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  • Eight ways to deal with lies

    Eight ways to deal with lies

    People lie for different reasons and it hurts more when someone you love and trust lies to you. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 8 ways to help you deal with lies and temper its effect on your emotions and perceptions.

    Recognize That You Are Being Lied To

    Before proceeding to deal with lies, you must first establish that you are being lied to. When you are sure, beyond any doubt, that you have been or are being lied to, you can then proceed to deal with it.

    Look for Patterns In The Person’s Lies

    This is done in an attempt to understand why the person is lying to you. It is easier to deal with when you can identify why the person is lying to you. However, if after some analysis it seems to you that the person is lying for no reason, then there is a bigger problem at hand – you are possibly dealing with a compulsive or pathological liar. If you are not careful, the person’s lies can distort your reality to the point where you actually begin to believe the lies might be true.

    Determine if the Person’s Lies Are Harmful

    Truth is there is no such thing as a harmless lie, but some lies are more harmful than others. You need to figure out how the lies affect you, the person lying and others that might be involved. Is the person lying to protect, escape the consequence of an error, or manipulate? More importantly, are the lies manipulating you into making decisions or acting in ways that are unlike you or your personality?

    Decide Whether or Not to Confront the Liar

    This is a personal choice. After you are sure, beyond reasonable doubt, that you have been lied to, you need to sit down, think and decide on your course of action. Determine the better alternative between confronting the liar and keeping to yourself the fact that you know the truth. You can keep it to yourself to inform your future decisions concerning the liar and anything that has to do with the liar.

    Document the Lies

    This seems funny but if you neglect this you can be made the fool, especially when you confront the liar for his/her lies. You don’t have to show the documentation to anyone, it is mainly for you so you don’t lose sight of the truth. You should document the instance of the lie and why you believe it is a lie. Do some research (an objective one) to get some evidence proving the lie, you should be able to show the liar (and to some degree even yourself), without a doubt, that a lie or lies have been told.

    Talk to the Person Privately

    If you must confront the liar, don’t do so in public. That tends to have a less than desired effect and isn’t likely to help the person change. When you talk to the person, don’t be condescending or aggressive, calmly point out the person’s lie(s) with evidence and give them space to react. If the person admits the lie(s), then they are most likely remorseful. You can give the person a chance to explain the lie(s).

    If the person doesn’t admit the lie after being caught with evidence, then there is a deeper problem – you are more likely dealing with a compulsive or pathological liar. You should tread carefully and wisely at this point because they are unlikely to admit the truth no matter how aggressive you get.

    Prepare for Resulting Trust Issues

    After being lied to, prepare for the fact that you are likely going to have difficulty trusting people again because the feeling of betrayal doesn’t fade easily. At this point, it helps to remember that there are still honest people in the world, regardless of how few they might be. Remind yourself that no one deserves to be judged by the mistakes of others – everyone deserves a chance.

    Protect Yourself

    Dealing with lies can be emotionally exhausting. Ensure that you don’t get wrapped up in a person’s lies again. Ensure that at every point you always have a firm grasp on the truth. If things get out of hand and you have to endure mental and psychological trauma because of a person’s lies, it advisable to distance yourself from the liar, and in more extreme cases, cut the person off completely.

     

  • Eight habits that harm your brain

    Eight habits that harm your brain

    It’s funny that “the one organ in our brain that thinks is often the one we think less about”. The brain is the most important organ in our body and it’s time we pay more attention to its health and welfare. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 8 habits that harm your brain.

    Not Sleeping Well

    Lack of proper sleep is a bad habit that can significantly hurt your brain. It negatively affects the hippocampus causing a deficit that leads to forgetfulness.

    Having Too Much Time to Yourself

    Alone time can be great for thinking, reflection and mapping out your dreams and goals. However, when the solitude is too much it can damage the mind and body. It can typically cause brain decline, affect the quality and efficiency of sleep making it less restorative, erode arteries, create high blood pressure, undermine learning and memory and generally take a toll on health; although, most of these effects are gradual and experienced over the course of time.

    Eating Too Much Junk Food

    Regardless of the fact that you are the kind of person that can eat whatever you like and remain in shape, it is important not be excessive in your intake of junk foods. This is because parts of brain linked to learning, memory and mental health are smaller and less developed in people who excessively consume junk foods. Natural foods like berries, whole grains, nuts, green leafy vegetables preserve the brain function and slow mental decline.

    You Play Loud Music with Earphones or Headphones

    Placing the volume of your earphone or headphone at full volume can permanently damage your hearing. It can also cause brain problems involving loss of memory or inability to remember things easily, and loss of brain tissue in your later years. This is most likely because the brain has to work so hard to understand what’s being said around you that it can hardly store what you’ve heard into your memory.

    Immobility

    The body was made to move and the longer you remain unmoving and inactive the more likely you are to suffer from diseases like diabetes, heart diseases, stroke, dementia and high blood pressure which can all negatively affect the brain in the long run. You don’t have to start high intensity workouts or start running marathons, just take a walk around your house more often or engage in an activity that gets you moving.

    Smoking

    At this point, it has already been established that smoking is bad for your body. Aside causing lung problems, smoking also shrinks the brain. It makes your memory worse, makes you more forgetful and leads to problems like heart disease, dementia, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, lung cancer etc.

    Overeating

    We are familiar with the saying, “too much of anything is bad”. Too much food, even of the right and healthy kind of food, can hinder the brain from building up a strong network of connections to help you think and remember. Overeating can also lead to obesity which is linked to a number of brain problems like food addiction, impulsive and disinhibited eating and in some cases cognitive problems.

    Staying Indoor or In the Dark for Prolonged Periods

    For the optimum health of the brain, it is important you expose yourself to natural light as often as you can. This helps to prevent depression and keep your brain working well. Staying in the dark or without natural light for prolonged periods, can slow your brain and cause a decline in the brain.

     

  • Seven foods you think are healthy but actually aren’t

    Seven foods you think are healthy but actually aren’t

    Unhealthy foods are one of the major reasons people fall sick, gain an alarming amount of weight and have weight gain issues. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 7 foods you think are healthy but actually aren’t. Please don’t be fooled by these misleading healthy foods.

    Diet Soda

    Drinking soda often, increases your risk of heart attack, stroke and prostate cancer; it also makes you eat more which can lead to obesity. You would think diet soda is better but it’s potentially worse. The artificial sweeteners in diet soda fool your body into thinking you’re eating real food, disrupts the body’s natural ability to regulate calorie intake and cause a spike in your insulin levels (because these sweeteners are actually much sweeter than actual sugar) which can lead to obesity, diabetes and heart problems.

    Packaged Meat

    Packaged meats are usually loaded with salt and preservatives, as a result they are basically a well-packaged sodium-saturated disaster. It’s best to avoid them and opt for fresh meat. However, if you need to buy packaged meat choose brands that don’t have more than 350mg of sodium per 2 oz serving.

    Sports Drinks

    These are basically just sugar, water and artificial food colouring in a bottle. Consistent consumption of sports drinks, especially for an average person who doesn’t participate in high intensity workouts, can lead to gradual weight gain over time, raise sugar levels and increase the risk of stroke and heart disease. For those who do basic exercises involving the treadmill etc. to burn off a few extra calories, sports drinks are not advisable because you are likely drinking more calories than you are burning off. Drinking water will be a far better alternative.

    Skim/Low-Fat Milk

    While rejoicing about the fact that skim milk has less fat, it’s important to also mourn the fact that as the milk is being rid of fat, it’s also being rid of its essential vitamins ( as well as its texture and flavor). Skim milk ‘skims’ are whole lot of the factors that make whole milk healthy.

    Margarine

    This might come as a shock but margarine is more or less the synthetic substitute of butter. It is basically an invention of chemists that involves a lot of chemical processing and the addition of synthetic vitamins, antioxidants and trans-fats (which increases bad cholesterol in the body).

    Wheat Bread

    Wheat bread is great and healthy when it’s actually wheat bread. Most wheat-bread products aren’t a hundred percent whole wheat. It mostly white bread with a little wheat flour mixed in. Endeavour to buy wheat bread only when you are sure you can trust the source to give you 100% whole wheat bread.

    Flavoured Soy Milk

    Unsweetened or plain soy milk is the best choice for enjoying the low in cholesterol, high protein and potassium benefits of soy milk. Flavoured soy milk have far too much sugar and unnecessary calories added to it to make it tasty.

     

  • Seven ways to deal with overthinking

    Seven ways to deal with overthinking

    Spending a lot of time thinking over things, especially when all you want to do is to just stop thinking about it, can be quite frustrating. The feeling of being helpless to your own thoughts is tough. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency shares 7 ways to help you take control and deal with overthinking.

    Be Aware You’re Overthinking

    None of the ways to deal with overthinking will be useful to you, if you are not aware of when you are overthinking. You need to first be aware of it and accept that you are overthinking before you can move forward and deal with it. Don’t make excuses for it; just accept that you are overthinking and deal with it.

    Pay Attention to Your Thoughts

    Overthinking is usually associated with negative thoughts, so you need to actually talk to yourself and admit the obvious fact that overthinking isn’t fixing the issue. Decide instead to think of the solution rather than dwelling endlessly on the issue. You can also think of and vocalize positive affirmations and beliefs about the issue, alongside talking to someone who can listen and give useful advice.

    Distract Yourself

    It’s not enough to pay attention to your thoughts and try to talk yourself out of overthinking, you also need to get out and do something to get your mind off the situation. Once you have decided to think of a solution rather than dwell on the issue, so you don’t start overthinking about the solution again, you can distract yourself with something you love to do or people you love to be around. You only need to accept beforehand that overthinking will not solve the problem, so you might as well be happy anyway. You don’t have to feel guilty or bad about it.

    Put Things in Perspective

    Over-thinkers tend to make mountains out of mole hills. So you need to stop and ask yourself, “Is it really that deep?” “Is it really this serious?” “Am I making a mountain out of molehill?” Learn to put things in perspective.

    Let Not Yourself Be Afraid

    It seems biblical, doesn’t it? Nevertheless, it is important not to let fear rule you. Over-thinkers tend to over think things out of fear – fear of the future, fear of not getting it right, fear of making the same mistakes, fear of not doing what they should etc. You should calm down and stop thinking about the worst that can happen. Just focus on doing the best you can, hope for the best and be prepared for the worst. In the end, regardless of what you do, you can’t control or predict the future not matter how hard you overthink.

    Limit Your Thinking

    Know when you have thought long enough about the issue, and when it’s time to move on.

    Avoid People and Situations That Lead to Overthinking

    This can be done based on an understanding of yourself and lessons learnt from past experiences. You should be able to identify the situations and people that can potentially give you unrest and cause your mind to think endlessly.

     

  • Five ways to avoid counterfeit car parts

    Five ways to avoid counterfeit car parts

    The incidence of numerous counterfeit car parts flooding the market has become a serious problem in recent years. Counterfeit or imitation car parts typically aren’t very easy to spot because counterfeit part makers work long and hard to fool consumers. This makes it difficult to avoid them. However, there are a couple of things you can keep in mind to help you, at least to a reasonable extent, identify these fake car parts. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency shares 5 of these things to help you identify and avoid counterfeit car parts.

    Extremely Large Difference in Prices

    Sometimes the cheapest deal isn’t always the best, especially when buying car parts. If you do your research and when in the market for parts you are given a price that is outrageously low, the car part is most likely fake. You should be suspicious.

    Buy Your Parts from Authorized Dealers and Retailers

    This might be a more expensive option but in the long run, it’s worth it. Most of us already know this but we still manage the cheap fake parts because they get our cars moving. However, though these fake parts temporarily fix the problem, they also cause bigger problems in the meantime. These fake parts are not built to your car’s specification, so they tend to lead to mechanical problems, system breakdowns and safety problems. Not to mention the fact that you still end up spending a fortune on them, because they don’t last long and need to be constantly replaced.  It’s better to set your car aside while you save up for the original part or rework or fix the faulty part (if it can be fixed) rather than opting for cheap fake parts. However, avoid these ‘salvage parts’ for risky parts like distributor, alternator or brakes.

    Check for Distinct Marks

    In an attempt to check the activities of counterfeit part producers, some brands have now started affixing distinct marks on their car parts. This mark will assist you in distinguishing genuine products from counterfeit products. You can search online for information on these distinct marks or ask authorized dealers and retailers about it.

    Inspect the Packaging

    If the packaging appears flimsy and of a low quality, if it lacks a brand name or logo, has graphics or a name similar to but not the exact name of the original manufacturers you’re used to seeing, it’s most likely fake. Counterfeiters often try as much as possible to use the colours, artwork and type fonts similar to the original packing, but there would always be slight variations to give them away once they are properly inspected.

    Get a Trustworthy Mechanic

    Most times we tend not to buy these parts ourselves. Our mechanics handle the whole thing, we only give them money. Typically, it’s advisable that you are as involved as possible in the servicing or repair process of your car and if possible go along with these mechanics to purchase the parts so you can monitor their activities. However, this is not always possible, so you need to ask around, search diligently and find a mechanic you can trust, not a mechanic that will charge you for the price of the original part and then buy the fake part and pocket the leftover cash. Get a trustworthy mechanic who knows what he’s doing and is unlikely to extort you with fake parts.

     

  • Seven reasons you should invest in real estate

    Seven reasons you should invest in real estate

    In a bid to attain financial stability, many search for proper investments with their income. Real estate is one of the most robust investment options, especially in the long run. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency shares 7 reasons you should take advantage of this robust investment option and invest in real estate.

    It’s as Safe as Houses

    “Safe as houses” is a popular slang in real estate that basically means real estate investments are perfectly safe because of the paying character of house property as an investment. Property value tends to increase without the volatility of the share market which makes it an all-round safer investment. When you factor in the return and risk associated with buying property and shares, property is considered a far safer investment.

    It Doesn’t Need Specialist Knowledge

    You don’t need specialist knowledge to start investing in real estate. It is easier to research than stock and shares. Understanding the stock market requires a lot of education as well as research brokers and fund managers to help. Investing in property is however a lot simpler: it’s as simple as jumping online to start looking for properties from legitimate and registered realtors, real estate firms or property and real estate listing websites. A significant amount of research can be done online, by visiting open houses and auctions or contacting realtors and real estate firms – without needing to have vast specialist knowledge beforehand.

    Technology Has Made Things Much Easier

    Today, technology has made real estate investments a lot easier. For example, advertising your property is as simple as tweeting about it, sharing a post about it on Facebook or posting an ad on a property and real estate listing website like Jumia House, Nigeria Property Center etc. There’s so much technology readily available to real estate investors, that you can easily manage a portfolio of properties without really needing to leave your home all the time.

    It’s a Remarkable Flexible Investment

    With property, regardless of your financial aims you are mostly able to find an investment strategy that works for you. There’s the long-term capital growth strategy where in the long-term the property purchased delivers capital gain (provided the right area with correct supply/demand ratio and demographics is selected). Then, there’s the positive cash flow strategy where you can rent out the property for cash flow. There’s also the adding value strategy where you can renovate, subdivide or even alter the use of an existing property to develop, create or increase the value of the property.

    Full Control

    For property investments, once you’re done paying for the property and settling legal requirements, you directly own the asset and have virtually complete control over it. You can directly influence the asset worth (by adding value to it) and cash flow (e.g. by raising rent).

    There’s an Investment for Every Budget

    If you do some research you’ll see various offers from realtors and real estate firms offering affordable entry points for real estate investment. The only thing required is for your income flow to be stable enough to support payments in installments till you fully own the property. If you buy smartly, you can even expect equivalent or better growth on these affordable assets than more expensive assets.

    A Few Years from Now You’ll Wish You Did

    Investments typically take time before they yield large returns. This is why if you start today and invest smartly, you’ll be patting yourself on the back a couple of years from now for a job well done. To be honest, we are at a point where real estate investments just make sense. But, like any other investment, please be sure to understand what you are doing and be diligent enough to do your work and research to find the 1-in-100 deals that make sense. Some suggestions on real estate companies to consider for this research are Elegant Court, WhiteBricks, Propertylink Real Estate Investment Limited, Cappa and D’Alberto PLC etc.

     

  • 10 signs your teenage child or sibling Is being bullied

    10 signs your teenage child or sibling Is being bullied

    A child being bullied is not something to be taken lightly, if you suspect your child is being bullied, Jumia Travel, shares 10 signs to look out for. You should know that involvement is the key in combating this issue. You should know the child well so that you can easily identify these signs in the child.

    Vanishing Friends

    If you notice your teen’s usual friend(s) are no longer calling or inviting them over. If you ask your teen about his/her friend(s) and they reply with something like ‘I have no friends’, then that’s a red flag and you need to find out more. Vanishing friends can be an indication that bullying is taking place.

    Changes in Your Child’s Moods

    Look out for significant changes in your teen’s behavior and personality. Teenagers who are being bullied typically appear anxious, clingy, withdrawn or sullen. They also tend to appear sad, moody, depressed or teary, especially after school or after being online. You should also consider it a warning signal when your teen starts to suffer from low self-esteem, starts to blame themselves for things and start to voice out how they are not good enough. Bullying, whether emotional or physical, is a likely cause of this.

    Minor Health Complaints and Injuries

    Teens who are being physically bullied tend to come home with constant injuries: unexplained cuts, bruises and scratches. You might also notice they tend to come home very hungry even after being given a lunchbox to school and pocket money for snacks. A likely cause of this hunger is that they are being bullied for their food and money.

    Changes in Sleeping Habits

    If your teen suddenly starts to have trouble sleeping, if he/she seems to be having more nightmares, if you notice he/she sleeps more than normal or cries himself/herself to sleep, these indicate that something is amiss with the child and it can be caused by bullying. Quality sleep is crucial for a healthy lifestyle; sudden changes in your teen’s sleep patterns should be investigated.

    Grades Beginning to Fall

    When your teen, whose grades are known to be consistently good, suddenly starts performing badly, you should look deeper. When a child is being bullied they usually find it difficult to focus on schoolwork, as a result their grades tend to drop. You should also occasionally ask your child in direct and indirect ways if they like school. If their response is along the lines of them ‘hating’ school, dig deeper, bullying might be the cause.

    Deviating from their Usual Routine

    If your teen stops doing things they once loved to do, if they lose interest in their favorite activities and start skipping school-related or social activities involving their peers, even going as far as deceitfully reporting these activities have been cancelled, you need to gently and wisely find out why. Bullying is a likely cause of this evasiveness.

    Report of Lost Possessions

    If your teen, who typically isn’t careless with his/her possessions suddenly starts to lose personal belongings and property, it might be a sign that the child is being bullied out of his/her possessions. Don’t be quick to dismiss this as irresponsible behavior, investigate, dig deeper to understand the cause of this sudden carelessness.

    Intense Emotional Reactions

    If your teen starts to have intense emotional reactions towards people, conversations or activities, it could be a sign that they are holding anxiety for or around these things or people due to either physical or emotional bullying. Dig deeper to find out.

    Acting Out Against Family and Sibling

    If your teen suddenly starts to withdraw from family, talking and interacting less than usual with family members, it could be a sign that something is amiss. If the teen has siblings and suddenly starts acting out against them, shouting or reacting aggressively to them, this could also be a more prominent sign of bullying. It should not be ignored.

    They Acquire a Victim Stance

    Teens who are being bullied often develop a lack of assertiveness and ability to stand up for themselves. They develop a victim stance that sees them walking with their heads down, talking themselves down and being unwilling to comment or speak their mind. This is one of the effects of prolonged bullying and at this stage patience is needed to help the teen build back confidence.

     

  • Nine ways to save a receding hairline

    Nine ways to save a receding hairline

    A receding hairline is usually more common in men than women, nevertheless it’s a menace suffered by all. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency shares 9 ways to help stop and regrow a receding hairline.

    Avoid Too Much Styling

    Excessive styling tends to cause front hair loss and thus a receding hairline. Hairstyles like braids, pony tails or cornrows, especially when done too tightly, can damage the hair shaft and follicles. In addition, extreme amounts of combing and rubbing of hair, particularly forceful combing and vigorous rubbing of hair, can cause a receding hairline. You should avoid excessive styling, combing or rubbing of your hair to save a receding hairline.

    Wear Wigs

    This largely applies to women. There are a hundred styles of wigs to choose from and wear so as to give your hair a break from the constant handling and styling. This can give your hairline time to naturally regrow.

    Minimize the Use of Chemicals on Your Hair

    Excessive amounts of shampooing, drying and over-processing of your hair can weaken your hair causing thinning and some temporary hair loss. Also, the buildup of these products alongside dandruff on your scalp can clog hair follicles making it more difficult for the hair to grow.

    Consider Using Sulphate-Free and Anti-Fungal/Dandruff Shampoos

    Sulphate-free shampoos are good for the hair because they tend not to dry out the hair when used regularly. Dandruff or anti-fungal shampoos kill yeast that causes dandruff in the hair which helps prevent flaky dandruff. This helps to reduce the amount of yeast on the scalp which may help reduce hair loss.

    Be Selective About Your Hairstyles

    For men, haircuts like the Caesar haircut are best to help a receding hairline. Also, you can get a buzz cut or shave your head bald to conceal a receding hairline and give it time to regrow. But this requires regular maintenance to ensure the hair does not regrow in a way that makes the receding hairline more visible.

    For women, hairstyles that are about shoulder length or shorter are best if your hair is thick in front but thin at the crown. Longer hairs tend to further define the receding hairline you intend to conceal. You can also opt for styles that include bangs or fringes and have blunt rather than layered ends.

    Eat Healthily

    Ensure you consume foods high in substances like protein, minerals, carbohydrates and ‘good’ fats. Foods high in protein typically aid hair growth and help maintain a healthy hair. You should also supplement your diet with vitamins essential for regeneration and overall well-being like Vitamin B, E, Iron etc. However, you should avoid excessive consumption of these vitamins. For example, too much of Vitamin A and E has been linked to shedding of hair.

    Try Natural Shampoos

    Natural shampoos are great for helping to regrow your hair from hair loss because they typically don’t contain harsh ingredients that can damage the hair and cause hair loss.

    Use Essential Oils

    Essential oils help to stimulate and circulate the hair to grow in its healthy state. They can help to give that extra boost the scalp of your hair needs to regrow. Some of the best essential oils are tea tree oil, cedar wood and lavender.

    Eggs

    You can consider using a mixture of olive oil and egg white to promote your hair growth and stimulate the regrowth of new hair. The mixture is thoroughly applied into the entire scalp of your hair and left for twenty minutes, before being washed and rinsed off with a mild shampoo.

     

  • Eight common habits that damage your eyesight

    Eight common habits that damage your eyesight

    There are a number of habits that pose a threat to a healthy vision. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency shares 8 of the most common habits that damage eyesight.

    Rubbing Your Eyes

    This, especially when done forcefully or vigorously, can break the tiny blood vessels under the skin’s surface causing dark circles, puffy eyes or drooping eyelids. Using your hand to rub your eyes when you feel something in your eye can also scratch and permanently damage the cornea. In addition, if your eyes are itchy rubbing them tends to release more of the allergens responsible for the itch, making the itch feel worse.

    Exposing your Eyes to the Sun or High- Energy Visible (HEV) Rays

    This can prematurely age and damage your eyes and eyelids. To avoid this, it is advisable to wear a good pair of sunglasses to block these rays. Sunglasses help to minimize the effect of bright lights which include headaches, blurred vision, or red eyes, and prevent you from excessive squinting which can lead to eyestrain and pain.

    Eating Poorly

    Eat less fast food meals and more foods, fruits and vegetables like carrots, leafy greens, fish etc. that are good for the eyes. They will help provide the necessary vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids for optimum eye health.

    Not Drinking Enough Water

    Not drinking enough water daily, alongside eating a high-sodium diet can cause dehydration which eventually causes the eyes not to produce enough tears to keep the eyes moist and properly nourished. This in turn leads to dry eyes, redness and puffy eyelids.

    Too Much Screen Time

    Too much screen time tends to slow your blinking rate which eventually causes dry eyes and smeary vision. It can additionally make the eyes burn and water. Make it a point of note to look away from your screen regularly.

    Straining Your Eyes

    Straining your eyes to read tiny texts either in a book or on your phone can make your eyes start to hurt, especially if you do it for long hours. It can lead to blurred vision, dry eyes, dizziness and nausea. Try to avoid reading tiny fonts, but if you must do so take breaks in between reads to give your eyes a break.

    Misusing Eye Makeup

    You should be careful in your application of eye products like mascara, eyeliner, eye shadow, and eye creams. Try to apply the makeup far away from your lash line so you don’t block the oil glands of your lids because buildups here can cause infections. Also, you should change your eye makeup after every three months because after this time, especially if not stored in a cool place, they can become breeding ground for bacteria.

    Not Getting Enough Sleep

    A lack of sleep eventually hurts your eyes. Sleep deprivations causes symptoms like twitching, dry eyes, blurry vision and pain in the eyes. Try to get a minimum of seven to eight hours of sleep each night to help maintain a healthy vision.

     

  • Seven ways to make long drives more comfortable

    Seven ways to make long drives more comfortable

    Travelling is generally fun. But having to travel long distances by road can be a nightmare!

    Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency shares 7 ways to make travelling by road more comfortable for you.

    Get a good night sleep

    Most times, because we pack at the eleventh hour, we end up getting very little sleep the day before we are to travel. Avoid this. Have a good night’s sleep before the travel day; unwind, relax and prepare your body for the trip. It’s much easier to cope with the stress of road travel this way.

    Wear a comfortable outfit

    This is very important especially for the ladies. For long drives, relegate fashion to the background for a bit and let comfort take center stage. There really is no need to dress to impress since you are going to be in a car or bus for the better part of the day. Loose fitting pants and shirts are ideal for road travel.

    Pack healthy snacks and eat light

    If you decide to pack snack along with you on the trip, be sure it’s healthy, not the type that’s likely to purge or upset your stomach. Also, eat light. You don’t want to be that person in the vehicle with the constant need to ease himself/herself, and some of the time you are going to have to do so out by or in the bush because the nearest toilet might be a mile away.

    Be mindful of your posture

    You should keep your body moving during the trip, especially if you are a passenger. Periodically switch sitting positions, pump your ankles and move your arms to prevent aches and pains. You should also avoid slouching and can consider taking along with you a travel pillow or a small pillow to support your back. If you are the one driving, you can also consider using cruise control (if your vehicle has one) when you can, so you can rest your feet for a bit. Be sure to set the cruise control at a safe speed.

    Use relaxation techniques

    Playing soft music during the trip or using relaxation techniques like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation etc. can help reduce your stress levels during a long ride. You can also take full advantage of the few stops during the trip to stretch and walk around. In addition, you can take a book along with you to read and take a biro and notebook to scribble thoughts on and maybe write journal entries or even new music (if you are a writer or songwriter).

    Bring along disposable pre-moistened body wipes

    Riding along in a car for hours can make your body feel sticky so you can bring along disposable pre-moistened body wipes to freshen up a bit during the ride and keep comfortable. You can wipe your body down in the privacy of the restroom at a rest stop or simply wipe yourself discreetly in the vehicle. Favor alcohol-free disposable wipes when buying these – they are kinder to your skin.

    Stop occasionally

    Especially if you are the one driving, you should build some stops into your timeline when planning road trips, especially if you have children with you. Stop for some minutes to stretch, use the restroom and walk around to relax your body and help improve your blood flow.