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Are you ready to explore the fascinating world of women’s healthcare in Canada? Whether you’re a long-time resident or a newcomer to the country, navigating the healthcare system’s ins and outs can be exciting and daunting. But don’t worry, you’re in good hands. In this blog post, we’ll demystify everything you need to know about women’s health and wellness in Canada.

From understanding the unique needs of women to exploring the range of services available, we’ll delve into the strengths and areas for improvement of the healthcare system. So get ready to empower yourself with the knowledge to access and utilize the healthcare resources available for women effectively. Let’s dive in!

Understanding Women’s Health Needs in Canada

Women’s health in Canada encompasses a spectrum of needs, from reproductive health to mental well-being. It’s crucial to recognize that women’s health issues are not just biologically different from men’s but also influenced by social, cultural, and economic factors. In Canada, a focus on Women’s wellness services ensures that healthcare is reactive and proactive, dealing with the prevention and early detection of diseases common in women.

Issues like breast and cervical cancer, osteoporosis, and heart disease, which disproportionately affect women, are a priority. Moreover, the recognition of the unique mental health challenges faced by women has led to more tailored services in this area. Understanding these diverse needs is the first step in ensuring accessible healthcare in Canada for women.

Basic Structure of the Canadian Healthcare System

Healthcare in Canada

The Canadian healthcare system is a complex yet well-integrated network of services that provide comprehensive care to all citizens, including Canadian women’s healthcare needs. Primarily funded by the government, healthcare in Canada ensures basic coverage for all, including access to hospitals, doctors, and certain medical tests and treatments. Each province and territory may have different specifics regarding additional services covered.

Women’s preventive care in Canada, including regular health screenings like mammograms and Pap tests, is generally covered under the public health system. However, certain aspects of women’s health, such as specific fertility treatments and some mental health services, might not be fully covered, necessitating a mix of public and private healthcare provisions. Understanding this structure helps navigate the system and access the right services at the right time

How the System Caters to Women’s Health: Services Covered and Those Not Covered

The Canadian healthcare system provides various services catering to women’s health. However, there are also notable gaps in coverage.

Services Typically Covered:

  1. General Health Check-ups and Consultations: Regular medical appointments, including annual physicals, are fully covered.
  2. Maternal Healthcare: This includes comprehensive prenatal check-ups, ultrasound scans, delivery (both normal and cesarean), and postnatal care.
  3. Preventive Screenings: Screenings for breast and cervical cancer (mammograms and Pap smears) and osteoporosis (bone density tests) are routinely covered.
  4. Basic Reproductive Health Services: Services like contraceptive advice, STI testing, and certain aspects of fertility treatments.
  5. Hospital Services include all necessary in-hospital treatments like surgeries, emergency care, and inpatient medications.

Services Often Not Covered or PaSpecializedered:

  1. Specialized Fertility Treatments: Procedures like IVF or ICSI are typically not fully covered, leading many to seek private healthcare or insurance.
  2. Certain Mental Health Services: While basic counselling ispecializedered, specialized psychological or psychiatric services may require private insurance.
  3. Cosmetic Procedures: Any non-essential procedure, such as cosmetic surgery, is not covered.
  4. Dental and Vision Care: Most dental and vision care, including regular check-ups and corrective lenses, require additional private insurance.

Knowing the extent and limits of coverage helps women in Canada navigate their healthcare options more effectively.

Steps to Access Healthcare in Canada for Women

To ensure optimal healthcare outcomes, women in Canada should follow key steps when accessing healthcare services. Navigating these steps ensures women can access the full range of healthcare services.

  1. Health Insurance Registration: Secure a provincial health insurance card to access public healthcare services. Each province has its registration process and criteria.
  2. Finding a HealUtilizeProvider: Utilize provincial resources to find a family doctor. Health Care Connect helps match patients with local doctors in provinces like Ontario.
  3. Regular Health Check-Ups: Schedule and attend regular check-ups for preventive care. These can include screenings for cancer, heart health assessments, and discussions about mental health.
  4. Referral to specialized: For specialized care (like gynaecologists, endocrinologists, etc.), a referral from a family doctor is typically required.
  5. Urgent Care Needs: Women can visit walk-in clinics or hospital emergency rooms for immediate medical attention.
  6. Private Insurance Consideration: For services not covered by public healthcare, consider purchasing private health insurance for additional coverage.

Common Barriers Faced by Women in Accessing Healthcare in Canada

Healthcare in Canada

Women in Canada face several barriers to accessing healthcare, which can impact their health and wellness; addressing these barriers is critical for improving healthcare access and outcomes for all women in Canada.

  1. Geographical Challenges: Women in remote or rural areas often have specializedess to specialized healthcare facilities and providers.
  2. Wait Times for Services: There can be significant wait times for certain procedures and specialist appointments, impacting timely access to care.
  3. Cultural and Language Differences: Non-native speakers and women from diverse cultural backgrounds may face difficulties in the healthcare system due to language barriers or cultural insensitivity.
  4. Economic Constraints: Women from lower socioeconomic backgrounds struggle with access to services that public healthcare doesn’t cover, like certain dental, vision, and mental health services.
  5. Knowledge and Awareness: A lack of awareness about available health services and how to navigate the healthcare system can be a significant barrier.

Preventive Healthcare in Canada for Women

Preventive healthcare is key to maintaining long-term health and well-being for women in Canada:

  1. Regular Screenings and Check-ups: This includes mammograms, Pap smears, bone density tests, and blood pressure checks.
  2. Vaccinations: Staying up-to-date with vaccinations, including those specifically recommended for women at different life stages.
  3. Health Education: Informative sessions on breast self-exams, nutritional guidance, and family planning.
  4. Lifestyle Assessments: Regular assessments during doctor visits to discuss lifestyle factors affecting health, such as diet, exercise, and stress management.

Lifestyle and Wellness Tips Specific to Women’s Health

Adopting a healthy lifestyle is crucial for women’s long-term health:

  1. Balanced Diet: Focus on nutrient-rich foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
  2. Regular Exercise: Incorporating cardio, strength training, and flexibility exercises.
  3. Stress Management: Techniques such as meditation, yoga, or mindfulness can be particularly beneficial.
  4. Prioritizing Sleep: Prioritizing sleep and establishing a regular sleep routine.
  5. Regular Health Screenings: Staying proactive about health by scheduling regular check-ups and screenings.

How to Advocate for Better Healthcare Services for Women

Advocating for improved healthcare services is vital:

  1. Stay Informed: Understanding current healthcare policies and how they impact women.
  2. Community Involvement: Participating in local health committees or advocacy groups.
  3. Engage with Policymakers: Contacting local representatives to voice concerns and suggestions.
  4. Support NGOs and Initiatives: Collaborate with organizations working towards better healthcare for women.
  5. Educate and Empower: Share information and encourage women n to prioritise their healthcare needs.

Access to women’s healthcare in Canada is a complex issue that demands immediate action. Women’s health needs are unique and require special attention. Women in Canada must proactively seek medical services and participate in policy advocacy to ensure their health needs are met effectively. Education, awareness, and policy advocacy are crucial to ensure that healthcare in Canada evolves to meet the diverse needs of all women. It is high time that the healthcare system puts women’s health at the forefront and takes immediate action to address the existing gaps.

Endometriosis is a relatively prevalent female reproductive disease. It is a painful disorder that affects the reproductive system and surrounding organs.

Women are diagnosed with endometriosis when the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus actually grows outside the uterus. When this happens, the ovaries (and possibly the fallopian tubes and tissue lining of the pelvis) are affected.

It is a gynaecological condition associated with menstruation where tissue similar to the lining of the womb is found in other areas of the body, including the fallopian tubes, pelvis, bowel, vagina, and intestines.

It has been alleged that 30 – 40% of Nigerian women (who live in Nigeria) suffer from endometriosis.

There is also a recent study that claims approximately 11% of women and girls in Nigeria unknowingly live with the disorder, even though they show no symptoms, with diagnosis only occurring years later.

These are important tips every lady should know about Endometriosis.

1. Cause And Risk Factors

The exact cause of endometriosis is not currently fully understood. Any woman can develop endometriosis, but some risk factors increase the risk. Risk factors such as age as it is most common in women in their 30’s.

Other possible risk factors of endometriosis include;

  • Problems with menstrual flow: Menstrual blood enters the fallopian tubes and the pelvis instead of leaving the body in the usual way.
  • Surgical scar: Endometrial cells can move during a procedure such as a hysterectomy or C-section.
  • Genetics: There may be an inherited component. A woman with a close family member who has endometriosis is more likely to develop endometriosis herself.
  • Hormones: Endometriosis is stimulated by the hormone estrogen.
  • Immune system: Problems with the immune system can prevent the destruction of extrauterine endometrial tissue.

2. Symptoms

  • Severe menstrual cramps
  • Long-term lower back and pelvic pain
  • Periods lasting longer than 7 days
  • Heavy menstrual bleeding where the pad or tampon needs changing every 1 to 2 hours
  • Bowel and urinary problems including pain, diarrhea, constipation and bloating
  • Bloody stool or urine
  • Painful intercourse

3. Diagnosis

Diagnosis can be challenging because there is no single test for evaluation. The only way to truly confirm the condition is by undergoing a surgical laparoscopy.

A surgical laparoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure in which a thin, lighted tube with a miniature camera attached, called a laparoscope, is inserted through a small incision in the pelvic area. It can take many years to receive a diagnosis.

Other possible diagnostic strategies include a pelvic exam, radiologic imaging with ultrasound, or magnetic resonance imaging, and the use of certain medications including birth control.

4. Treatments

Surgery is possible, but it is normally considered only if other treatments are not effective. Other options include for treatment may include;

  • Pain medications: Either over-the-counter (OTC) nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or prescription drugs for the treatment of painful menses. Some doctors also recommend hot water bottle therapy.
  • Hormones: Treatment may be with hormonal therapies such as hormonal birth control. Placement of an intrauterine device (IUD) may also be recommended.
  • Fertility treatment: Pregnancy may be recommended via in-vitro fertilization (IVF).

If there is one thing this generation suffers from, it is poor posture. Take a look around you and observe keenly the people around your environment. You would see people with poor sitting, standing and walking postures.

In your work place, you would have noticed people hunched over their seats, with their backs bent.

You’re probably currently sitting at your desk reading this, blissfully unaware of your posture right now—and that’s perfectly normal. It can be difficult to always be mindful of your posture, especially during a hectic workday through hours of Zoom meetings and conference calls.

Your posture is a very important indicator of your overall health, as it supports blood flow, improves your mood, increases your confidence, and strengthens your other muscles and joints. Practicing better posture while at your desk at work or at home, even in the smallest ways, is a great way to be mindful of your health on a daily basis.

Here are a few quick ways you can improve your posture as you go along your workday.

Sitting posture

1. Switch up your seating

Your seating can make or break your posture—literally. Seating with little to no back support, worn-out chairs, and working from your couch or bed could wear on your body over time, straining your shoulders, spine, and lower back.

If your desk chair doesn’t have the support you need to sit comfortably and in an upright position for an hour or two at a time, you may need to switch up your seating.

A good, ergonomic chair for your workspace will have lumbar support to help the middle of your back, where most of the tension goes when you’re hunched over your desk. You also want to pick a chair that keeps your body at a neutral, upright position with an adequate seat height that keeps your arms and legs leveled and a backrest that isn’t too firm or too soft.

If you’re now working from home, make sure to be mindful of where and how you’re sitting. Set up your own workspace with a desk and chair that supports your back and shoulders and promotes better posture over time.

As much as you can, avoid working from your bed. Your spine will thank you.

2. Take frequent stretch breaks

It’s easy to get wrapped up in your workday and forget to move, so set an alert on your work calendar or on your phone as a regular reminder to take a break and switch up your posture by taking a walk, standing briefly in between meetings, stretching, or getting a quick exercise in.

Spending hours upon hours every day in a seated position where your back is either slouched or hunched over is detrimental to your posture. Many health professionals have declared that sitting has now become the new smoking, a popular myth that compares the negative chronic health effects of both, such as weight gain and diabetes.

Prolonged sitting can have long-lasting effects on not only your back but also on your overall health.

Make it a priority to get up and move around on a regular basis throughout your workday to give your body some relief from sitting and staring at a screen all day. Put yourself on a daily schedule to get some time away from the desk so you can give your back a break from sitting in an upright position, putting more pressure on your spine.

3. Exercise for better posture

When we exercise, we often forget to exercise for better posture, especially as working from home becomes more prevalent. Your posture is key to better overall health, and taking time to focus on it during your workday can help prevent lifelong body issues.

Exercising throughout the workday for better posture can be as simple as standing upright for an hour or two at a time at your desk, stretching and rotating your neck to relieve some of the tension from hours of working, or getting a good back bend at the waist to loosen up that lower back.

Give yourself a few small breaks during the workday to work out those kinks in your shoulders, neck, and back from sitting too long, and focus on exercises specifically for those areas.

4. Keep your workspace eye level

Hunching over your desk to look at your laptop or to type is one of the key indicators of poor posture. If your laptop or desktop computer isn’t eye level, it makes it easy to slouch and get stuck working that way for hours.

Do an overall assessment of your workspace, including your laptop, your monitor, your desk, and your computer accessories like your keyboard and mouse to make sure they are level to your eyesight and body to ensure that you’re not straining your neck, shoulders, and back to use your devices.

Your workspace should be at a comfortable level but upright enough where your posture isn’t compromised. Switch up the positioning of your workspace so that it’s easier to sit upright while still being effective throughout the day. If you work remotely or from home, find a better place to set up your workspace like on a high bar-style countertop where you can easily sit in an upright position, or even stand and work for a change of pace.

5. Be intentions about your sitting posture

Taking the time to connect with your body every so often throughout the day to see how it feels can seem like another item for your to-do list, but your back will definitely thank you for it!

Practice being mindful of your posture throughout the workday by setting frequent reminders on your phone to check in with your body.

Use this mindfulness to be more aware of your posture on a daily basis and when you place the most tension on your back. Do you find that your posture suffers during long Zoom meetings? Are you sitting for more than two to three hours at a time in the mornings or afternoons? Take note daily of all of your workspace habits and how it impacts your posture and your overall body. This will help you anticipate and be more mindful of your posture during the most stressful times of your day and prepare to change it up.

6. Keep your feet flat on the floor

Your feet and their position while at your desk play a crucial role in your overall posture while sitting. If your feet are crossed or elevated, that could compromise your posture, as your weight is primarily on one leg or your back is taking the brunt of it.

When your feet are flat on the floor and properly leveled, the weight of your body is evenly distributed across your hips. Keeping your feet flat on the floor also makes you more mindful of the overall stance of your body, as it unconsciously makes you straighten up.

Practice keeping your feet fully on the floor for longer periods of time instead of elevating them using a footrest or crossing your legs at the knees underneath your desk. Planting your feet on the ground will help you be more aware of your posture and if you’re slouched or hunched over your desk.

Your posture is a key indicator of your body’s health during your workday. Don’t ignore any signs of back or shoulder pain; make it a point to take care of yourself while working, starting with your posture

Which of these tips do you find helpful?
Which of these tips would you start practicing today?

What other useful tip would you like to add? Please share with us in the comment box below.

Our bodies are delicate! Too few calories and too many workouts will literally spike cortisol and prevent you from losing weight. Too many calories and too few workouts and well, we’ve all been there.

So what am I getting at?

My point is that there are several secrets that these seemingly effortless fit people incorporate, knowingly or not, that greatly contribute to their health and wellness. The good news is, you can incorporate those things too!

1. Make It Fit Your Current Lifestyle!

If you find healthy food to fit into your lifestyle, you’re already a step ahead of the rest. The key to getting fit effortlessly is to make it fit your lifestyle in a way you LOVE!! If you enjoy it and it’s easy, you’ll find yourself reaching your goals without even realizing it.

2. Remove Sugar from Your Diet

Sugar is more addictive than cocaine. While most foods you can absolutely enjoy in moderation, a little sugar with sugar addiction can trigger poor habits. If you’ve found that it’s impossible to slowly cut out sugar and it’s constantly causing you to rebound, cutting it out entirely might be the way to go!
I know this might not seem effortless, and it’s not. But once it’s taken care of, life becomes a whole lot more simple.

3. Incorporate HIIT

You’ve probably already heard of HIIT by now. It stands for high-intensity interval training and is the key to short and powerful workouts. It boosts something called Excessive Post Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), which basically keeps you burning calories throughout the whole day!
These workouts are insanely powerful at getting results and hardly take any time. The key is when you are in a “working zone”, you’ve got to work it hard!

4. Low Stress

Some people think that the reason stress is detrimental is because it triggers overeating. But that’s only a small picture of the truth. There is so much more to fitness than “calorie in vs calorie out” like many would like to believe.
The truth is that the hormones which control our body metabolism play an important role and it can be extremely difficult to stay in shape with high cortisol. So, cut down your stress to the barest minimum. “Work smarter, not harder” applies just as much to fitness as to any other area of life.

5. Keep Your Workout Clothes by Your Bed

The best way to get your mind prepped is by setting up your workout clothes right by your bed for the morning.
It’s far easier to resist the urge to hit snooze when all of yesterday’s intentions are literally staring you in the face. Another trick is to keep an inspiring photo by your bed for a quick glint of morning inspiration.

6. Do Not Starve!

Your cortisol levels (the stress hormone) will increase whenever your body is stressed. That means if you are overworking and undereating, your body will stop losing weight. Which is clearly counter-productive!
One of the most important things that people forget to do is fuel themselves for workouts. It’s ideal to eat some simple carbs before a workout, like a piece of fruit, to give you a rush of carbs that you can instantly burn into energy. After that, you’ll want to follow up with at least 30 grams of protein and 30 grams of carbs to replenish.

7. Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting has nothing to do with starving yourself! It simply has to do with eating within a certain time frame.

8. Eat off of a Small Blue Plate

This is scientifically proven. First off, our minds can find it hard to resist food sitting in front of us. In other words, if we have a large plate full of food, we’re more likely to eat it all until it’s done.
But what does the “Blue” have to do with anything?
The color blue is actually scientifically proven to be an appetite suppressant. Essentially, eating off of a blue plate will help reduce your cravings and make you feel satisfied much sooner!

9. What Are You REALLY Craving?

Sometimes, a craving might be your body telling you something! Our bodies are brilliant, and our cravings can often just be a sign that we are missing something important.
Often, people who crave chocolate are just low in magnesium. A constant need for red meat might mean low iron. Sugar cravings could very likely just be a blood-sugar response signaling a need for more protein and healthy fats in your diet.
If you have specific cravings, then you might benefit from taking a look at the root cause of them. Don’t ignore it when your body is trying to get your attention, but don’t give in to its first reaction either.

Discover what your body truly needs, and fix the problem, not the symptom.

10. Drink a TON of Water!

This is probably one of the most important keys to having a healthy life. If you drink a lot of water, you will see amazing results! Add some tea bags or fruit to flavor it, add some lemon, or just drink it plain!
The best trick is to ALWAYS have a water bottle with you and ALWAYS be sipping. You can opt for a water bottle with a straw, this way, it makes it even more enjoyable.

Final thoughts

There you have it. 10 simple tips you can deploy to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Which one are you familiar with? Which one are you practicing? Which of them would you try out? Do share with us in the comment box.

Staying a shape for a lot of people can be rocket science as it seems not just impossible but difficult. For some, it is even harder because they have to work from home and are used to sedentary lifestyle.

How then do you stay in shape without doing too much?

Healthy Eating

Here are some healthy hacks for fat loss:
  • Keep tinned and preserved food in storage for emergencies, but eat fresh on the daily. Purchase or procure real food like vegetables, fruits, and meat whenever you can. A lot of people are now turning to urban homesteading. If you can’t grow your own greens, find out where you can get your fresh foods in your immediate vicinity.
  • Leave out processed food out of your grocery cart. You can’t eat something that’s not present in your home no matter your midnight cravings.
  • Follow food blogs who prepare healthy meals that you are partial to. Avoid videos about desserts and sweets.
  • Keep a journal and take photos of your healthy meals.

Not only will these improve your eating habits, these tips also double as healthy hacks for fat loss.

Movement

Coming from a day of hard work (while trying not to catch anything) or having to stay at home for days on end, especially if you work from home, it’s easy to just Netflix and chill, literally. The body’s natural response to stress is usually a surplus of sleeping or eating, or both.

To keep your health and your immune system up, make sure you are doing healthy movement everyday. And yes, this means some form of exercise. Instead of passively gaining weight, you can take this opportunity to build the body you’ve always wanted.

Here are some tips to get you moving:

  • If you like dancing, build a library of your favorite zumba or dance routines on YouTube done to your favorite songs. It’s a great way to keep motivated when you enjoy the instructor and love the songs your bopping to.
  • There is a plethora of free exercise videos on YouTube. Take your pick from gentle tai chi, heart-pounding cardio, or stretchy yoga. Mix it up every other day to keep it exciting.
  • If you prefer using an app, find a free exercise app on the App or Play Store. Even better, they have tracking features that will let you see your progress.
  • If you are blessed with a lawn or a backyard, take advantage of the warm weather by doing some gardening. Plant greens that can be harvested fast and/or regrow food from scraps. Not only will you be moving your body, you’ll also be getting sunshine and healthy greens for your meals.

Now, if your goal is weight loss, here’s something interesting. Most health experts believe that weight loss is a combination of exercise and diet. However, exercise is often said to be 20% responsible for a person’s weight loss.

Cardiovascular exercises like jogging, aerobics, and biking are excellent for circulation, heart health, and increasing lung capacity. Strength-training exercises are excellent for protecting bones and disease prevention. Once you lose weight, you still want to maintain a long, healthy lifestyle.

Hydrating

Did you know that stress and water are directly linked?

When you are undergoing stress, your heart rate goes up and you breathe more heavily. This results in the body losing more fluid. To add to that, people often forget to eat and drink when they are heavily distracted by anxiety triggers. Keeping this in mind, make sure to stay hydrated during these stressful times.

If you’re in a space where you feel a hunger pain, drink some hot water with lemon first. In many cases, people eat with the assumption that they’re hungry. In reality, the body is craving more water. If you love the fizzy, carbonated sensation, pour some carbonated water on ice.

When the body remains hydrated, you’ll give your body the foundation it needs to work efficiently. Plus, juice, lattes, and other sugar-filled drinks are loaded with calories. Decrease your intake of liquid calories by drinking lots of water instead.

 

When life is shaking us up and we’re feeling stressed … it can be tough to feel resilient.

Resilience helps us to deal with the chaos and overwhelm … but how to we create it when we feel like we’re underwater?

The first step is to remove things that are adding unnecessary stress. The second step is to do things that help us feel replenished.

Those two steps won’t get us all the way to full resilience, but they’re a huge huge start.

Remove Extra Stress…

Some stress is inevitable — wishing for a life where we feel zero stress is just going to add more stress.

But if we are flooded with stress, removing some of it can help us to clear the space to create even more resilience. If we don’t remove the extra stress, we’ll never do the things we need to take care of ourselves, or to train our minds to be more resilient.

So removing unnecessary stress is the first step.

Some examples:

  • If you’re drinking a lot, reduce down to 1-2 glasses of wine a night. Zero might be even better for some, but it’s useless to ask someone to quit alcohol when they’re flooded with stress.
  • Similarly, reducing smoking or other narcotics or drugs would be a big help.
  • If you’re working late into the night, creating a stopping point earlier would be a big help, if possible.
  • Cut back on your workload a bit, if you’re able to. Delegate the ones you can. Create a to-do list and prioritize the ones you can’t delegate.
  • Stop saying yes to everything, and take fewer meetings. Don’t be afraid to turn down excess workload as well.
  • If you’re fighting a lot with someone, refrain for a bit. Take a breather and let yourself settle.
  • If you’re watching things or playing games late into the night and getting little sleep, cut back on that.
  • If you’re watching news or reading things online that really get you angry, stop that for awhile.
  • Cut out social media if that gets you anxious.

And so on.

Removing these stressors will help you catch your breath.

…Then replenish yourself.

I don’t mean that you have to take a spa weekend (though that would be great!) … I mean doing little things that help you feel more recharged and settled.

These things fill you up, so that you can better take on the world.

For example:

  • Go for walks out in nature.
  • Create space for reading, having tea, taking a bath, journaling.
  • Talk with someone regularly, in person or over the phone.
  • Take naps.
  • Get better sleep.
  • Take a weekend off.
  • Get some sunshine, if there’s any where you are.
  • Take moments of stillness and deep breathing during your day.

These little things can make a huge difference.

You won’t get all the way to resilience with these two steps — but you’ll have given yourself what you need to take the further steps of shifting your thinking patterns and practicing resilience.

As humans, occasional retreats are necessary because that is how we get rest, reignite our fire and bounce back with energy to continue on the journey to efficiency and productivity.

However, we sometimes get so engrossed with life and work and personal issues that we refuse to pay attention to our own need to take a break and do nothing but rest and allow your body and mind heal.

So instead, our body and mind revolts and breaks down, screaming and letting us know they need a break.

How do you know you should take a break?

Simple.

When you begin to experience any of the 8 signs below, you should take a break.

1. You’re watching hours and hours of pet videos at the office during work hours.

Seriously. Maybe it’s cats. Maybe it’s reruns of Bridgerton . Maybe it’s random YouTube videos. The point is, you are no longer focused on your work. What you do seem to care about though, is how to pass the time.

2. You make careless mistakes that shouldn’t have happened.

When you stop caring, you tend to make careless mistakes. You accidentally drop your purse into the trash can at a restaurant. Your emails suddenly contain embarrassing typos. You look like a confused deer when you’re asked for your opinion in a meeting because you weren’t paying attention the whole time. You call a coworker by the wrong name because your brain cannot process their real name.

3. You’re emotionally overwhelmed and sometimes, you cry for no reason.

You’re upset, irritated, angry, frustrated, or sad over what would normally be a small issue. This happens to almost everyone. If you find yourself breaking down emotionally, that might be a good time to consider a break. Maybe it means walking outside for 30 minutes. Maybe it means buying a one-way ticket to Hawaii to lay on the beach and bask in the sun. Maybe it means driving to a resort nearby for a weekend. Take a deep breath, collect yourself, and consider taking a break.

4. You’re always exhausted.

Feeling tired for a day? That’s absolutely normal. Feeling tired for an entire month? That’s definitely not normal. Remember to get enough sleep and to take care of yourself. While it’s great to be hyper productive for a short period of time, it’s usually not worth it in the long term. Pace yourself.

5. You hate waking up for work

The alarm goes off and the first thing you think is “I really don’t want to go to work.” You no longer feel inspired by the company mission. You feel like you can’t make an impact anymore. You feel like you’re going through the motions. It’s time for you to step away. Take a moment for yourself. When you remove yourself from the situation, you allow yourself to think more clearly and to get a fresh perspective on what the next step should be.

6. You’re having trouble falling asleep

You have too much on your mind — that next project, that big deadline, that promotion you’ve always wanted, that coworker who seems like they can’t stand you. If you’re starting to lose sleep over work, it’s time to take a break. If you don’t take the break, the lack of sleep will start to hurt your health and your passion, energy, and focus will start to fade.

7. You’re getting physically sick a lot.

If you’re under a lot of stress, not sleeping well, and working crazy amounts of hours, your immune system is probably under a lot of duress and you’ll likely get sick quite often. Don’t let your physical health go sideways — take some time off and go on a break!

8. You’re dreaming of quitting work with no plan in place

You’ve romanticized the idea of quitting in your head. You have no back-up plan or next steps in place. It’s a clear sign that you’re simply trying to get away. Instead of making a quick decision with huge implications, it may be best to take a short break to see if that’s what you truly want.

If you’re seeing these signs, take a moment, take a step back, and take a break — you’ll be better for it.

Lupus or SLE – Systemic Lupus Erythematous is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s immune system attacks its own body’s tissue, with symptoms and severity varying from patient to patient.

In simple terms your immune system is doing exactly what it is not supposed to do; which can cause disease of the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, joints and nervous system. 90% of Lupus patients are women.

Although the disease can affect anybody, 90% of lupus patients are women between the ages of 14 – 45 years-old. For some, it’s life-threatening and for others, it’s entirely manageable.

Unfortunately, There is no known cause of Lupus and also no cure. The only way to manage it is through medication and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The symptoms vary from person to person but here are 9 common symptoms every woman can recognize easily.

NB: Here are some symptom, not all.

1. Joint swelling and pain
Joint pains and joint swelling and stiffness in the morning are all classic signs of lupus. It most commonly presents in the wrists, knuckles, and fingers. Swelling can also come and go with lupus and doesn’t get progressively worse it tends to occur more in younger patients.

2. Shortness of Breath or Chest Pain
There are manifestations of lupus where the disease attacks the lining of the lungs, causing fluid to leak out and surround the lungs.

This can make it feel painful to breathe. “In some cases, that same process can occur around the lining of the heart, which is called pericarditis,” she adds.

3.Skin rashes and photosensitivity
Lupus is sometimes marked by a distinctive “butterfly rash” forming over the bridge of the nose and cheeks, which is exacerbated by sun exposure.

4. Hair loss
Lupus also causes women to lose their hair especially when combing. It can also cause sores in the scalp and lead to baldness. If you present with this symptom, you should also have your thyroid evaluated because hair loss is a classic symptom of hypothyroidism.

5. Ulcers of the mouth and nose
Unlike typical sores that develop on the sides of the mouth or gums, ulcers triggered by lupus usually develop on the roof of the mouth and are painless. Lupus-related ulcers can also appear inside the nose.

Curated from WomenAfrica

Having a fresh sugarcane juice is not just yummy but highly refreshing. The juice is not just another drink, but one of the healthiest drinks that you could lay your hands on. Here are a list of health benefits of sugarcane juice that will put a lot of and artificial energy drinks to behind.

  1. Prevents cancer: Sugarcane juice is alkaline in nature because of the high concentration of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, and manganese, which helps prevent diseases like cancer, that cannot survive in an alkaline environment. Thus it helps in fighting various types of cancer such as prostate and breast cancer.
  2. Aids in digestion: It is good for the well-being of the digestive system due to its high potassium levels. It helps in keeping the digestive system in good shape, prevents stomach infections and is considered to be particularly useful in treating the problem of constipation.
  3. Prevents heart diseases: It also prevents heart diseases and stroke as it helps decrease the levels of unhealthy or cholesterol and triglycerides.
  4. Helps in reducing weight: As sugarcane juice reduces the bad cholesterol levels in the body and has natural sugars, it helps in reducing weight. It is high in soluble fibre which aids in shedding weight.
  5. Good for treating diabetes: Sugarcane is sweet in taste and is full of natural sweeteners, which have a low gylcemic index (GI), hence it works very well for diabetic patients.
  6. Clears skin imperfections: When it comes to healthy skin, Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) which are part of the natural constituents of sugarcane juice, are supposed to have a lot of benefits. They fight acne, reduce blemishes, prevent ageing and help in keeping the skin hydrated. Just apply sugarcane juice to your skin and let it dry or add it to your favourite face mask and scrub, and your skin will look radiant and clean.

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