MENTAL HEALTH

Narcissists have an arsenal of weapons at their disposal to create havoc and cause devastation in their victims’ lives. With little or no empathy for others, they inflict their cruel intentions on unsuspecting colleagues, family members, and friends.

When you’re in a close relationship with a narcissist their little tricks are very unsettling and confusing.

It’s difficult to anticipate their unpredictable behaviour until you realise they aren’t your friend, and start to understand that they’re working against you.

When the truth dawns

PRODUCTIVITY

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you’re busy with work, whether you’re an employee or self-employed. So if a heavy workload is leaving you tired and stressed, take a step back and protect your physical and mental well-being.

Here are seven ways to help you restore your work/life balance, regain some control, and take the mental break you need. Act now, and don’t let stress take over.

1. Write lists

To-do lists make room in your head for creativity and balance, so when you think of a task you need to do, write it down. I find that physically writing jobs down helps…

MENTAL HEALTH

If you’ve already caught the de-cluttering bug, you should make the most of it and organise your entire home.

You can decide on the things that matter most to you as you go along, and by the time you’ve finished you’ll have a tidy, calming space to live, work, and play.

But what about other areas of your life? Can you de-clutter commitments, your emotions, and your head? Could you make a life for yourself that’s centred around simplicity and joy?

The answer to that is a firm “yes.”

It just takes a little time.

You need to take stock…

FREELANCING

In this age of technology, of big data and instant results, it can pay to step back and remember how ‘old-fashioned’ customer service used to work.

Getting to know customers face-to-face and developing in-person connections was standard practice before digital marketing came along, and it can differentiate your business from others.

It offers the personal connection that some people crave, so how do you put into practice this type of old-school service?

Here are a few tips and tricks to help you develop a loyal customer base, and potentially uncover a hidden demographic.

1. Use handwritten notes

MENTAL HEALTH

When you’re overwhelmed but you just can’t stop
Got to get the results no matter the cost
To health and happiness
No time for that
Take a big step back
To see where you’re at

Only you can find the peace you need
In head and heart
To calm and feed
Your body, mind, your very soul
To make you happy
And make you whole

Forget the pressures
Ignore the demands
Set your boundaries
Reclaim your plans
For a life envisioned, years ago
There’s no rush though, take it slow

Find your why And why you cry, for no reason…

WORK FROM HOME

What is the secret of success? Is it being organised, regimented, and disciplined? Is it having a plan and then following through?

I often asked myself this question when I got up late yet again, having switched off my alarm and gone back to sleep for ‘just another 5 minutes.’

When I got up late I always felt I’d let myself down, which isn’t a great start to any day.

In fact, it led to feeling deflated and demoralised before the day had even started.

I used to get up later than I intended time after time.

Until, that is…

FREELANCING

If you’re not using social media to listen to your customers, you’re missing out on a huge resource — one that could transform your business and help it grow steadily over the coming months.

Listening to customers online helps you understand what they’re looking for, and adapt your products or services as necessary. It doesn’t need to be too time-consuming either, thanks to the automated social media marketing tools now available.

If you already provide great customer service you might think there’s no need to start anything new. …

MENTAL HEALTH

Technology allows us to work from home, stay in close contact with loved ones, and access information at the touch of a button, but there’s another side of technology that can insidiously steal our joy?

In theory, it should be used to ease workplace stress — speed up transactions, communications, automate boring tasks, and generally make work easier. So why are so many people saying they can’t switch off when they’re away from work?

A 2017 report by insurance company AXA revealed that

“stress in the workplace is strongly linked to the ‘always on’ culture, with almost three in every…