So you’re not a morning person...

If you're the life and soul of the breakfast table, even on dark mornings, chances are you're a "lark". But while "larks" wake an hour earlier than average, "owls" dread this time of year, lying in well past sunrise. There are advantages to being an evening person, with studies suggesting they tend to be more extrovert and have a better sense of humour, but there are considerable downsides. Larkish or owlish in 50% inherited.

Age is another contributory factor, with children more likely to be larkish, then turning to owls in adolescence and reaching a peak of owlishness in their early 20s. Then we become more morning types as age. If you sleep more on a Saturday or Sunday, you’ll inadvertently readjust your body clock to the later wake-up time. Light exposure adjusts your body clock and suppresses the release of a natural hormone that signals your body that it’s time to sleep. Nutritionists say that some people are considered to be morning people are simply people who skip breakfast, therefore they feel more tired. Also they say that if you’re dehydrated, you’ll fell lethargic.

Paracetamol: a bitter pill?

It's a natural response when faced with a child in pain or distress, to try to soothe them. The automatic reaction in emergency departments and many homes is to reach for a bottle of paracetamol. But there is concern that its indiscriminate use is causing lasting harm to a generation of youngsters. Two years ago a large, carefully planned piece of research hit the headlines for a couple of days, before promptly disappearing. The main content of them was that exposure to paracetamol might be a risk factor for the development of asthma in childhood. Others have gone further – claiming that paracetamol use may be responsible for the surge in the numbers of children with asthma, eczema and other allergic diseases. But in 2008 , to allay public anxiety, UK’s Medicines&Healthcare products Regulatory Agency issued that paracetamol remains a safe and appropriate choice of analgesic in children. This comforting press release left a lot of questions hanging less comfortably in the wind. Like why cases of childhood asthma have risen so dramatically only in English-speaking countries – countries where paracetamol use is now almost ubiquitous. In the current risk-averse culture, it's strange that various authorities enthusiastically defend a drug that appears to cause harm. One reason may be that if paracetamol were withdrawn for paediatric use, there would be little left we could give children.

Preventing Burnout

If constant stress has you feeling disillusioned, helpless, and completely worn out, you may be suffering from burnout. When you’re burned out, problems seem insurmountable, everything looks bleak, and it’s difficult to muster up the energy to care — let alone do something about your situation. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed and unable to meet constant demands. Burnout reduces your productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Burnout can also cause long-term changes to your body that make you vulnerable to illnesses like colds and flu. In many cases, burnout stems from the job. But anyone who feels overworked and undervalued is at risk for burnout. Here are some tips how to prevent burnout: When you eat right, engage in regular physical activity, and get plenty of rest, you have the energy and resilience to deal with life’s hassles and demands. Nourish your creative side. Creativity is a powerful antidote to burnout. The most effective way to combat job burnout is to quit doing what you’re doing and do something else.

Pros and cons of being a perfectionist at work

Sure, everyone should want to do a good job at work. But when striving to do well becomes a quest for perfection, problems can arise. In this article experts and a few perfectionists share the benefits and dangers of perfectionism at work. The plus side is that your boss can rely on you to perform and maintain deadlines. Superiors, co-workers and customers often appreciate their ability to do it right. When the bar is set so high, though, it can be increasingly difficult to keep measuring up to high expectations. When working on projects with a person who's a stickler for excellence, others may not give 100 percent because they know the slack will be picked up. Similarly, team members may become disgruntled when their decisions and output are being scrutinized by someone who constantly believes there is room for improvement. Of course, you could start working long hours in order to get the job done on time and still make it perfect, but that's a short-term strategy at best. The more burned out you get, the more likely you are to make glaring errors later. Perfectionists tend to be "big-time procrastinators" when it comes to career decisions. Other potential advancement obstacles for perfectionists include: Passing up key assignments for fear of not being able to do them perfectly. Straining office relationships by coming off as picky, aloof or overly anxious. Taking criticism too personally instead of growing from it.

Pros and Cons of Working at Home

If you have traditionally worked in an office, the option to work at home sounds like paradise. But this perk has its benefits as well as its pitfalls. The flexibility gained from working at home is the biggest bonus. With gas prices at a record high, avoiding a commute is another big plus. Some workers who find office environments are filled with distractions enjoy working from home to bypass those interruptions. The flexibility of working at home also appeals to workers in creative industries. From a creative standpoint, it allows the mind to think creative thoughts. Working at home requires greater time-management skills. Also working from home doesn't seem as official to many people. These perceptions can have an impact on the career path of a home-based worker, which hinders their chances for a promotion. Also they think that it’s not bad to have dissenting opinions from time to time. Home-based employees can also run into communication issues, making it very easy to feel out of the loop. Keeping everyone in the loop will help dispel any negative perceptions about your performance. Also if you are feeling constrained by the four walls of your house, hit the coffeehouse, or park with your laptop.

Return to Work Not Easy for Stay-at-Home Dads

This article deals with the problem of stay-at-home dads, who want to try to return their work. In fact, some companies have a lot of prejudice, so many men simply take vacation leave instead of Family Leave when a new baby comes. They know it would effect their career promotional path. Companies have a pervasive stereotype about stay-at-home dads, they tend to look at such employees as not having the kind of drive or seriousness of purpose that they would want in leadership positions. Despite the challenges, hold their heads up high when they return to work instead of feeling sheepish or embarrassed of their choice. Unfortunately, a lot of you stay-at-home pops are in uncharted waters. There hasn't been much research done on this. Such dads will be the guinea pigs on this experiment. They need to keep their skills up, keep up on technology or work part time to keep your work receptors stimulated. Also, keep abreast of the job market in your town, and keep networking, even have lunch with former colleagues to keep on foot in the door.

So You Want to Work From Home

To anyone who works in an office, it may seem as if the answer to life's happiness lies in working from home. After all, you can avoid being manhandled onto the subway every morning during rush hour. Keeping a professional routine and breaking up your day will help in making a distinction between the time that you're at work and the time that you're at home. Also it's good to have regular conversations with a small group of entrepreneurs who know what it's like to be working from home. Your friends who still work 9-to-5 jobs can't relate to you as much as they used to.  Having a network of other home-based business owners can help you get back on task when you get the urge to spend a few hours on Twitter or take a nap. Busy parents will be home when their kids get out of school, and their flexible schedule will make it easy to hold up their end of the car-pool deal. During school vacations, enroll your children in a local day camp or arrange for a baby sitter. Another issue to take into account when setting up a home office is where client meetings will be held. On one hand, you won't have to deal with the various neuroses that co-workers can serve up; on the other, it can also be tough to leave the camaraderie of office life behind. To combat any loneliness, make sure you plan social activities in your free time. 

Teeth: Give your mouth a makeover

Up to 100,000 people undergo some form of teeth-whitening treatment each year. How do you choose between low-cost toothpaste and other over-the-counter products at one end, and high-cost dental procedures? Ask your dentist about home bleaching kits. He or she will prepare a rubber mouth tray you fill with bleaching gel and wear for several hours each day over several weeks. Don't try DIY bleaching using baking soda or hydrogen peroxide, or by rubbing salt in your teeth. These are abrasives that with repeated use will wear away the white enamel. And don't be talked into expensive laser treatment - there's little evidence to support its use. Absolutely everyone going on a cosmetic-style reality television show gets veneers, the wafer-thin laminates made from porcelain, ceramic or composite bonding material that are cemented to the front of a tooth like a false fingernail on a nail. Veneers can spectacularly improve discolored, chipped or broken teeth. Many widely promoted procedures require dentists to destroy "vast amounts of sound, hard tooth tissue", even sometimes "drilling a sound tooth down to a stump". Take your time to have a veneer or crown. Find a dentist who is not going to rush you and who is ready to try non-invasive methods such as white fillings, tooth whitening or braces.

The Real Risks of Cell Phone Radiation

This article is about example of brain cancer which is probably caused by cell phone. In fact, Cobb, who was just 35 years old at the time, would qualify as a cell phone addict. Also he always liked having new gadgets. To date, there is no conclusive evidence linking cell phones to brain cancer. One paper published last year in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute refuted any link between the two outright, while another long-term study out this year suggested there was a slight possibility. More proof, in the couple’s mind, came in the weeks after Cobb’s operation. Doctors successfully removed part, but not all, of his tumor as some of it had become tangled up in blood vessels in his brain. Following the surgery, Cobb went to a rehab center to regain his strength, and there, he heard that there had been an increase in the number of brain cancer victims in their 20s and 30s. Now he really thinks there is going to be an epidemic of brain tumors in the future. Some might call Cobb’s prediction the doomsday scenario, and others might call it paranoia. Still, ominous research papers have begun to pile up from around the world, linking prolonged cell phone use to pretty much every possible malady except cancer.

The return of swine flu

It should be no surprise that swine flu is back. In recent days there has been a spate of headlines speaking of "shocked" doctors, alarmed by the return of "deadly" swine flu. Influenza is a largely seasonal phenomenon, with peaks every winter and very low background levels at other times. Flu pandemics are the exception, and as last year showed, they can begin in any season. Anyone can get flu, at any age. The Royal College of GPs said today that there has been a "substantial increase" in all respiratory diagnoses in the past week, especially in the 5-14 and 15-44 age groups. It is worth stressing that flu is a vaccine-preventable illness. The Health Protection Agency has urged people in at-risk groups to get immunised. The seasonal flu vaccine is always trivalent - so it protects against the three most likely circulating strains of flu. From this year all pregnant women are being offered the trivalent seasonal flu jab (last year they were offered the monovalent (single antigen) H1N1 vaccine due to the pandemic). Other groups offered the flu jab are those aged 65 and over, people with breathing problems, heart, kidney or liver disease, and those who have a suppressed immune system. NHS Choices has a full list of those eligible for a free flu jab. In addition, a small proportion of people infected during the pandemic, developed a severe form of primary viral pneumonia that is especially difficult and demanding to treat.

Thriving at a New Job

Starting a new position can be exciting, but it's also stressful. The first few months are typically a probationary period, when managers and colleagues will be assessing your talents and ability to fit in at the organization. First impressions are critical, so you want to get off on the right foot from the beginning. If you're leaving another job for this one, you don't want to burn any bridges with your former employer. Tie up loose ends with your work. By parting on good terms, you'll keep your reputation and professional network intact. If you've been on the job hunt for a while, some of your skills may have grown rusty since you last sat down at the keyboard, so brush up your skills. You may have done things a particular way at your previous company, but it's a safe bet that at least a few processes or procedures will be handled differently at your new employer. Your ability to adapt quickly to the new environment will play a role in your success. Show your new employer that you can hit the ground running by giving it your all from day one. Try to soak up as much information as you can about the organization, the various roles within your group and where your position fits into the big picture. As you strive to adjust to your new surroundings, remind yourself that you were hired because you were the best person for the position. You'll start on the right foot and build the knowledge needed to make an impact in the months and years to come.