Form throughout your Thirties and Forties

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The joyous, if not horribly confusing, years of your twenties pass quickly, and there is a temptation to approach life in your thirties in the same way. What has really changed, and anyway, isn’t age just a number? Sadly, with the advancing years comes a whole host of concerns you have never had before; for example, wrinkles become less of a distant possibility and a present reality, and you will develop a few grey hairs. If you are really unlucky, you might lose it all completely. Before you go and lock yourself away and scream, consider changing your lifestyle and leading a healthier and fitter routine.

1. Get Fit, Stay Fit

There is a reason that everybody always talks about fitness levels. Whereas it might have been ok to be pallid and skinny in your teenage years and early twenties, as you get older these things get less easy to change and your physical fitness becomes more important. If you’re familiar with what they gym looks like from the outside, yet you haven’t actually made it inside yet to look at it up-close, go and get a trial day membership and see whether you might actually enjoy it. If it isn’t for you, research body weight workouts for doing at home. However you tackle your fitness, or lack thereof, do it while you are still (relatively) young. Remember, good habits take a lifetime to develop, so you better start quickly.

2. Assess Your Lifestyle

Are you addicted to sugar, do you eat bacon more than once a day? A healthy diet is super important to increasing your lifespan and making sure you are in peak physical condition for as long as possible. Record how much you drink every week, as it is easy to let a drinking problem creep up on you. Before you know it, you could be far exceeding the recommended amount and not even realize. Similarly, do you smoke? If so, switch to a vaporizer and buy yourself a selection of flavors at the ejuice sale. You might be able to reduce the amount of cigarettes you smoke drastically.

3. Maintain Key Friendships

In your twenties, it can feel like there is a party every weekend and opportunities to see your friends are plentiful. As you get older, you develop careers and long-term stable relationships. Many of you will have children, and between looking after them and yourself, it can seem like there’s barely enough time for eating a decent meal in the evening, let alone staying in contact with friends you made at University. Studies have indicated that friends may be more important than family in our later lives, so keep yourself in contact with friends and get the most out of life in your thirties. Send each other messages, and try and have a monthly dinner party. There are some things that you can’t get from your family, no matter how amazing they are. You’ll also need the change in environment, otherwise you may find it difficult to stay sane.

How Athletes Can Get More Energy

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Energy is the life-blood of the athlete and what they need to perform to the best of their capabilities. Trainers like Peter Benedict St. Andrews use every technique they know of, to get their athlete clients more energy, so they can win more. It is an ongoing challenge that requires constantly examining the athlete and their habits to determine what to modify. In the end, suggestions are offered that should help. Here are some of the most frequent suggestions trainers offer their athlete clients.

Better Diets

Athletes typically need more calories because of the amount of energy they expend when training. But these calories need to be from the right sources and in the right proportions for them to be most effective in providing them with the energy they need to compete at their highest level. The average American diet consists of three large meals that happen throughout the day with many hours between each and snacks at random times in between. The problem with this strategy is you often receive too much food at the wrong times. The large amounts overload you system and require lots of energy to digest, so you end being really tired for long periods after you eat. A better diet is an Asian approach where the athlete eats smaller meals many more times throughout the day. This approach provides a smaller yet steadier supply of energy creating nutrients to the brain and body. Because you are not packed up with so much food, your body is not overtaxed trying to digest it and so it has more energy to delegate to other things.

What the athlete eats is also important in creating the right energy level. The athlete should turn away from the typical western diet that has way too much simple carbohydrates. These foods digest really quickly and give an energy boost that subsides quickly and leaves the athlete feeling drained. Instead the athlete should eat complex carbs and plenty of proteins which stay in the bloodstream longer and provide a consistent release of energy. There should also be a good amount of healthy fats which are important to the body’s internal organs and various systems.

Detox

A detox is a process that cleans toxins and other bad things out of the body’s digestive and working systems. The liver and kidneys provide us with a good detoxification system, but because of environmental pollution, bad diets and other factors, they often get overworked and cannot do the job an athlete needs. As a result the athlete feels sluggish and low on energy.

One particular area of focus for a detox are the intestines where lots of bad bacteria and toxins can build up from waste that does not get excreted. When the intestines are in this state they do not absorb as much nutrients and demand more energy from the body to do their jobs. As a result an athlete can feel sluggish and low on energy constantly. Detoxes take anywhere from a few hours to days to work depending on the areas focused on and the extent of the problem. The result of a good detox is weight loss and vibrancy. They should be performed every few months to ensure the athlete is getting all of the energy available.

There are dozens of detoxes with some focusing on the kidneys others the liver or intestines and some focusing on a myriad of the body’s internal organs. Each has its own claims and some get combined with other beneficial things like diets so you get multiple benefits from the detox.

Naps

Some people think that naps are only for old people, but for an athlete, a nap can be one of his most important tools. Naps give the body the chance to reset itself and to put aside any stress that has built up during the day. It allows the body to recharge and is the perfect solution you’re your batteries are running down. It also gives the body a chance to heal and bumps and bruises. When you rest the body can put much more energy towards this type of healing. The best naps to take are for about 20 minutes and in a darkened room. These types of naps will not affect your night’s sleep.

Low on Energy – Five Simple Ways to Boost Your Energy Level

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Feeling low on energy is something that plagues everyone from time to time. Depending on how long you’ve been feeling this way, it can go from mildly annoying to extremely frustrating. So, what can you do about it? How can you get that boost of energy you need so you can be more productive, and take part in all the activities you want to? Here’s a look at five simple ways you can go about boosting your energy level.

Start Working Out

While it may sound like working out will do nothing but drain your energy, the exact opposite is true. Studies show that even the smallest amount of activity is able to boost your energy. Taking part in low-intensity exercises can decrease a person’s fatigue by up to 65% and increase energy by 20%. So, what is a good form of low-intensity exercising – walking. There is no equipment needed, no gym membership, and you can do it on your own or with a buddy.

In order to get the most out of your workout, you can also look into various supplement options. Some are meant to be taken before your workout to boost energy and stamina, while others can help your muscles recover after a more intense workout.

Skip the Caffeine and Reach for Green Tea Instead

When that tired, lazy feeling kicks in, it’s quite normal to reach for that hot cup of coffee, but did you know there is a more effective drink when it comes to giving you an energy boost? Green tea does contain caffeine, but that’s not its main benefit. What it offers is EGCG, which is an active compound that is believed to help weight loss. So how does weight loss help your energy levels? By sitting at a healthy body mass index, you’ll have much more energy than if you are overweight.

Make Sure You Get Enough Sleep

It’s only normal that people get busy with life and often sleep is the first thing that suffers. Whether you just aren’t getting enough sleep, or it’s not quality sleep, your body will suffer from it. It’s a good idea to set up healthy sleep habits for yourself, which include getting six to eight hours of sleep each and every night.

Catch Some Rays

Here’s a really easy and enjoyable way to boost your energy, all that is required is to step outside and soak in the sun. Experts suggest 15-20 minutes’ worth of sunshine each and every day as a way to boost your energy and your mood. Just don’t forget to apply your sunblock before heading out into the sun.

Make Sure You’re Well Hydrated

Another reason you may be feeling low on energy is because you are dehydrated. Many people simply aren’t drinking enough water. Dehydration can cause fatigue, dizziness, and mental fogginess.

The next time you’re feeling a little low on energy, why not give one of these tips a try and enjoy the immediate benefits they offer.