Did your New Year’s resolutions fall to the wayside? Here’s how to try again.

We’re fast approaching the halfway point of 2019, and often, this can be the time that people realize that they’ve relinquished most of their New Year’s resolutions. However, you shouldn’t be discouraged. It’s not easy to make substantial changes to your lifestyle, and sometimes we run out of motivation when it comes to trying to change a lifetime of habits.

Bring the focus back to the here and now
Ignore your New Year’s resolution – where are you at in your fitness goal now? What have you achieved since the new year? Focusing on what you want to achieve, and what you could realistically do at the moment will help you start again with more conviction. If you’ve figured out the hard way that you can’t make your money back on a gym membership, then maybe ask yourself what you really could find time for. Now we’re approaching the summer months, you may wish to find some sports that are perfect for enjoying in the sunshine.

Pick one at a time
Part of your problem may be that you’re simply putting too much pressure on yourself at any given time. Picking just one resolution and working on it will help you to stay focused. This is partly because it takes time to establish a behavioural pattern. By picking just one resolution, you can allow yourself the time and space to really focus on it. For example, if you goal was to be able to run two to three miles, you can gradually build up your pace on a weekly basis. If you were throwing in the task of being able to bench-press on top of that, you would find the task of setting running milestones all the more overwhelming.

Resolve major ongoing health issues
Failing to meet your New Year’s resolutions is never entirely your fault – life throws obstacles in our way all the time, which can make it a real challenge to keep on top of our goals, no matter how big or small they are. However, a major block to progress can be an unresolved health issue, which can make it feel impossible to stay focused. You owe it to yourself to get this seen to, no matter how serious it may be. For example, if you are struggling with addiction, then it’s wise to seek help before placing too many resolutions on yourself. Finding alcohol addiction treatment will help you go through the process of detoxing with much-needed support.

The most important aspect to picking up your resolutions again is to not be too hard on yourself. There may have been very good reasons for not being able to achieve those resolutions in the first place, no matter how serious or small. This time around, be sure to take your time in figuring out how best to go about that – and indeed, whether you even enjoy your resolutions in the first place. Don’t take on too many tasks at once, and always enjoy each milestone of success.

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4 Things To Consider When Buying Gemstones

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When it comes to buying gemstones for your jewellery, it’s not always about the colour, while that is still an important consideration. It is, however, importantly about your personality and fashion style.

So, before you settle on an emerald or decide to buy alexandrite, for example, here’s a few tips on how to pick the right gemstone for your next piece of jewellery.

Consider Wear And Use
When it comes to gemstones in your jewellery, you need to consider durability. While both wearability and durability are usually determined by the level of hardness, it’s not always the case.

When we talk about the hardness of gemstones, we’re talking about the stone’s resistance to scratches and not its resistance to drying, fracturing, denting, parting or crumbling. Some hard gemstones can be rather fragile and easily split with even the softest blow, examples of these include topaz and diamonds.

There are other types of gems, though, that are even softer but are considered incredibly durable, like jadeite and nephrite.

The overall durability and toughness of a stone for your jewellery is measured by:

• Cleavage

• Hardness

• Sensitivity

• Tenacity

• Fracture

The Affordability of Gemstones

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If budget is of no concern, then you’re best opting for untreated, natural gemstones. This are gems that are found in an unenhanced and untreated state.

However, most of us have a budget and are okay with enhanced gems. These can help save costs without sacrificing the look of the stone. If you don’t have any issues with treated gemstones, then enhanced stones open up so many options for you. This is in part due to the fact that some of the more popular gemstones on the market just can’t be found untreated, such as blue topaz and zircon.

The Versatility Of Gemstones
How are you going to wear your gemstone jewellery? Will you wear it every day or only bring it out on special occasions?

White diamonds are a common choice for engagement rings, and they’re hardy enough to wear all the time. But many of the coloured types of gemstones may not be as versatile as their white diamond counterparts. It’s worth knowing though that coloured gemstones can be custom-designed according to how you wish to wear them.

When it comes to shopping for a gemstone, make sure the colour will suit your personality and style. If you’re looking for an extremely versatile stone, consider garnets, sapphires, tourmaline, spinel and even aquamarine.

Consider Availability
Some coloured stones are incredibly rare that no matter how much you search, you might not find what you want. Availability can also affect the way you buy your gemstones. Some stones, like critine and amethyst are easy to come by, while others must be sources from other countries.

Image Source: Pixabay

Many kinds of gemstones are also limited to certain weights or sizes. Often, certain kinds of stones will only be available in small sizes. Gemstones like alexandrite are not often found in large sizes.

When it comes to buying gemstones for jewellery, these are the most important factors to consider. But don’t forget to take into account clarity, cut and colour, too!

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A Guide to Traveling Safely

Traveling can be a great experience, but when you’re far from home, you don’t have the same comforts or luxuries. You might not be insured medically, for example, or you might not know what the emergency number is. Though in many places you should be able to reach emergency services if you dial 911, that isn’t always the case. Being prepared can make any emergency a cinch, however, which is why before you head off on your next trip abroad you will want to follow this guide:

Know That Country’s Emergency Numbers
When you need emergency services, there are two things that you need, ideally. One is the emergency number itself; the second is the ability to ask for help. The first can easily be done by looking up what the emergency services number is in your destination country, and the second can be done by remembering a few phrases in your host’s language so that you can ask for help.

Get Travel Insurance
When you travel abroad in most cases, you won’t have medical insurance. Travel insurance can cover these costs for you, on top of covering your belongings from theft or damage. It is irresponsible not to get travel insurance when traveling, if only for the fact that if you need emergency services or a doctor, you won’t be covered for it and will need to pay out of pocket.

Prepare Accordingly
You should know how to use public transportation, which cabs to use, what the tipping culture is like, and so on. Just knowing a few cultural norms ahead of time can be a great way to prepare and stay safe. For example, knowing what neighborhoods are dangerous is a great way to reduce risk on your trip. If you do intend to go to a neighborhood that has high crime rates, you will want to then look into how to avoid being pickpocketed.

Take the Weather Into Account
If you are traveling by car, you will want to take the weather into account. You won’t want to risk driving on black ice, or during a torrential downpour, for example. Check ahead and plan accordingly so that you don’t get into an accident due to severe weather conditions.

Let Others Know Where You Are
Let your friends or family know where you are and check in with them on a regular basis so that they know you are okay. To be really safe however you will want to create a system. That way, if you get hurt, they can send someone over to investigate or get help.

Know Your Rights
If you are in a car accident, you still have a right to compensation. Simply call up experts from 1800vincent.com who can help you get the lawyer that is best suited for your case, one who specializes in these situations. That way you can enjoy recovering at home and still get compensated for an accident that wasn’t your fault.

Traveling is a great experience, but you want that experience to be completely accident-free. That is why preparing in advance and knowing your rights can be so key to a successful trip.

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