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Now I’m in It

Such Great Heights

This Overload

• 2 liters of water
• Extra layers of clothing and related accessories (e.g. hats, gloves)
• Your share of the picnic lunch for the day, plus your personal snacks
• Light toiletries (e.g. sunblock)

I Would Walk 500 Miles

• Train IN YOUR BOOTS.  Not your sneakers.  Your boots.  Your body needs to acclimate to the boot weight.  Your feet need to figure out their sock game (a discussion unto itself).  If your boots aren’t right for you, better to find out now!
• Wear your boots back-to-back days.  It’s one thing to do a hike on a Saturday, then abandon your books until the next weekend.  Your feet need to be in the boots for back-to-back training sessions.  This will also help you figure out if you need new/different boots before the trip starts.
• Go the distance.  Even if the weather prevents you from hiking in the mountains for a while, try to walk 8 miles (10 km) on days you can get out.  Your body needs to know it can walk for hours on end.

Not for nothing, our biggest injury on the trails is blisters.  Remember, you have all day to finish a hike, but this means your feet are in boots for hours on end.  Hiking endurance is not just about strength or cardio fitness, it’s about common-sense preparation.  Make your feet a focus of your winter fitness regimen.

The Way

Thanks for reading this primer winter trip fitness prep.  Stay tuned for future posts targeting strength, cardio, and flexibility training.  See you in the mountains!

Eighty-five percent of people recovering from drug addiction relapse within a year.
How can you keep yourself from becoming part of this statistic?
You may see the negative effects drug addiction has on your life and feel hopeless about recovery. But recovery from drug addiction is necessary and it doesn’t have to be difficult. These tips can make it easier.

1. Find an Emotional Support System

Having a solid support system is necessary for the recovery from drug addiction. Whether it’s people you know or people who are going through recovery, too, having people to talk to and rely on will be beneficial for your recovery.
However, you must refrain from surrounding yourself with enablers and people who might begin using again. Disconnect from the people who led you to use drugs and find a support system that encourages recovery.
Narcotics Anonymous is a 12-step program designed for people recovering from drug addiction. Attending the meetings will connect you with people who are in similar situations and people who have overcome their addiction.

2. Exercise

Exercise can be a good, healthy distraction from drugs. It can lower your stress levels, detox your body, and release hormones that make you feel happier.
Particularly, yoga for addiction recovery can be beneficial in helping you turn your attention away from drugs and focus on yourself. It can also help you cope with possible triggers.
Practicing yoga includes meditation, which helps with positive thinking and purging negative thoughts from your mind. Meditation can help you focus on what lies ahead and the opportunities you have when you’re not distracted by your addiction.

3. Go to Rehab

Rehabilitation centers are best equipped to help you handle your recovery. They can connect you to professionals and the resources necessary to get you clean.
Facilities can be gender- or age-specific as well as inpatient and outpatient. There are a variety of facilities to ensure you stay comfortable throughout your rehab.

4. Spend Time in a Sober Living Facility

Transferring to a sober living facility after completing rehab can help you learn how to live on your own.
Sober living facilities will give you a place to continue your recovery alongside other recovering addicts. You may be expected to follow rules, help with household chores, and take periodic drug tests.
In turn, you will have help and support with staying on the path to recovery.
Some sober living facilities allow pets which can be useful during recovery. Read more about the benefits of owning a pet during recovery.

5. Be Goal-Oriented

Set post-recovery goals and do something every day to work toward them. Keeping your goals in mind can be the push you need to stay sober.
Your goals can be professional or personal, but working toward them will help keep your mind off of drugs.

Making Recovery From Drug Addiction Easier

Your journey to recovery is going to take a while, but with some dedication it won’t be difficult. During your recovery from drug addiction, you can find additional resources like books to further inspire you to change.
Read this article about more reasons to get clean!

We’ve all had that co-worker we couldn’t stand.
You may have even found yourself wishing they would just get fired or disappear entirely.
They showed up late, left the microwave splattered with marinara sauce, and as far as everyone in your office could tell, only showered about once a week.
However, it’s not uncommon for co-workers to step on each others’ toes. In fact, as far as you know, you could be that co-worker.
The problem is, when you work with multiple people with all kinds of personalities, you’re bound to rub at least one person the wrong way.
However, regardless of the odds, you should do your best not to upset your co-workers.
Read on for our top 9 dos and don’ts of coworking!

The Dos and Don’ts of Coworking

While it seems simple enough to respect the dos and don’ts of coworking, it may surprise you how many people you rub the wrong way throughout the day. Sometimes, being a kind and genuine person isn’t enough.
A poor coworker can ruin a good space in a single day, and well-priced coworking spaces can be hard to find!
For more information on coworking spaces in Manhatten, check out Kettle Space!

1. Do Practice Good Hygiene

The is kindergarten stuff for most, but many people neglect their hygiene to the point of public concern. Even if you don’t think you need to shower every day, your co-workers may disagree.
The last thing you want to do is gross people out with your funk.

2. Do Cover Your Mouth When You Cough

We have all been told to cover our mouths when coughing and sneezing, but one in four people don’t!
However, it’s incredibly important that we do, as colds and more serious viruses such as the flu cans spread quickly through coughs and sneezes.

3. Do Respect Personal Bubbles

You ever have a friend or co-worker who stands entirely too close while talking to you?
It’s uncomfortable, to say the least. While it’s a societal thing that varies from country to country, we have to respect our country’s bubble standards, which is approximately two to four feet in working environments.

4. Do Follow the Rules

If you want the respect of your peers, follow the rules like everyone else. If you start acting as though you’re above them, you’ll ostracize yourself from the rest of the office.
Rebel at heart or not, your job is not the place. Show good coworking etiquette, accept and follow the rules.

5. To Be Kind and Courteous

This is among the most obvious of all dos and don’ts of coworking, it’s the golden rule. Treat others as you would like to be treated.
Be nice to your coworkers. First, because you are a good human being and they don’t deserve ill-treatment. Second, they will treat you nice in return.

6. Do Carry Your Own Weight

When you’re working within an office full of coworkers, don’t make them carry your weight. Whether in regards to important group assignments or simply cleaning up after yourself in the breakroom, carry your own weight.
Your coworkers will begin to resent you if they notice you depend on them too much and won’t see you as part of the team.

7. Do Have a Tidy Desk

While your desk is your own personal space, don’t leave it a mess for everyone to look at.
First, right or wrong, they will judge you for it. Second, there is a strong link between clutter and anxiety. By leaving your desk messy, you are literally stressing everyone out.

8. Do Refill Anything You Use the Last Of

Is there anything more frustrating than going to the toilet only to realize someone used the last of the toilet paper and didn’t replace it?
Refill whatever you use the last of, it’s a major rule in the dos and don’ts of coworking.

9. Do Be Outgoing

Personalities aside, be outgoing and friendly. You don’t need to become best friends with any of your coworkers, just don’t seclude yourself from them.
Don’t be the weirdo in the corner avoiding eye-contact with everyone.

1. Don’t Bring in Stinky Food for Lunch or Snacks

It’s not your fault broccoli and Brussel sprouts stink, but you don’t need to bring them to work and heat them up in the shared microwave.
Remember, just because hard-boiled eggs are appetizing to you, it doesn’t mean everyone will enjoy smelling them!

2. Don’t Leave the Bathroom Without Washing Your Hands

Among the do’s and don’ts of coworking, washing your hands after using the bathroom could be listed in the top 10 do’s and don’ts of life.
It’s okay to judge someone if you watch them head straight out of the stall and back into the office without washing their hands. There’s no excuse for it.
Gross.

3. Don’t Listen to Loud Music (Even in Headphones)

Most people prefer a quiet atmosphere devoid of distractions to get solid work done. However, many people prefer music. Thank goodness for headphones!
Although, you will occasionally meat that person who wears headphones but also wants everyone to know what they’re listening to. They either crank the volume up so much it blares through, or they sing along to whatever they’re listening to.
Headphones are designed for personal listening. Keep it to yourself.

4. Don’t Leave Messes in Common Areas

Don’t leave a trail of messes wherever you go. Clean up after yourself in the kitchen, breakroom, bathroom, etc.
Your coworkers will notice very quickly if you don’t.

5. Don’t Chew Gum Obnoxiously

In a close working environment, loud gum chewers are frequent offenders of the dos and don’ts of coworking.
It’s literally chewing with your mouth open with never-ending food. Don’t do that to people.

6. Don’t Use Inappropriate Language

There’s a time and place for inappropriate language. It’s not at the office. Very few people tolerate racial, sexist, or profane language.
Leave it for the bar or yelling at the TV when your team is losing.

7. Don’t Go Over Schedule on Shared Conference Rooms

Many shared workspaces have a shared conference or common rooms. If you are scheduled for an hour, cut it off at an hour.
Don’t be selfish, every minute you go over is a minute you took from someone else.

8. Don’t Bring Bad Moods to Work

While maintaining the good coworker etiquette of kindness seems like an easy one, try doing it after you’ve had a really bad day and Karen is sitting behind you chomping away on her gum.
It’s not her fault you’re already annoyed, so don’t take it out on her. Keep your bad moods to yourself, fake it till you make it if you have to.

9. Don’t Try to Sell Your Co-Workers Stuff

We all have friends on our Facebook that randomly fell into Thrive, Advocare, or Mary K. Every post they make becomes a sales pitch and you eventually unfollow them.
Don’t be that person at your job. Your co-workers can’t unfollow you at work, but they can stop being nice to you.

The Working Life

Life in an office can be wildly entertaining and exciting. Depending on your coworkers, you could find yourself really looking forward to work each day, or dreading it!
Just keep the dos and don’ts of coworking in mind so you aren’t the reason others dread great coming to work!
For more articles on work life, check out these articles!

If you’re one of the nearly 20 million students enrolled in U.S. universities in 2019, you’re almost certainly stressed out by the number of papers you have to write.
Even if you’re in another walk of life, such as in the job market or looking at opportunities online, you’re probably realizing that the writing skills you used in school are necessary.
After all, writing follows you all throughout your adult life in some form or another. Once you realize that, you might begin to realize that you need to improve your writing skills.
But you might wonder, how will that work? How can I make my writing skills as good as they can be to get opportunities, jobs, and raises? What if I want to try writing creatively?
Well, you shouldn’t have to worry about any of this! Virtual writing tutors, or online sites that help with writing, are extremely effective in providing you with the best assistance possible.
So sit back, relax, and read on to learn about what a virtual writing tutor can do for you!

1. Writing Skills are Crucial

Before understanding the benefits of getting a virtual writing tutor, it’s important to understand the importance of writing itself. Whether you like it or not, the fact of the matter is that everyone writes.
Whether it’s coding for a job or a personal email, you’re going to, inevitably, have to write something.
Writing is a great social tool. Because everyone needs to write at some point, doing so well can let people talk to each other and share ideas. In fact, it can help bridge the education gap between socioeconomic classes and bring people closer together.
People around the world also use writing to connect with themselves.
A huge number of people keep journals or write personal diaries. Even though these will never be published or read by others, it’s a relevant example of how writing is important to people.
That’s a really abstract benefit to writing.
But there are also concrete, practical benefits, too. Writing lets you express ideas and share thoughts with people across distance. Even when writing a message to a friend in another country, you want to have some level of basic writing skill.
In these ways, writing skills are crucial for everyone in communicating with others. It’s unavoidable that you’ll need to develop these skills. So why not look to make yourself the best writer you can be?

2. Writing Comes in Many Forms

One reason that virtual writing tutors are awesome is that writing comes in many forms.
These tutors can help with any and all forms of writing. Whether you’re working on an essay about the biology of frogs or trying to write the next great American novel, these sites can help.
Virtual writing tutors don’t only offer a text box where your grammar can be checked, but also provide the contact information of tutoring experts. That’s their main purpose, in fact. These sites aim to help you hone your writing skills.
You will likely be paired with someone who shares your writing interests, but all the experts know about writing as a whole. For this reason, you can’t go wrong in contacting an expert through the tutoring site.
There are so many benefits to this! A lot of opportunities open up to you when you’re a strong writer.
For one thing, people will take you more seriously in job or school applications if your resume has strong writing. If you’re a student, these tutors can help you to get better grades.
There are also a lot of jobs for writers that can be done from home while drinking tea in your pajamas. Talk about living the dream! But none of these jobs are possible without virtual writing tutors.
Even experts need to run their work through a system before submitting!

3. Grammar is No Longer a Concern

Now that you understand why the Virtual Writing Tutor is a good idea in the abstract, it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty of what it can do for you. One of the most primary and straightforward functions that it performs is a comprehensive grammar check.
This grammar check can do many more things than you might think of right away. After all, a grammar and spelling check doesn’t even brush the tip of the iceberg for what it takes to make a paper great.
The grammar check feature also can tell you what words can be changed to improve the vocabulary of your text. It will provide a list of synonyms that you can use for more language variety.
It can also tell you which sentences are grammatically incorrect.
Even if a sentence is grammatically correct, though, it can still be too wordy and difficult for readers to grasp. The website can tell you how to shorten these sentences and make them simple while keeping them professional.
Finally, this page also provides a great tool for outlining any kind of essay you might want to write. It helps to keep your thoughts organized. Your paper will basically write itself!
This part of the writing tutoring website exists primarily to make sure that your work is easily readable and understandable. It also helps to eliminate typos and misplaced commas.
People take others more seriously when they’ve paid careful attention to the little things, so don’t overlook these errors!

4. An Extra Set of Eyes

What about content, style, and structure? You might be wondering if an online writing tutor can help you with these elements of writing. The answer is a hard YES!
There’s an interactive component to the Virtual Writing Tutor that makes it great. Beyond the essay checker, there is also a contact button which will hook you up with a professional. These experts are trained in assisting you with writing the best paper possible.
These sites can also pair you up with other people who are working on their writing!
Some Virtual Writing Tutor websites will let you work with a pen pal. You can revise each other’s papers and get another set of eyes before you submit your writings to wherever you want.
Having another set of eyes on your paper can help you by providing a fresh perspective. Since you’ve read your paper so many times, of course, it makes sense to you. Having a reviser lets you make sure that it makes sense to others, too.
Since online tutoring is effective when it’s done properly, signing up for the Virtual Writing Tutor is one of the best decisions you’ll ever make for your future self! Don’t wait!

5. Helps With Next Steps

So you’ve written your text. You’ve looked it over, run it through the grammar checker, and had it revised. Now what?
Knowing what the next steps to take are after you think you’re done writing can be difficult. After all, getting things published takes a lot of work. Even if you aren’t planning on publishing and only want to turn in a school paper, you might have doubts about when the time is right.
Virtual writing tutoring can help with this is a couple of ways. First, there is a forum you can post to when you sign up for this service. You can post in that forum to learn more about how and when you should submit your work.
If you’re trying to publish a paper or work of fiction, people in these forums can help you to discover when you’re ready to click that submit button.
Anyone who has written anything, though, can turn to these forums for a supportive community.
Everyone else on the tutoring website is exactly like you: someone who wants to make their writing better. You’re all in the same boat and know what each other are going through.
Whether you’re writing a book you want to publish or an academic essay you’re submitting for credit, online writing help is a great bet. Sign up to take a huge leap towards success!

Get a Writing Tutor

Writing can be tough, but it’s necessary. That’s why a virtual writing tutor is a good idea for anyone. With one, you can have an extra set of eyes on your paper to check content, structure, and especially grammar.
Now that you know about how to use a virtual writing tutor to become a more successful individual, check out this article for ten more tips to improve yourself in your writing.
Happy writing!

Consistent branding across all platforms increases revenue by 23%.
In the digital age, consumers are bombarded by ads and marketing. Every time we log onto our computers, a company is attempting to get our attention. As consumers, we have learned how to block out most of these communications.
So, how can we stand out and make an impact?
One way to do this is by updating our brand identity design and branding strategy. Doing so will help us to reach the right consumers at the right time and create a loyal customer base.
Read on to discover 11 tips for enhancing your brand design identity and branding consistency.

1. Curb Your Need for Instant Gratification

First and foremost, learn how to curb your need for instant gratification. Branding and re-branding can produce results, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Branding takes time, dedication, and patience.
The companies who do become an overnight sensation are the exception, not the rule. Even the largest companies in the U.S. had to build relationships with their customers to gain their trust. This is where consistent branding and consistent effort are key.

2. Reflect on Your Identity

Knowing your business’s core values and goals will help your branding to communicate more effectively and efficiently. To start, determine your “why”.
Why are your products needed? Why are you in business? What makes you believe in your business, products, services, and employees?
Many business owners know who they are, but they don’t fully understand what their business represents. Their customers may also not be viewing their company in the same way the company does either.
It’s well worth the effort to clearly define your business’s mission, values, and goals. Every business has a right to grow, but it’s core values need to remain consistent to make a greater impact.

3. Get to Know Your Customers

64% of consumers will trust your brand if you share the same values.
Get to really know who your customers are and what they believe in. If you haven’t conducted target audience research, then now’s a good time to do so. It’s also helpful to create biographies of your target audience to understand how they think, feel, and interact online and in-person with companies.
As a business, you want to remain true to your mission while also connecting with your customers. Of course, finding that sweet spot can sometimes be difficult. But, if you believe in your product and your business stands for something greater than just selling a product, then you’re positioning your business to create not just customers but loyalty as well.

4. Craft Your Identity

Once you’ve defined your values and your customers, it’s time to craft your brand identity.  Crafting your identity has many steps. To start, determine how you want to interact with the world.
What words are important to your brand? What emotions are important to evoke? What tone of voice is important to use?
Is your brand seeking to connect through laughter? Is your business rallying behind a cause that’s related to your product or service?
Answering questions like these allow you to determine how you will connect with customers.
When crafting your identity, you’re solidifying what the face of your company will look like. Revisit your mission and values frequently to make sure that your branding is consistent with these factors.

5. Brand Identity Design

Brand identity design takes the tone, voice, and values of a company and makes it visual. Your core brand identity design includes your logo, color scheme, and typography. Other brand identity design elements include your website design, video content, and photography.
When creating your brand identity design, review your competition’s design elements and also other brands that your target audience connects with. This will help you to get an idea of what resonates with your customers. However, it also isn’t useful to create an inauthentic branding design based on this information.
Keep note of your competition and your customers, but seek to remain true to your identity as well. Your best strategy may also be to go against the grain instead of following the crowd. Or it could be to create a well-crafted brand identity design that just connects better with consumers.

6. Brand It

Once you’ve created your brand identity and designs it’s time to brand everything related to your company. Consistently use your branding on product packaging, social media, your website, business cards, etc. Anything you can afford to brand, brand it.
This type of consistency is what allows your customers to become familiar with who you are and what you stand for.
For more ideas on how to brand and revamp your marketing efforts, visit this blog.

7. Evaluate Your Website

Website design is more than just the layout, color scheme, and graphic design. It also matters how fast pages load, ease of navigation, and content. Evaluate your website to make sure that your brand is consistent and that customers are receiving the best website experience possible.
This will ensure that your branding and marketing is heard loud and clear. It will also prevent customers from navigating away from your website.

8. Engage with Customers

Engage with customers online and in-person. Social media is a great way to connect with your target audience by answering their questions or commenting on posts. When interacting with customers make sure to remain consistent with your tone, voice, and branding image.

9. Enhance Social Media

Your social media’s design should be as up-to-date and crisp as your website. Use every opportunity from your profile picture to your bio to use your brand. Brand every post and make sure to use consistent design elements and filters.

10. Produce Relevant Content

Aim to produce relatable content that is useful to your consumer. This allows your brand’s voice to reach the consumer without any sales pitches. Create content just for their benefit.
For example, if your business sells beauty products, then create how-to blog posts that show consumers how to apply eye shadow correctly.

11. Be Willing to Grow

Be willing to grow as a brand and a company. Customers, technology, and marketing are constantly changing. While you don’t need to conduct a complete overall re-branding on a regular basis, it’s important to be willing to improve and change what isn’t working.

Your Business’s Future Brand Identity Design

Your business’s future brand identity design is full of limitless possibilities. Always aim to be creative, transparent, and authentic. Employ marketing campaigns with your brand identity design on multiple platforms consistently, and you should expect to see results.
Interested in tracking the success of your brand identity design and consistency through email marketing and SMS campaigns? Start your free trial today to see how your branding strategy is performing.

1. Curb Your Need for Instant Gratification

2. Reflect on Your Identity

3. Get to Know Your Customers

4. Craft Your Identity

5. Brand Identity Design

6. Brand It

7. Evaluate Your Website

8. Engage with Customers

9. Enhance Social Media

10. Produce Relevant Content

11. Be Willing to Grow

Your Business’s Future Brand Identity Design

We live in a world of ever-increasing technology, where 86% of workers sit all day at their jobs.
Additionally, 80% of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their life.
These two facts are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are directly related.
As most of us work for at least eight hours a day, sitting at our desk, we have become quite sedentary. A sedentary lifestyle combines with poor posture and bad habits we’ve accumulated can lead to a lifetime of back pain.
However, it IS reversible! Don’t go throwing in the towel just yet!
Keep reading to learn our top tips for getting rid of nagging back pain at work!

Strength Training

One of the biggest causes of lower back pain is the perpetual weakening of core muscles due to sedentary lifestyles or lack of physical activity.
When deciding how to relieve back pain, consider strength training. It’s an excellent way to strengthen up your core and all other parts of your body. While it may not seem super appealing, strength training can be fun and can be done as quickly as 30 minutes two to three times a week. You don’t need to become a steroid-pumping bodybuilder!
However, the benefits of strength training transcend the woes of back pain in the office.
You’ll be stronger and healthier for longer with consistent strength training. Those who strength train are less likely to rely on wheelchairs in their old age.
In the short-term, you’ll sleep better, improve your health and metabolism, and will probably even drop a few pounds, despite adding muscle.

Yoga

Yoga is another great answer for how to relieve back pain. It’s also a less intimidating approach to strengthening your body, with an emphasis on core strength.
Holding yoga poses also increases flexibility and mobility. Some people also find it incredibly relaxing and even a means of meditation.
There are varying levels of yoga, from beginner to advanced. You can look up videos online or go to yoga studios where instructors can help you every step of the way. Instructors can also give you modifications for poses you aren’t quite capable of yet.
Just remember, everyone has to start somewhere, what’s most important is that you start!

Lose Weight

Sitting at a desk all day is a major cause contributing to gain weight. The more extra weight you carry, the more painful sitting at your desk can be. It’s a vicious cycle.
Carrying around extra weight all day can add to the physical stress of poor posture. It can also be a reason as to why we adopt poor postures.
Losing the excess weight can go a long way toward a healthier life and a great answer for how to relieve back pain!
Don’t worry about crazy fad dieting or unreasonably restricting yourself of carbohydrates or calories! There are healthier, more sustainable ways of eating with the intent of weight loss.
Get with a dietician or personal trainer to put you on the right nutrition path to help you lose weight.
There’s no negative side effects of getting healthier!

Sit With Good Posture

While it may not seem like something as simple as slouching throughout the day can cause intense back pain, it’s true.
Sitting with poor posture puts excess stress on certain parts of your spine. Over time, this can lead to long term damage to discs, muscles, and joints.
Correcting your posture while you sit at your desk can be a simple solution for how to relieve back pain. It will take time and constant awareness of how you’re sitting, but can lead to fantastic, pain-free results!

Get a Standing Desk

Another way to slowly increase core strength and get rid of back pain is by getting a standing desk at work.
Hopefully, your place of employment will support this healthy and therapeutic method and provide the desk for you. At the very least, they should allow you to move a standing desk into your workspace.
If you are having trouble with management getting the go-ahead, consult a doctor and ask them for a note recommending a standing desk.

Get an Ergonomic Laptop Stand

If you’re working on how to relieve back pain but your employer won’t allow a standing desk in the office, consider an ergonomic laptop stand.
This is a laptop standing desk that is a lot less intrusive, not to mention a lot less expensive, than a traditional standing desk.
This laptop stand sits atop a regular desk and elevates your laptop to standing height.  Because of its small size and incredibly reasonable price, not only will your employer allow, but they’ll probably pay for it!

Adjust Your Work Station

Now that we’ve talked about the standing solutions to 9 to 5 desk jobs, let’s discuss other work station changes you can make.
Let’s face it, standing at your desk all day is not for everyone. If bad knees, hips, joints, or old injuries prevent you from standing at your desk, there are other options!
For example, your computer monitor should be about two inches higher than eye-level and about an arm’s length away. Also, your feet should be planted on the ground with your knees directly above your ankles and shoulder width apart.
Finally, make sure you’re sitting in a chair with good back support, especially in the lower lumbar region.

Take Frequent, Short Breaks

When looking for ways how to relieve lower back pain, consider taking more breaks during the day. Don’t get carried away or your boss will start to question your integrity at work.
However, it’s completely reasonable to take 5 to 10 minutes every hour to get up and stretch, go to the bathroom, or just walk around for a bit.
As an added benefit, it’ll give your eyes a break from your computer screen, which can cause headaches and cause a surprising level of fatigue.

Get a Headset for Your Phone

Finally, if you’re at your desk all day and spend a considerable amount of time on the phone, consider getting a hands-free device. For people who cradle the phone between their shoulder and ear, this posture can cause a lot of pain over time.
A hands-free device will allow you to multitask or even stand up and walk around during phone calls.

Email has come a long way in its nearly 50-year history. In its journey from technical marvel to an essential part of daily life, it’s become a critical component of any successful business strategy.
With the sheer volume of emails a person receives, it can be a serious challenge to get useful feedback from your customers. Challenging but not impossible.
In truth, getting useful customer feedback is just a matter of knowing how to approach the problem. Here are 5 tips on how to get meaningful customer feedback.

1. Know Your Goals

If you’re selling a good or service, your goal might be to see if customers are pleased with the product they’re getting or the service you’re rendering. On the other hand, you might be more interested in knowing what features they’d like to see added.
You can also use customer feedback as part of your CRM efforts. If you just asked yourself, “what is CRM?” it’s customer relationship management. Basically, it’s collecting data that allows you to better manage your relationship with your customers and understand your demographic.
Understanding your demographic is always going to result in better results for your business and a happier customer.

2. Ask Goal-Relevant Questions

Now that you understand your goals, you need to ask questions that will yield the answers you want. Making your questions open-ended leaves too much room for interpretation, and therefore might not get you any useful information.
When asking for feedback, you need to lead your customers in the right direction. If you’re following up on a recent purchase, ask questions that produce direct results about that. For example, try asking, “How likely would you be to recommend our product/service to others?”
Keep your goals at the front of your mind when crafting your questions, and you’ll get the feedback you want.

3. Make it Personal

The last thing your customer once is to feel like another anonymous nobody in an email chain. They want to feel valued and acknowledged, which is why your questions need to feel more personal.
In a way, this is an extension of asking goal-relevant questions. Only this time, you’re asking questions specific to the individuals.
Segment your email lists in such a way that people are getting questions that are actually relevant to them and you’ll get better results.

4. Give Them a Break

This one is simple. You don’t want to bombard your customers with constant emails. That’s a surefire way to make sure they never interact with you.
While you definitely want to consistently ask for feedback, it needs to feel natural. If customers feel like they’re being pestered, they’re more likely to either not give feedback or to give negative feedback.

5. Go Mobile

People use their smartphones for just about everything. This includes email.
With more and more people reading email on their phones, you need to make sure you’re optimizing your emails for that format. This means making sure your emails automatically reformat to fit themselves to any screen.
Customers can’t interact if they can’t even read your emails, so don’t skip this step.

Customer Feedback You Can Use

If you follow these tips, you’re sure to get customer feedback that’s actually meaningful. Knowing what your customers need can make or break a business, so don’t underestimate the power of listening.
But email isn’t even half the battle. You need a well-rounded strategy. Read on for invaluable tips on how to succeed.

Running a good campaign is the difference between winning and losing an election, where only one person can be voted into office. There might be two or a handful of people seeking to win the same contest, but standing out from the rest assures a more desired outcome.
That is not an easy proposition. But if you want to learn how to win an election, here are some steps that can be taken in order to bridge the gaps between the candidate and voters.

Build Your Brand

Name recognition is the first priority of the candidate. No voter will pick the person they know nothing about. Write in candidates are a form of protest by small groups, with less than a handful of successful winners in history.
The real contest is among the best well known and supported individuals. Be more than a name, but a powerful brand.
Like a company selling products, a logo has the power of persuasion. It encapsulates, for the voter, the personality, ideology, and hopes placed on the desired candidate.
Well-known companies such as the Nike that sells shoes, Apple that sells computers, and McDonald’s with a successful fast-food chain are each recognized by symbols.
Two-term President Obama had an O with what looked like the sun rising in a blue sky above three red stripes like farmland. The red “MAGA” hat of President Trump is simple but brings out extreme emotional reactions for both supporters and detractors. Develop a simple and easy-to-recognize symbol for the campaign.

Sell Merchandise 

Spread the word by offering your name and logo to the masses by selling hats, shirts, and other things with your name and logo on it. This gives supporters the chance to let others know who they want in office. Your merchandise is more than just free advertising. The profits generated from these sales can also contribute to the campaign’s coffers.
You also want to create custom advertising materials for your supporters, like lawn signs, posters, flyers, or even custom Post-it notes (learn more here).

Pinpoint Your Messaging

A symbol, or a candidate, without a message doesn’t inspire others to join the movement. There will be competitors who have ideas that are in complete opposition to each other. On the other hand, during a primary many from the same political party will hold only slightly different viewpoints.
Use any differences, no matter how small, as an advantage. Exaggerate them, argue insistently, and be consistent. Let the potential voters know you mean business. Directly tie your position to how it can help the everyday life of voters to be better.
Good storytelling among, and even bereft of, political jargon also helps bring potential voters closer to supporting you. No one cares about crime statistics or the amount of the national debt. But they do care about a person who was robbed at gunpoint while going shopping downtown and the chance they will be next.
Knowing eventually that taxes will be high enough to force them taking another job can bring fear.
Even better is a personal story by the candidate about how they were affected by an existing or proposed law. Make sure to have answers to the critical questions that any good reporter would ask; the who, what, when, where, and why of the stories.
Put all that information in written material that can be distributed at rallies and by supporters to others.

Develop a Social Media Presence

Once the message is developed and logo designed, modernize the process with various social media platforms. We don’t recommend that every platform is used at once. A blitz of information might lose the impact of a slowly leaked presentation.
Interest can quickly be lost as voters are overwhelmed with all the candidate has to say. Using all the social media will cause confusion and burn out for both the intended audience and the campaign.
Pick and choose a few platforms, what to present, and when to make a post. Modern Hollywood celebrities are masters of social media advertising for fans.
Like water from a faucet, they slowly and continually drop little bits of their personal lives.
The same can be done with views, proposals, positions, and schedules. Start with some main information and slowly explain the details. Respond to other candidates whenever they have anything to say. Make sure you don’t miss a chance to put your voice and name out for voters to take notice. Link short-form social media to a central online presence that can expand and further explain any information.

Create a Campaign Website

A website is essential to a modern political campaign. It acts as the place that potential voters can go to learn more about the campaign and candidacy.
Well-maintained websites are sure to have SEO (Search Engine Optimization) keywords to help people find what they are looking for. It will include a biography, political positions, press releases, rally schedules, and even some tasteful fun.
Essential to the professional website is a portal through which supporters, or potential voters, can interact with the campaign and get involved. You want visitors to join an e-mail list, join the political party or campaign, and donate to the cause.

Know How to Win An Election Now?

Hopefully, this article has helped you understand how to win an election.
Remember, no stone should go unturned when running for office as a political candidate. Recognize strengths and weakness in the campaign and in your competition. Emphasize your strengths and advantages while downplaying your weakness (and work on improvement where possible).
Do the exact opposite for the opponents. Have the end goal of holding a political office in mind. If the end result is winning, don’t forget to continue following the above strategies.