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How To Care For Your Shoes

May 13, 2013 By

Shoes are an essential component of a well put-together outfit, which is why you bother spending time and money purchasing the perfect pair. Although high quality shoes are not cheap, you truly get what you pay for when it comes to footwear and the cost of purchasing a good pair of leather shoes is worth it.

As long as you treat your shoes well, they will last much longer than a cheaper pair made of less durable materials. Once you purchase a high-quality pair, however, you need to know how to take care of them.

Here are a few pointers to get your started:

Polishing

You should polish leather shoes with a wax-based polish to achieve the maximum shine and make the leather pop. Start by removing any excess dirt from the outside of your shoes with a damp rag or cloth. Use a welt brush (a small brush with stiff bristles) to scrub the welt strip on both of your shoes. Next, apply the shoe polish all over the shoes using a horsehair polishing brush; rub the polish in vigorously using a circular motion.

The longer your rub in the polish, the better your results will be. Once everything is worked in, let the shoes rest for a few minutes until the polish has dried. To finish off, shine the shoes by buffing them with a polishing brush or cloth.

Shoe Trees

In addition to maintaining your shoes’ shine with the occasional polishing, you should store your shoes using shoe trees. If you don’t know what show trees are, you’re missing out. They help your shoes maintain their form and proper shape while drying after being worn. The best material for a shoe tree is cedar (unfurnished) as it best absorbs moisture from your leather shoes. The prime time to use a shoe tree is immediately after you remove a pair of shoes; ideally, leave the shoe tree in place for several hours.

 

Filed Under: General, How-To, Style

How To Effectively Manage Stress

May 8, 2013 By

Stress is a normal part of life, but if it gets to the point where it interferes with your ability to enjoy your day or function properly at work, you should rethink the way you respond to stressors. There are several basic methods that can help you manage your stress more effectively to minimize the negative affects it has on your life.

Remove Yourself From The Situation

Let me first say that you can’t run from your problems, and you can’t sweep them all under a rug; however, you can take care to remove unnecessary causes of stress from your life. You are more in control of many stressors than you realize. For instance, if there are certain conversation topics, such as politics or religion, that cause you stress, simply stop discussing them.

Politely excuse yourself from heated debates in which you do not want to participate; shut off the depressing stories on the evening news; and don’t be afraid to turn down extra responsibilities if you just can’t take them on. Asserting control over your life can bring you a greater sense of peace.

Improve Your Physical Health

How well you take care of your body can translate into a reflection of your mental and emotional health; if you feel good physically, you are better equipped to deal with any problems in your life that may cause stress. Exercise can also be quite cathartic; a few swift kicks to a punching bag or a lap around the field can reduce your stress levels simply by burning off some of the extra steam you’ve got bottled up.

Accept Or Improve The Situation

If stress is caused by a project at work, put in some extra effort early on so you don’t have to stress out as the deadline approaches. If you feel like can’t achieve something, you may just need to reframe your thoughts—this is easier said than done. Try to focus on the good things, or gain a grounding perspective by looking at the big picture to remind yourself that your problems may not be as big or encompassing as you perceive them to be.

 

Filed Under: General, How-To

How To React To A Rear-End Collision (Part II)

May 7, 2013 By

There is something about the warm weather of spring that makes people a little more careless and distracted, especially when driving. Rear-end collisions are all too common, but as a long as no one is seriously hurt, you should be able to handle the situation without experiencing too much stress or confusion. Here are a few more pointers to help you take the right course of action if you find yourself in a rear-end collision.

Do Call The Police 

It may seem like a pain to get the authorities involved if the collision is minor, but it is always best to follow procedure by calling the police when dealing with a collision. Once the police are involved, information will be properly documented and it will be easier for your insurance company to file the claim.

Do Exchange Information

The most important thing you should do when you get into a rear-end collision, regardless of which car you were driving or how much damage was done, is exchange personal and insurance information with the other driver. Even if the damage looks minimal, you need to be able to get in touch with the driver to file a report through insurance. If you have a camera phone, ask if you can take a picture of their driver’s license so you ensure you have all of the necessary information and know how everything is spelt. You will need this information for your insurance company.

Do Take Note of Details

In addition to the full name, address and driver’s license information of the other driver, your insurance company will request several details about the accident. Take note of the exact location, the nearest intersection and the time of the collision. Write down anything you need to remember, as the collision will shake you up and make it difficult to recall some details later on. If possible, take pictures of the accident for your own records and to review with your insurance company if necessary.

Drive safe!

Filed Under: Cars, General, How-To

How To React To A Rear-End Collision (Part I)

May 6, 2013 By

Sometimes, no matter how carefully you pay attention or how fast your reflexes are, accidents happen; and when they do, you should know how to handle the situation responsibly. A very common scenario is a rear-end collision. If you fail to stop quickly enough or someone ahead of you suddenly slams on their breaks when you’re following too closely, you might find yourself in a bit of a pinch. The only way to make the best of a collision is to know how to properly react and get through the process as quickly as possible to avoid prolonging the situation.

Do Stay Calm

You’ve just been in an accident; it’s normal to be shaken up. In fact, before you get out of your vehicle, it might be best to take a deep breath or two. Put on your emergency flashers, stay calm and check to make sure that you aren’t hurt. Exit the vehicle if it is safe to do so. You should examine the damage and speak to the other driver as calmly as possible. Be polite and understand that they may process the shock of the accident differently than you; in a worst-case scenario, one or both of the drivers may become angry, annoyed or frantic. So stay level-headed to avoid making the situation worse. 

Don’t Verbally Admit Fault

In most cases, the driver of the second vehicle is at fault since they’re the ones who’ve made contact with the car in front of them. However, it is best not to throw yourself under the bus by openly admitting or apologizing for causing the accident. You can say, “I’m sorry this happened,” or show your compassion by checking to make sure everyone in both vehicles is unhurt, but don’t outright admit that you are at fault. Let the police sort that out for themselves.

Continue reading for Part II of How To React To A Rear-End Collision.

Filed Under: Cars, General, How-To

Tips to Overcome the Anxiety of Hair Loss

April 29, 2013 By

Tips to Overcome the Anxiety of Hair Loss

Hair loss affects millions of men. It’s something that nearly every man in existence will need to deal with at some point in their life, and while hair loss is different for each person, it’s something that you will need to come to terms with if you want to have a happy life.

Unfortunately, many men start to experience problems with their self-confidence and anxiety when they start to get hair loss, and that can get in the way of your enjoyment of your day to day life.

How to Control Self Confidence Issues

For most men, self-confidence is everything. Obviously you want to make sure that you’re not losing some of your pride just because you’re losing your hair. The following are some helpful strategies for making sure that hair loss doesn’t affect you.

  • General Anxiety Relief – First, you need to deal with your day to day anxiety, not just anxiety related to hair loss. Men have a tendency to let themselves get stressed without dealing with it. Make sure you’re actively looking to control your anxiety regardless of your hair loss. Note: stress may actually increase the likelihood of future hair loss, so this is something you need to do.
  • Don’t Check/Measure – You also have to make sure you don’t become someone that measures your hairline often in order to see how much it’s changed. That type of behavior is incredibly stressful, and something that will make you feel extremely self-conscious in a way that might affect your mental health.
  • Get Used To It – There’s nothing wrong with hiding your head under a hat or trying to mess around with your hair in some way. That’s just style, and everyone messes around with the way they look once in a while. But before you cover your head, make sure you get used to your hair loss first. You have to make sure you’re not embarrassed with your head of hair before you start to hide it.
  • Be Open to Talk About It – If you are ever feeling self-conscious about your hair, try to be open to talking about it. The worst thing you can do is allow yourself to overthink your hair loss. When it’s bothering you and you’re worried about how someone thinks of you, letting the thought out and telling them that your new found hair loss still makes you self-conscious is better than doing trying to stop it yourself.
  • Focus On Your Health/Fitness – One of the reasons many men become too concerned about their hair is because they’re not also not confident in the rest of their body. Exercising and making sure that you’re taking care of your fitness provides you with that extra self-confidence you need. In addition, anxiety is known to reduce anxiety, so it has secondary benefits as well.

Finding out that you’re losing your hair can be stressful. Seeing your hair loss occurring can be stressful too. But these issues don’t have to control your life. There are many ways you can cope with the anxiety of hair loss in a way that helps you still live a confident lifestyle. Make sure that you’re not letting the way your hair looks take over your life, and control that anxiety today.

About the Author: Ryan Rivera has worked with many people suffering from hair loss and is prepared to deal with it himself. He writes about overcoming anxiety at www.calmclinic.com.

Filed Under: General, How-To
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