Stephanie Caroline Snyder

Accessories can and will make or break your look. This spring, do not make your accessories a throwaway afterthought. It is easy to assemble an outfit first, then simply throw on the most convenient accessories that happen to work with it. Do not get caught in this trap. Even a single cool accessory can differentiate between an average outfit and one that is strikingly wonderful. Glam Gadget Gear Whether you are out and about and rocking a mask or working from home and taking video conference chats on your devices, having those devices within easy reach is one key to a day that is stress-free. Hold your gadgets in style with sleek slings and tweed holsters. From snap-on phone cases to earbud cases on chains, know where all your gear is and keep it organized while adding bold colors to your look. This accessory need not be boring and practical; it can add pizzazz to your outfit while keeping your mind at ease. These accessories make the runway looks pop, and they will make your outfit stand out as well. Bold or Classic Barrettes Barrettes are, without doubt, one of spring's biggest accessories. They are swiftly becoming a favorite way to elevate a hairdo that would otherwise seem boring, turning it into an infinitely chic look. It does not matter if your hair is let down to fall in loose waves or pulled back in a time-honored ponytail; either way, finish it with hair clips adorned with pearls or classic snap clips. You may find it easier to add a barrette to just one side of your head, but wearing one on each side can also appear quite cute. Colorful Bohemian Backpack Another type of accessory that blends the practical with the runway’s glamor, Boho backpacks add glorious bursts of color to complement either a more sober series of shades or blend various wardrobe tones in a single piece. Look for the unique appeal of handcrafted embroidered fabrics blended with the usefulness of zippered closures and magnetic fasteners. Interior pockets are another convenient plus. Purses can be awkward to carry, especially if you have shoulder, neck, or back pain. Stow your things to go with you in a Boho backpack for a fantastic accessory instead. Shell Jewelry A scroll through fashion social media feeds will show you a fair share of shell jewelry. This has a nostalgic feel and a fun vibe. Gives any look a cool, beachy air without the need for a swimsuit by pairing shell earrings or a shell pendant necklace with a simple white t-shirt and cute cutoffs for a great look. Shells also look ideal on anklets or strung on bracelets. This resort-ready motif makes a dominant embellishment for rings and hair accessories, whether the shells or gilded or natural. Layered Necklaces The gold necklace trend has been prominent in the fashion world for some time and is not looking to fade away any time soon. Layered chunky, link, and chain gold necklaces are going to stick around. It is easy to spot a fashionista rocking perfectly layered chains. If you want to master this look, use varying lengths, keep the scales different by pairing chunky necklaces with delicate bead necklaces and the like and choose your style. Spring is an ideal season for flaunting your fashionable accessories. During the months of winter cold, accessories are either practical or covered up with warm layered gear. Summer's heat can make bulking up on accessories less than enjoyable. But spring is a perfect time, with its mild weather, for showing off those accessories that are currently topping the charts of trends.

Buying a home is one of the most significant events that you will ever complete in your life. When you are going to purchase a home, you likely will need to take out a mortgage to finance the purchase. To do this, you should work with a mortgage broker that is experienced and that you can trust. You should ask potential mortgage brokers five questions before picking one to help you obtain your financing. Types of Loans They Provide As you’re looking for a mortgage, you may find many different types of financing options available. Some of these mortgage options include traditional mortgages, adjustable-rate mortgages, FHA loans, and even VA loans. Depending on the situation, some mortgage lenders may only offer certain types of loans. You should look for a mortgage lender with experience with the kind of financing you are looking for. This will ensure that they can close alone and fully understand the process before working with you. What Qualifications Do Your Borrowers Need All mortgage lenders are going to go through a process to underwrite and analyze your loan application. However, the standards that mortgage lenders and brokers follow are not necessarily the same from one to the next. Thus, you must understand what the requirements are to get a loan through a particular broker. This should include understanding what the mortgage lender will expect in down payment, credit score, and income. Ideally, you should pick a mortgage lender that can provide financing for people with your qualifications. Markets Served Mortgage brokers can be found in cities all over the country. However, you do not necessarily need to choose a broker that works in the town where you want to purchase a home. Most of the time, mortgage brokers will hold licenses to providing mortgage financing services for individual states all over the country. When looking for a mortgage broker Rayleigh property buyers need to make sure that they choose certified to provide mortgages in this area. Any mortgage broker should be able to provide you with evidence of their licensure and certification. This will comfort that they are experienced and educated in state mortgage law, which will help the closing go more smoothly. What is the Cost Structure of Financing Any mortgage broker will do their best to provide you with excellent financing with an affordable interest-rate based on current market standards. However, for a mortgage broker to make money, there will need to be some type of fee or increased interest-rate included. You must ask the necessary questions to understand what the cost structure is to work with the broker. You should ask for a quote for the interest rate that you would have to pay and any closing costs. You can then compare these quotes to offers that other mortgage lenders provide to find a broker that offers you the best overall deal. How Much Time Do You Need Before Closing A critical question that you should ask any mortgage broker is how much time they will need before they can close your loan. The real estate market all over the country today is very competitive, and offering a quick close can help you when a home. You must speak with each mortgage broker option that you have and understand their processes. This should also include understanding how long it takes them to close a loan from the time you file the initial application. Ideally, you should find a broker that can close a loan in as little as 30 days routinely. This could give you flexibility when it comes to making offers on your next property. Choosing the right mortgage broker is very important. When you work with the right mortgage broker, they can provide you with friendly service and help you get a great interest rate. There are five questions that you should ask any more brokers before choosing to want to work with.

Tax season is a part of the financial year that so many have come to dread, which is unsurprising considering how stressful it can be by default. Furthermore, many tax filers’ tendency to procrastinate and take on everything by themselves can compound the stress even more and make them feel utterly helpless and alone during the entire process.  Even for those who do try to plan and enlist a third party to help them sort things out, engaging in poor budgetary practices and habits as well as being uninformed as to the number and types of services that are available; as well as to which ones among those are most closely tailored to one's individual needs can have the unfortunate effect of hindering tax filers more than helping them.  However, while there is no single solution that can satisfy all tax filers to the same degree, once laid out, the process itself needs not require an excessive number of steps to realize. With all of this information in mind, the following are two simple steps to decide upon the best for you: the tax filing service. 1. Decide Upon your Desired Budget The first step to get the tax filing service that's best for you is to decide upon your budget. Taxes, by definition, will repeatedly cost you money. However, this doesn't mean the process of filing them needs to be costly, and many strategies and investments exist that can make the process smoother and more cost-effective. It is worth noting that more expensive tax filing services need not be of better quality, nor are free tax filing services such as Credit Karma guaranteed to save you time and money in the long term, though they may nonetheless be reputable.  Fair prices, such as those offered by TaxSlayer, and particular financial packages, such as the $100K guarantees offered by TaxAct, can appeal to different tax filers at other times, and there is truly no single solution for every individual out there. 2. Figure Out your Financial Profile The second and final step to get the tax filing service that's best for you is to decide upon your desires and needs. Apart from general differences in quality and cost, no two tax filing services are the same, nor are they suited for every single tax filer to the same degree. For example, certain tax filing services such as Jackson Hewitt Tax Service boast some of the best satisfaction guarantees. Which may matter more to one person than, say, the smooth transition to a real tax professional included in such a tax filing service as Liberty Tax.  Even a tax filing service with the best overall rating like TurboTax may not always be the universal choice, as some may seek something still more specific to their particular financial situation and goals. Other tax filing services may offer such benefits as experienced help with offers in compromise or indeed human support in general in the case of H&R Block. This can certainly take the edge off of the isolating and impersonal nature of filing taxes. In any case, the choice is ultimately up to the individual, and others can simply make suggestions rather than decisions on others' behalf. There are a veritable plethora of so many different tax filing services out there, with each one having different costs and characteristics that may suit individual tax filers differently based on their particular budgetary considerations and their desired tax filing services' profiles and particularities. No single tax filing service, not even one with the best overall rating, can fit every single tax filer the same way. As such, each tax filer must become independently informed as to the different tax filing services' costs and characteristics and which one of these may be best tailored to an individual tax filer's financial profile.  A failure to do so can be costly in terms of time, money, and overall well-being. In contrast, timely investment in time and planning can help make the tax filing process more manageable and successful, perhaps even enjoyable. Furthermore, the steps to get the best tax filing services need not number so many, and as long as they are correctly followed, there need not be any more than two of them.

Since companies have their personalities, they also set their values, which the employees need to embrace. Once they all come together as one with the company’s characteristics, deals, and state, you won’t require much else. When you have a great software development team, you have a group of professionals who are willing and able to work together to solve issues and build new software as a cohesive team. Having the right combination of team members will also provide ultimate success for the entire company. This will allow companies to move forward and make progress with future software development. When you know your company can further itself based on the team, you will know that your part was meaningful. Obtaining the Necessary Coaching When a company gets an urge to develop a unique culture that is adaptable, performs well, empowers others, and remains productive, they simply bring in an Agile coach. With the coach, they will be able to supply team members with mentoring, teaching, facilitation, and of course, coaching that will assist them in achieving result-driven goals. As opposed to the conventional way of giving advice, the coach makes it a point to stand by Agile’s values and eliminate unnecessary reliance. Plus, the results they assist with are achieved as they focus upon improving the team’s potential for the long-term instead of the results that can be achieved now. With that said, here are five traits of an efficient software development team. 1. Excellence is Sought After The team members are the kind who continuously seeks ways that will enhance their abilities and also know how to obtain new skills. They work closely together as they test software while communicating new ideas once any becomes necessary for the entire team to know about. A great way to achieve this is by allowing each team member to express their unique ideas and knowledge within a platform that encourages interaction, such as a question & answer forum. 2. Team Members Remain Result-Driven Efficient software development teams contain results-driven members by setting up goals before any project getting started. They also communicate continuously with different groups to maintain independence and to avoid repetition. Members assist each other when needed to rectify problems, which allows the entire team to remain efficient promptly. 3. Team Members Remain Adaptable to Solve Problems Occasionally, a software development team has to shift gears instantly but come back to where they were later. By remaining adaptable, they can acknowledge problems and resolve them at that time. Team members will also expect spikes to explain other issues that are seen as minor so that team members don’t speculate, which can cause a waste of time. 4. Only Ideas Get Criticized An efficient development team is not always perfect, and the members will occasionally have different views and ideas, or they may just neglect the need to work together. If this happens, it is essential that the team prevent themselves from criticizing each other and instead ensure that only the ideas get criticized. This will show that team members have the minimum amount of intelligence to remain emotionally stable. 5. Trust is Always Present Trust is paramount in every type of team environment, no matter what their purpose will be. If a team member thinks of a concept that can solve a current issue, which may cause a delay, the rest of the team needs to tune-in and decide if results will be obtained that all hope for. Your efficient software development team needs to show complete responsibility by remaining accountable throughout the process. There is no competition among team members for individual gain. The business is understood entirely as well as their current task at hand. Efficient teams only appreciate members who put the products first, take ownership, and share ideas when warranted. So if your software development team fails to express any of these traits, you might need to start from scratch to ensure that the values are integrated into the work properly.

Whether it’s the massive amount of queries you receive or if a client requests changes at the last minute, a law firm can seem like a hectic environment. Although one would think being busy can be an exciting way to pass the day, accomplishing it productively can become testing. If a caseload never seems to decrease, you need courses to boost your law practice performance. Here are four ways to do it. 1. Break Down Duties that are Considered more Involved When duties are broken down, they become achievable. For example, you have a case that requires a ton of in-depth investigation. By breaking it down amongst other team members, you can achieve the result faster than alone. This also eliminates procrastination, which can ultimately delay the case. To become effectively productive, you must instill motivative behavior that will maintain workflow. This can be compared to setting goals which also splits up your tasks. Ultimately, each job becomes efficiently completed and without the extra stress involved. 2. Keep Templates Organized Templates are considered an intricate part of any law firm. They are continuously used to keep contracts, letters, and other court documents organized. But they also need to be arranged to provide the most productive workload most efficiently. Having organized templates will take less time to find which one you need to don’t see yourself having to write out a complete document and avoid errors when it comes to exact phrasing. You will also enjoy the flexibility of having your documents customized for each client. To maintain overall efficiency in your firm and avoid searching for a template, it is always a good idea to have them kept in one central location that is easily accessible. Ensure to remove versions that are outdated and update those documents that need updating. This will also decrease waste of time and staying focused on the job at hand. 3. Designate A Period for Communicative Responses When you are trying to maintain productivity, it can seem impossible when interruptions occur frequently. This is why you should designate a time for communicative responses. This means avoiding the email and voicemail until your specified time comes. This time can be as long as you want, but usually, a half-hour is aplenty. When you begin to respond to your messages, make sure to answer them to receive and a group. If you decide to group them, you can answer them throughout the day without appearing neglectful. 4. Outsource The Not So Exciting Work Tedious work such as legal transcription can be easily handled by outsourcing it to a legal transcription services provider. When transcription is outsourced, you can concentrate on other areas that are considered necessary at the moment. This will speed up production and save a valuable workforce. Implementing and boosting performance in a law firm is an absolute must, no matter which direction you take your firm. Due to the simplicity of shaping how others work and improve, the overall improvement process evolves continuously. When you boost improvements, then the price declines for many services that the firm provides. So your law firm must have metrics in place that will measure their productivity levels. Remaining productive involves attempting to make an improvement, which could include outsourcing to stay ahead. When these improvements are made, they need the support of the entire firm to be successful.

In the presence of the COVID pandemic, with social distancing impeding traditional socialization and rendering work and communication more remote, digital communication platforms like Zoom have become the new norm for conducting online meetings and events. However, like any new norm, complacency can cause people to treat using these platforms as a daily chore, affecting productivity and pleasure. This, along with the general societal disconnectedness and angst stemming from COVID restrictions, has duly taken its toll on the psyches of everyone involved in today's climate of remote work and communication. However, by treating this new and unfamiliar digital space as an opportunity for constant exploration and learning, something mundane can become something magical. With all of this information in mind, the following are three great ideas to jazz up your online meetings and make them enjoyable for everyone involved, regardless of the platform used. New Gestures The first great idea to jazz up your online meetings and make them enjoyable for everyone involved, regardless of the platform used, is to use celebratory gestures called jazz hands instead of traditional clapping. Doing so accomplishes several things at once. For one, much like people have adapted to conducting online meetings as the new norm, so too a new kind of gesture can celebrate and adequately adapt to newness rather than simply ignore or endure it begrudgingly and mindlessly via an overly formal and almost impersonal gesture like clapping. It also aids an air of humor and fun to the current social situation that connects everyone as human beings and better cope with unfamiliar realities and hardships. Also, the occasional throwback to more straightforward gestures in the form of group high fives and finger-snapping can keep the blood flowing in one's hands as well as figuratively in the heart. Advantageous Functionality The second great idea to jazz up your online meetings and make them enjoyable for everyone involved, regardless of the platform used, is to use the functions built into the online platforms to your advantage. For example, changing and playing with the representative usernames presented to each other during meetings provides an opportunity for people to learn more about each other beyond attaching an arbitrary online name to a person. These changes can reflect something specific about any given person to demonstrate what they offer to the meeting as an individual rather than simply tag them as spectators in a mundane online encounter. Creating polls that participants can vote in anonymously allows everyone to engage safely while making important decisions or merely catching up with or getting to know each other. Breakout rooms allow more personalized and intimate interactions that would enable everyone to be included. The gallery view function can be used to take group photos, allowing participants to end meetings on a fun and memorable note. Scavenger Hunt The third and final great idea to jazz up your online meetings and make them enjoyable for everyone involved, regardless of the platform used, is something along the lines of a scavenger hunt. As part of this scavenger hunt, a list of things to be found and presented from one's home can be made ahead of time and then shared on-screen with the group during the meeting event to participate in it and share the experience. This scavenger hunt can be done as a single group or, if the group is too big, in individual breakout rooms for an even more personal and intimate experience. A scavenger hunt is a unique and creative way for participants to connect more deeply and humanly, whether through Zoom, connex virtual meetings, or any online digital communication platform. With COVID so profoundly affecting the way we have become accustomed to socializing and conducting our lives, it is unsurprising that many are having a hard time adjusting. Some of those who do adjust end up coping in a less-than-ideal fashion by fantasizing about how things were rather than genuinely engaged with and adapting to the present moment. Rather than merely going through the motions with online meetings and interactions, people can find new and creative ways to jazz up the new world they have been thrust into.

When presentations are the beating heart of interaction with customers or patrons of events, these should begin with the intent to capture attention immediately. Whether the venue is for a new product, informational or educational purposes, a verve, and zing presentation is the stepping stone to achieving the desired results. How to Bring Your Presentations to Life There is probably nothing more sleep-inducing than a presentation overloaded with the content or one that drones on and on endlessly. To ensure your presentation grabs and holds attention, it should be interspersed with vibrant, exciting illustrations. Today's presentations rely heavily on animated illustrations. The reasons they have become so popular include: . Reinforcement of important concepts . Maintain viewer focus . Process illustration . Innovative delivery of information . Enhancement of visual interest . Enhancement of impact Essential Tips to Bring Your Presentations to Life with Illustrations Naturally, animations’ choice is key to reinforcing concepts, maintaining viewer focus, delivering information, and enhancing the impact and visual interest in captivating illustrations. Choose Animations and Illustrations Carefully; choose animations containing illustrations that reduce the percentage of time needed for speaking and verbal explanations. Remember illustrations can substitute the need to verbally "teach" new ideas and topics to viewers. Animated illustrations should relate to the purpose of the presentation and should be easily discernible from the outset. One type of animated illustration is known as animated explainer videos. Businesses, medical and educational institutions rely on these for their sales, marketing, student, and employee training programs. Most Popular Marketing Tools Video has become one of today's most popular marketing tools for maximum customer and staff reaction and response. Animated illustrations evoke reactions and reactions in ways that verbal presentations often omit. For example, graphical movement in animated illustrations injects energy into explainer videos whenever a new product is marketed, or a new sales methodology is introduced. The scripts and tone for these should relate to the topic and be pervasive. Keep in mind that the key to the animation is the motion that activates the viewer's mind and can broaden ideas and innovations. These can be useful for many organizations and business enterprises, such as whiteboard explainer videos and 2D and 3D explainer videos for museums and educational facilities for student orientations. Length of Video Presentation Another tip is to use illustrated explainer videos to introduce a presentation and after a question and answer phase. Then, conclude with an animated video with illustrations that create an impressive finale and reinforce the presentation’s purpose. By using two short animated illustration videos that encapsulate the presentation program while reinforcing the purpose. In addition to being mindful of the length of animated video illustrations, relevancy is a factor in viewer reception. Keep the illustrations in the same discipline as the overall presentation topic. For example, if the overall presentation is for training purposes, illustrations should maintain an instructional theme and script without deviation. Know Your Presentation Viewers When you include video presentations, it's also essential to know the general viewer mindset. It can be a huge mistake to "dumb down" viewers with animated illustrations that a fourth-grade student would find humorous. Conversely, animated illustrations shouldn't venture outside the realm of viewer intelligence levels or "talk over their heads." Using the Whiteboard Approach One of the reasons whiteboards became so popular is that they allowed visual concepts to be displayed and made complex issues easily understood. These manual whiteboards became the main explainers for presentations. Taking the simple manual whiteboard to a new animated illustration level makes life easier for host presenters. Using the whiteboard approach with added video illustrations, it is now possible to learn how to fix a leaky kitchen pipe or discover new hobbies and skills by simple visual step-by-step instructions that can be viewed and replayed as needed. The basic recap of tips to bring your presentations to life with illustrations include: . Choose animations with relevance. . Choose animations and illustrations to fit seamlessly into the presentation purpose. . Objectively and judiciously plan the length and location of illustrations within a presentation. . Know your viewer’s interest levels and attention spans . Use the Whiteboard approach by interspersing verbal and visual illustrations. . Rely on explainer videos to teach and inform with the least complexity By following these tips, the illustrations you choose will remain evergreen in the minds of viewers.

There are many working parts to an office. The infrastructure is at the top since employees need productivity tools. That equipment, like computers and phone networks, is a subset of the infrastructure. You also need to maintain a healthy, safe, and comfortable environment for both workers and the guests who enter the complex. Without all of these factors enabled, a company can suffer. Nearly 90% of employees are disengaged when they feel uncomfortable at work. Therefore, something must be done to shore up failing operations and environments. To help decide what to work on first, here are three services your office should immediately hire. Communications In the second decade of the 21st century, most online communications don't take place via email. It's done through instant messaging (IM). It doesn't matter the size of the organization. IM correspondence can exceed over 1000 a day during a hectic period. An organization might use a basic text-message package to help with real-time conversations. However, what it offers may not be what a business requires. Thus, they need to hire a business text messaging service immediately. These companies, like text-em-all, do more than IMs. They also incorporate voice translation-to-text programs or offer live chats connected to customer service issues. Information Technology Maintaining a company's IT infrastructure is one of the most challenging things to do within an office. Unusually for a small business that doesn't have a budget for a full-time team. If the office's hardware, software, and network aren't regularly maintained, it causes productivity loss at a minimum. At the worst, it results in the loss or hijacking of a company's critical financial and personal data. Should this be the case, then the office should hire an outsourced IT service. This can be for individual components like software or the network. On the other hand, the office might need to hire a group that handles all IT aspects. This is the only way for an office to feel secure about its operations. Since the outsourced IT team members are generally subject matter experts, they know what's required to protect a company's employees and data. In turn, office workers feel confident that they're being watched. In turn, their productivity increases. Cleaning Services A clean office has become critically important over the last few years. It's not merely okay for the space to be free of dust and dirt. It must also be protected from bacteria and viruses that make employees incredibly sick. Thus, it's the reason your office must hire a cleaning service. Yes, your employees must take care of their own spaces. However, they shouldn't need to vacuum them or clean their windows. They need to focus their energies on productivity. The cleaning service you hire has to do more than a simple wipe down. They need to perform a deep clean of all areas. This includes the bathroom and kitchen spaces. These are both areas where bacteria and viruses can spread the most. These are the top services that your office should immediately hire. Of course, others should be brought in as the budget allows. For instance, your office should bring in an HR team to handle hiring, terminations, and payroll. An accounting team can be hired to help with accounts receivable and payable. On the sales side, your office should hire a team to help generate sales leads. They could also be involved with the purchase or outsourcing of programs that keep track of customers, sales, and orders. Examples of these packages include Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. Overall, your office isn't merely a place to make things happen. During the day, it's the primary place where your workers spend their time. Therefore, they need to be taken care of. While it doesn't mean blowing the budget on the most extensive comforts, it means they need to feel good enough to maintain productivity. Thus, hire groups to help with cleaning, information technology, and internal/external communication. Once this trio of items is in place in your office, you'll start to see a change in how it operates. This includes an increase in revenue that allows you to bring on the other services listed.

While modern life has become more efficient, convenient, and safer, it's also led to more potential stress sources. The sheer number of consumer goods options alone, from cereal to clothing, is enough to send someone into decision fatigue. Then you have the new workplace norms of clocking in 40-hour workweeks, the toxic relationships with friends and coworkers that you can't seem to cut off completely, and the financial insecurity that creates perpetual worry in the back of your mind. Fortunately, reducing stress is as easy as getting stressed in the first place. Here are five natural ways to do so: Address Your Problems Head On Tiptoeing around a problem that is causing you stress does more harm than good in the long run. Although there are situations that you can easily avoid without long-term repercussions, many of life's most significant sources of stress stem from real problems that require an actual solution. For instance, if you are burdened by financial debt, acknowledge your situation and look for ways to boost your income to pay off the debt. Another common source of stress is work. If your daily commute to and from work is arduous and time-consuming, consider finding work that's closer to your residence or request to work from home whenever possible. Consider Recreational Tools Vaporizers, or simply called vapes, have become increasingly popular as a recreational alternative to nicotine cigarettes, which are medically proven to be dangerous to one's health. The best CCell vapes are not only safer than smoking, but you also gain more control over vapor output and nicotine dosage. Today's vaping market is also large enough that people who are interested in trying it out have a more comprehensive selection of vaporizers and cartridge flavors to choose from. By choosing to vape instead of smoke, you get the calming effects without the long-term health complications. Practice Relaxation Techniques Deep breathing exercises, meditation, and yoga are standard relaxation techniques to center oneself and de-stress. You don't have to pay for a meditation app or attend yoga classes either. The next time you feel stressed, focus on your breathing pattern. Inhale and exhale slowly and deeply through the nose. This simple technique can help counter your body's stress response and the physiological damages that it can potentially inflict. As for yoga, all you need is a yoga mat and enough space in your living room or bedroom to practice. Many free online resources walk you through basic yoga poses. Get Regular Exercise Exercise of any form can only benefit you. Running for half an hour around your neighborhood can be enough activity to make your body release endorphins, a group of hormones secreted within the central nervous system responsible for triggering euphoria feelings. Even better, take on a sport, such as swimming, kickboxing, or basketball. Find a partner or group to do these activities with. It makes it easier for you to exercise rather than just lift weights or run on the treadmill once and never come back to the gym for the rest of the year consistently. Spend Time With the Right People Social support is another important branch of healthy living. Surrounding yourself with toxic people or people who don't encourage you to be better can lead to frustrations, regrets, and stress over time. One study claims that for women specifically, spending time with close friends and children helps trigger the release of a hormone called oxytocin, which naturally relieves stress. Another study claims that people with fewer social connections are at higher risk of developing anxiety and depression. That said, don't forget to spend some alone time. Go for a nature hike on the weekends or a walk along a nearby beach. Regardless, put some time and effort into working on your interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships. These stress relief techniques will help you live a healthier and more productive life. Keep in mind that strategies for managing stress may vary from person to person. An activity that relaxes you might have the complete opposite effect on someone else. Think of healthy situations, environments, and activities that give you joy and are harmless to others, and try to do them as often as possible.