Winter hair care!

Winter can take its toll on your hair - cold winds, pouring rain, icy snaps, central heating all take their toll on your locks. So it's worth starting a change-of-seasons care regime to keep your hair in the best shape possible.

1. The winter months can dull hair, so invest in a good quality shampoo and conditioner to get a healthy shine. Wash and condition your hair, then blast it with a cold water rinse to help seal in the conditioner to add shine and make your hair easier to style.

2. Your winter hair may already be in damage deficit from exposure to the sun and sea during the summer months, so needs to be nourished from within. Choose an intensive moisturising shampoo and conditioner: look for products with the word ‘replenish’ on them.

3. Add a hair treatment mask once a week to your hair care routine.

4. Moisturise your hair once a week with a hot oil treatment to promote a healthy scalp and nourished hair. Some natural oils that work particularly well include coconut oil and almond oil.

5. Give your hair a new lease of life in the autumn/winter months with a cut to get rid of split ends. Aim to get your split ends trimmed every six to eight weeks as this will promote healthy hair.

6. As the weather becomes colder and the air drier, it takes its toll on your hair and can cause it to become brittle and dry and to break. Indoor heating can also damage hair. Wear a scarf or hat when outside, and add humidity to the air in your home or office - your hair and skin will benefit.

7. To avoid frizzy, static-prone hair in the winter months, keep your hair tied up as much as possible, particularly when out and about, and especially when exercising.

8. If you use heat styling tools, like curling tongs or hair straighteners, then you must always use a good quality, nourishing heat defense spray or leave-in conditioner to protect your hair and keep it looking glossy and hydrated. This is especially important during winter, when cold wind, rain and the added heat from styling tools all contribute to hair damage.

9. Try not to leave the house with wet hair: the cold weather can cause your hair to freeze at the cuticle and cause it to break.

10. Lastly, why not rejuvenate yourself and go for a new look this winter by dyeing your hair a dark, warm color? On-trend colors right now include mahogany, plum and chocolate brown.

Thanks to:

Advice on best ways to keep your hair looking great through the winter months, from Daniel Galvin's creative director Asgar

http://www.zest.co.uk/hair-and-nails/10-winter-hair-care-tips/4438.html

Creator Public Relations Pvt. Ltd.

HOW TO CREATE A BETTER WORK ENVIRONMENT

6 SINS OF OFFICE STRESS: 

Are your employees excited to come to the office every day, or do they drag in late? Here at Wasp, we think building a strong (and motivated!) team is essential in small business. Avoid these six sins of office stress and make your work environment a place that employees want to be.

1.      Infrequent Feedback

Employees worry about performance when they don’t receive feedback from mangers. Eliminate this office stress by scheduling regular evaluations. Be sure to discuss positive areas of each employee’s work and areas for improvement. Establish an “Employee of the Month” or other reward system to showcase star performers and give employees a goal to aspire to. 

Also, make sure your employees feel comfortable giving feedback to managers. While some employees may be at ease sharing problems or concerns in a face-to-face meeting, other employees may prefer to provide feedback using an anonymous survey or though a suggestion box.  Regardless of how you approach it, be sure the process is simple and that suggestions are taken to heart.

2.      Mundane Office Hours

Have you ever finished your work for the day at 3 p.m., but couldn’t leave until 6 p.m.? Or do you work best after 10 a.m.? Forget the traditional 9-5 office hours. If it works for your small business, allow employees to decide the set hours they are in the office. 

Or, reward employees on Fridays by letting your team to come in to the office late or leave early. Switching up the norm will allow employees to relax for a few needed hours.

3.      Uncomfortable Work Space

Simple things like glaring computer screens, limited sticky notes or painful desk chairs can cause stress. Allow employees to select desk furniture and keep a “grocery list” for needed office supplies. Don’t neglect unconventional options like standing desks or stability ball chairs as healthy alternatives to everyday office chairs. Around the Wasp office, you can spot employees perched on stability balls, and the sales team sports sound-cancelling headsets to keep office noise out of calls. Check out these tips for more simple stress reducers.

4.      Cubicle Confinement

Don’t trap your employees at their desks all day. Encouraging your team to interact on a personal level can foster better cohesion and a happier work environment. In addition to team lunches or friendly competitions (we’ve seen a few footraces in our warehouse on a Friday afternoon), consider adding a ping pong table or pool table to a corner of the office. Supply the area with waters and healthy snacks like fruit or nuts for a healthy, interactive work break. 

Team bonding shouldn’t end at clock-out. Treat your team to happy hour appetizers, join an intramural league, or start a running group to train for a local 5K. After all, teams who play together, stay together.

5.      Unhealthy Habits

Poor eating habits and lack of sleep and exercise create stress before your employees even enter the office. Help offset unhealthy habits by promoting health while at work. Instead of the all-you-can-eat taco bar, cater deli sandwiches with fruits and vegetables for the company lunch. For casual Friday, let workers wear sweatpants and bring in a yoga instructor for a mid-afternoon workout. 

If your small business is home to a vending machine, encourage your provider to stock healthier options, like baked chips and granola bars, instead of your standard vending machine fare.

6.      Missing Direction

A major cause of stress for employees is not knowing where the company is going and their role plays in to the overall strategy. Involve your team in making long-term and short-term goals. Post long-term goals around the office and give short-term goals to each employee at their desk. When goals are accomplished, celebrate! Employees who know the goals of their company (and know s

pecifically what they can do to help) are more committed team members.

Keep your employees low on the stress meter and watch the returns in your company’s productivity.

With Thanks To

http://www.waspbarcode.com/buzz/6-sins-office-stress-create-work-environment/ 

Creator Public Relations Pvt. Ltd.

The Importance of Public Relations

Public relations professionals do more than draft press releases and build relationships with key media representatives. They must also be familiar with the attitudes and concerns of consumers, employees, public interest groups, and the community in order to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships. 

In addition to fulfilling their traditional role of getting a company's message out to its audience, those who have completed their studies in communications and public relations may also be responsible for developing and running programs designed to keep the lines of communication open between company and organization representatives and their various audiences. This might include such activities as scheduling speaking engagements for key company staff and speech writing. 

Why is Public Relations Important?

At its core, public relations revolves around this universal truth: people act based upon their perception of facts. By managing, controlling, or influencing people's perceptions, public relations professionals hope to initiate a sequence of behaviors that will lead to the achievement of an organization's objectives. When those in public relations successfully create, change, or reinforce opinion through persuasion, their primary objective is accomplished. 

How Does Public Relations Work?

Public relations professionals follow a set of principles in order to achieve success. Most campaigns begin with the identification of the problem or challenge, then move on to setting the public relations' goal. In order to achieve the goal, the public relations specialist crafts persuasive messages and implements key communication tactics while monitoring progress and fine tuning as necessary. 

Career Opportunities in Public Relations

Those who have either earned their degree from an accredited communications and public relations educational program, or obtained a public relations graduate certificate, have a wide variety of career options. Jobs range from being employed by an individual, such as celebrity publicists, to large firms, such as corporate public relations managers and executives.

Public Relations for the Stars: Publicists

Publicists can turn a little known actor into a household word. In essence, they are responsible for nurturing and shaping a star's career by creating an image though various public relations activities. Sometimes known as publicity agents, publicists work to get their clients the right kind of press coverage and help them to restore or "reinvent" their public image if it's been damaged. One of the best known publicists is Lois Smith. Over the course of her career she has worked with stars and film directors including Marilyn Monroe, Meryl Streep, Rosie O'Donnell, Dustin Hoffman, Anthony Hopkins, Martin Scorsese, Robert Redford, and Steven Soderbergh. 

Working For Companies: Public Relations Firms

While some companies keep the function of public relations entirely in house, others opt to outsource all public relations functions. Others strike a balance in which in-house public relations efforts are complemented by the work of an outside agency. A good example of an agency campaign that has increased product sales while raising awareness and establishing a company as a concerned corporate citizen is Yoplait's "Save Lids to Save Lives" campaign. This unique breast cancer awareness and fundraising campaign has Yoplait making a donation for every pink yogurt container lid mailed back into the company. The campaign has not only raised awareness and funds (Yoplait has donated over $10 million for breast cancer research), it has also given the brand added visibility and resulted in increased sales. 

Considering a Public Relations Career?
It's no secret that communication skills are important for those considering a career in the public relations field. Pairing an English or Journalism degree with courses in marketing, sales, public relations, and business can be an effective way to prepare for a career in this industry. There are also many excellent online communications and public relations degree programs and public relations graduate certificate programs to choose from which can make learning about this exciting industry convenient and rewarding. 

With Thanks:

worldwidelearn.com/business-career/article/the-importance-of-public-relations.html

Creator Public Relations Pvt. Ltd.

Take care of your Touch Screen handset!

You need to protect the touch screen from water, dust and extreme pressure.

Most people use screen protector to protect the LCD screen, when you are selecting one make sure it is slightly bigger than the touch response area, the best way would be to buy the exact size of your LCD Screen. Today the phones that are available are very responsive and using a screen guard may require you to press harder in some cases the touch screen may act weirdly. If the screen guard is causing problem with touch responses, remove it.  Mostmodern handsets do not really required screen guard as they come withtoughened glass which is scratch proof.

 

Stylus today are outdated and almost all phones come without a Stylus. When you are using touch screen to input data make sure you are not exerting too much pressure as it might damage part of the screen. I have seen many people giving their phone to kids who play with it and even put it in their mouth. If you have a touch screen phone simply avoid this.

As already mentioned a number of times before, the touch screen are very delicate and it is equally important how you carry them. If you have a larger touch you should avoid placing it in your front or back pant / jeans pocket, trust me I have been doing that and part of my phone’s touch screen has become non responsive. You can use a phone pouch that can be attached to your belt or simply place it in the front pocket. When buying a pouch for your handset, make sure the phone slides in comfortably and there is enough room. Also make sure that there are no objects pressing the LCD touch area continuously.

If you follow these tips your Touch Screen phone will serve you for a longer time.

With thanks to:

gogi.in/care-touch-screen-mobile-phones.html

Creator Public Relations Pvt. Ltd.

How to be happier

In 2011, the Office for National Statistics started to measure how happy we are. This follows Prime Minister David Cameron's decision to assess the 'general wellbeing (GWB)' of Britons.

Is this all airy-fairy stuff or could it be important?

Back in 2000, NetDoctor ran a happiness survey. Happiness was not such a 'hot topic' then. But even so, the survey attracted huge amounts of publicity. And I'm convinced that the reason for this was because everyone wants to be happy.

Eleven years later, various scientific studies have emerged to tell us that happy people live longer, are less prone to heart disease, are less stressed and are more likely to form satisfying relationships.

A 2008 study by Harvard University even concluded that if you have a friend living less than a mile away from you who becomes happy, your own levels of happiness will rise by 25 per cent!

Politicians have clearly been influenced by science and have come to believe that a happy nation is easier to manage, is healthier, is less trouble and costs less to maintain compared to a miserable population.

Whether or not they're right, there's no doubt that happy people find life easier and also make it that way for those around them.

So, can we learn to be happier?

Many experts believe that we can learn to be happier.

However, we don't all appear to start with the same advantages because some individuals seem to be born happier than others.

Back in the sixties, psychologist Martin Seligman was working on the concept of 'learned helplessness' by experimenting with animals and humans.

He expected to find that we all become passive, sad and helpless if enough bad things happen to us. But to his amazement, he found that simply wasn't true.

Writing about that time in his book Authentic Happiness, he said: 'Not all of the rats and dogs become helpless after inescapable shock, nor do all the people after being presented with insolvable problems or inescapable noise. One out of three never gives up no matter what we do. Moreover, one out of eight is helpless to begin with…'

This discovery led to him to work on a different concept, 'learned optimism' and from this a whole new health movement, called positive psychology, evolved.

Prior to that time, mental health treatment focused entirely on reacting to a patient's misery, depression or anxiety – and trying to treat it.

Positive psychology looked at mental health in a more proactive way. It encouraged people to develop ways of experiencing more joy and happiness – and in that way to become more mentally, and physically healthy.

World Happiness Forum

Several decades on, the pursuit of happiness has been taken up by huge numbers of scientists, philosophers, doctors, educationalists, psychotherapists, psychologists and religious leaders. And many of them regularly come together at conferences run by an organisation called the World Happiness Forum.

Recently, I went to one of these conferences in London and listened to a wide range of speakers from diverse backgrounds.

What struck me was just how much common ground there was between them – despite their different specialties. And I realised that they were virtually all in agreement on the same ingredients for happiness, which I'm now going to outline.

Factors that increase our happiness

One of the main happiness factors is 'altruism', which is defined in the dictionary as 'regard for others.'

But, why should altruism make us happy?

Think for a moment about people you know who are mean-minded and whose mantra is 'look after number one'.

Are they optimistic, contented and cheerful? Usually not.

Many experts have researched the link between happiness and altruism, including Professor Felicia Huppert of Cambridge University.

She investigated the happiness of various populations in Europe and also looked at whether or not there was a tradition of altruism – in the shape of volunteering – in those countries.

What she found was that people who live in Scandinavian countries have the greatest sense of happiness and wellbeing of all Europeans, and inhabitants of countries from the former Soviet block have the least. The rest of us are somewhere inbetween.

She has also discovered that in Scandinavia, large percentages of the population – 70 per cent in Norway – were involved in volunteer projects of various kinds. But in the less happy countries, volunteering was almost unknown. For example only 7 per cent of Bulgarians were volunteers.

Of course, these findings don't prove beyond doubt that altruism makes you happy. But they are certainly worth thinking about.

Here are some of the other components of happiness which experts agree upon.

Having an enquiring mind

Research shows that individuals who are keen to exercise their brains by learning a foreign language or getting to grips with new technology – stay younger in spirit and are much more positive and cheery than people who don't.

Physical exercise

Getting active is crucial if you want to feel well and happy and keep your mind sharp.

Exercise gets oxygen pumping round our bodies and brains – making us feel alert and lively – and prompts the release of 'happy chemicals', called endorphins, into our bloodstream.

Resilience

This is a great commodity to have. Basically, it helps to prevent us feeling hopeless and miserable when life throws tough problems at us.

We can all become more resilient by identifying the strengths we've developed through the years and then working out how we can harness them to assist us in solving current or future problems.

Looking back into the past, we can all remember difficult times that we survived. So when we feel overwhelmed by one of life's challenges, it can help if we remind ourselves that we've already got experience in dealing with problems and remember what the skills were that we used before.

When we do that, we feel more confident about the present problem. And when we're confident, we feel happier.

Having a strong social network

Many research projects have shown that we're happier people when we have regular contact with friends.

Ideally, to get full benefit we should meet up with them face-to-face, but even emailing and phoning a mate can lift our spirits.

Furthermore, friendships appear to have various beneficial health effects.

A long-term Scandinavian study found that people with a strong social network were less likely to get dementia.

And in 2009, researchers reporting at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference stated that loneliness was as bad as being a smoker.

So, there's no doubt that friends are good for us – and personally this makes me very happy!

Transcendence

This rather unfamiliar term means 'an exalted state'.

In other words, it's a feeling that transports us away from the humdrum and gives us greater perspective. You might get this from organised religion.

But more and more of us are finding it in other ways – including meditation, walking by the sea, meandering round historic buildings, listening to music, wandering in the countryside or looking at great paintings.

It doesn't matter what you choose – so long as you ensure that there's something in your life that 'feeds your soul'.

When you have that, you're likely to feel more balanced and happy.

Building a happiness habit

So, what emerged from the World Happiness Forum was that your happiness can grow if you focus on physical and mental good health. This includes activities and thoughts that challenge you and which also give you balance and perspective.

I would like to add a simple strategy to that list. It's something I've used with my own psychotherapy clients for years – which is to notice when you're happy.

It's common for people who fall on hard times, or become ill, or lose a partner to say, 'If only I'd appreciated my life when it was going well' or, 'I was happy then, I just didn't realise it until tragedy struck'.

I always find this sad. And I'm convinced we can all maximise our happiness levels by being more aware of those moments that make us laugh or which bring us joy.

So, what I do with my own patients is to ask them to notice five happy things per day. This isn't a big task. But it can have a large impact in that it encourages people to focus on the happy bits and gives less attention to the various things that go wrong in any one day.

I know this works – because I have increased my own happiness levels that way and helped others to do the same. But my own private theory has received a scientific boost by developments in neuroscience.

Neuroscience and scanning

In the past 10 years or so, there have been advances in what we know about the brain and how it works. And many of those advances have happened because of the development in scanning techniques.

When scanning someone's brain, it's now possible to ask that person to think of something really wonderful and see what happens.

The result is that there's a sudden burst of activity in the front left side of the brain. And this is the part of the brain that registers happiness, wellbeing and contentment.

Physicist and philosopher Stefan Klein highlights that – because of modern technology – it's now possible to demonstrate that the more a person focuses on positive things, the more he or she will generate activity in the 'happy' area of the brain.

Finding that there's brain activity for emotion, and that individuals can boost this activity for themselves, has encouraged scientists to believe that we can become happier by regularly 'exercising' this part of the brain.

Thinking happy thoughts can become a habit. It doesn't cost anything and it's not time consuming.

There's a strong possibility that if we focus on thinking positively, we will elevate our mood and become more optimistic and contented individuals.

With Thanks to:

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/wellbeing/happiness.htm#ixzz2gLwZSdrE 

Creator Public Relations Pvt. Ltd.

Cosmetic touch

Cosmetologists care for people’s hair, skin, and nails. They are also called beauty operators, hairdressers, or beauticians. Most cosmetologists work in beauty salons, and many have their own businesses. Some work in hospitals, spas, private clinics and beauty salons. Cosmetologists work with many types of beauty products and often sell them at their salons as well. A cosmetologist chiefly works with the skin and hairs. 

Medical cosmetology (or medical beauty-an emerging trend) the more intensive side of cosmetology, largely deals with skin care. Problems like pimples, acne, wrinkles, dark spots, require medical expertise. Treatments like botox and fillers are performed by medical cosmetologists or skin specialists. 

They also shape eyebrows and remove unwanted hair from the face. They give demonstrations and advice on the use of makeup. Cosmetologists who care for hairs give scalp treatments, massages, and facials etc.

Cosmetologist should not be confused with dermatologists or plastic surgeons. A cosmetologist deals with beauty in a non-surgical manner while a plastic surgeon corrects or restores any part of the human body through surgery.

Work schedule

Many cosmetologists work more than forty hours a week, including Saturdays and one or two evenings. Others work part-time, usually during the end of the week when beauty salons are the busiest. Cosmetologists have to stand for many hours and sometimes use harsh chemicals. They can protect themselves by wearing rubber gloves.

Skills required

Cosmetologists must be able to work well with their hands and should have a good sense of style. They also need to keep up with the latest fashions in hairstyling and cosmetics and interact well with all kinds of customers. A cosmetologist uses surgical means to review and restore function to diseased or damaged parts of the body and hairs. Cosmetologists are also employed by cosmetic companies where they are involved in the various stages of on conceptualisation, formulation, production and testing of the various cosmetic concoctions. Fitness and exercise is the latest beauty fad that covers everything from health clubs, yoga, aerobics, and kickboxing to workout gyms. So it’s a profession that has lot of possibilities and is an unconventional one

Academic qualifications

General Cosmetology: Courses in this field equip students with skills required in salon treatments (hair styling, manicures, facials, waxing etc). A certificate course in general cosmetology is typically a one-year programme though some institutes offer a three-year programme. Specialised courses such as manicures, facials, or makeup art are usually of shorter duration, (six-months).

Medical Cosmetology: The basic requirement to practise medical cosmetology is a medical degree from any reputed medical college. But dermatologists, physicians, dentists with a diploma or Master’s degree in dermatology, may also practice medical cosmetology.  Domain knowledge in science is essential as they work on skin, muscles, tissues and veins/ arteries. To perform an advanced cosmetic treatment, a degree in medicine is a must.

After completing an MBBS degree, candidates may undergo a training/certification to become a specialist or a trainer. Indian medical colleges, largely, do not offer these fellowship/certificate programmes. The only institute that offers a 12-week certificate course in clinical cosmetology is the Indian Institute of Cosmetology in Mumbai. 

Sometimes a candidate has to get training in a public or private vocational school. A full-time course usually takes from six to twelve months to complete. Courses cover hygiene, bacteriology, cosmetic chemistry, psychology, and sales techniques. 

Candidates having degrees like BHMS etc who are going to operate the surgical part of cosmetology requires license to function. However, requirements for a license vary from state to state. In most states, candidates must be at least sixteen years old, in good health, and be a graduate of an approved cosmetology school. They must also pass a state licensing examination.

This test usually includes both a written part and a practical demonstration of skills. There may even be an oral exam in which candidates are asked to explain particular cosmetology procedures. The license must be renewed every year or every two years.

Remuneration

General Cosmetologists can expect a starting salary from Rs 3,000-Rs 7,000 until they find a foothold in the industry. They can earn up to Rs 50,000 a month once they have three years of experience. Remuneration from medical cosmetology begins at a higher scale.

With thanks to:

Educationtimes.com

http://www.educationtimes.com/article/10/2012061120120609202224128da95ff0/Cosmetic-touch.html

Creator Public Relations Pvt. Ltd.

Beauty tips for moms-to-be

Want to get that pregnancy glow and avoid stretch marks? Co-founder of Mama Mio, Tanya Kazeminy Mackay, shares her skin secrets for mums-to-be

Stretch-proof your skin

'Focus on building the strength and elasticity of your skin - especially the area from your boobs to your bottom - as your bump grows.If your mother has stretchmarks, you're probably more vulnerable, but think about it this way: genetics has a hand in the wrinkles around your eyes and we all use eye cream to minimise them for as long as possible. 'Look for products rich in fatty acids, su

ch as omega 3, 6 and 9 oils, as they're highly moisturising - your usual body lotion won't do. When it comes to your face, you may need to combat hormonal acne and you will need extra sun protection. Some women develop dark patches, known as chloasma, as a result of excess melanin, which can get worse with exposure to sun.

Don't be afraid of the spa

'Although treatments involving your tummy area are not a good idea, you can still enjoy pedicures, facials, and head and neck massages.

'Many women want to switch to products containing less chemicals, such as solvent-free nail varnish, and also worry about using essential oils. In fact, after the first trimester, many common oils such as lavender are safe - just use a few drops at a time.'Ones to watch? Clary sage encourages uterine contractions, and jasmine, peppermint and eucalyptus should be avoided completely because they have a stimulating effect.

'When booking a spa treatment, ask the therapist if they have special maternity beds, which have a space for your bump, allowing you to lie comfortably on your front. Try Elemis spas.'

Make fats your friend

'Everyone needs essential fatty acids (EFAs), but when you're pregnant, your baby is using them to make its brain and eyes. This means your levels are at their most depleted just when your skin is undergoing its biggest challenge.So include plenty of EFAs in your diet (from oily fish, nuts, seeds and green vegetables), and use EFA-rich skin products - look out for oils such as rosehip seed, wheatgerm and sweet almond.

And keep this regime up after delivery - if you breastfeed, you lose 50mg to 80mg of fatty acids each day.'

With thanks to:

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/pregnancyandbirth/beautytips.htm

Creator Public Relations Pvt. Ltd.

Valuable Tips for Getting PR for Your Small Business

Public Relations (commonly known as “PR”) is often mistaken to be a tool used by the “big players” – large brands or organizations that can afford to invest time and money in such “luxuries”. The truth is that PR is every bit as important for a small business as it is for the big fish.

PR work is largely based on the fact that customers are far more receptive to a product or service when they hear about it through a third party. That’s why businesses have traditionally focused their PR efforts on reaching out to journalists and publications (often with the assistance of a PR agency).

Today, PR is the art and science of marketing your brand not only to old-school media sources, but also to bloggers and influencers with a large social media following. The goals of PR remain the same, only the methods are evolving.

The good news is that social media networks and free web-publishing platforms like Wix provide a powerful way for small business owners to integrate cost-effective PR activities into their marketing efforts. On the flip side, everyone has access to the same tools, and it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. That’s why we’ve put together some tips to help you get noticed in the PR game.

Create a Clout List

The goal of your PR efforts is to market yourself to individuals who can get the word about your business out to potential customers. You need to identify the top 5-10 journalists or bloggers in your industry and list them. Whether these are fringe bloggers or leading journalists, if you think a mention by them would be great for business, put them on your list.

Quick Tip: While veteran writers might have a large sphere of influence, don’t underestimate the long-term benefits of creating relationships with talented up-and-comers.

Connect Through Social Media

Get on the radar of the folks on your clout list by signing up for their mailing lists, liking and following them on Facebook and Twitter and engaging with their posts. If you are consistently visible on somebody’s Facebook or Twitter feed, you will get noticed. Just be sure not to overdo it or you will be considered a troll.

Quick Tip: Avoid generic comments. Stand out by writing intelligent, insightful or helpful responses to posts.

Write a Winning Press Release

The basic purpose of a press release is to tell journalists and bloggers what is happening with your business and why is it interesting. When artist Jason Borbay approaches the press, it’s with the full knowledge that he is the lowest priority on their list. His winning method is to send journalists a detailed and concise press release that includes direct links to images and relevant videos of himself.

Keep your press release short, write follow up emails, and never expect a journalist to do extra research to find your links. With dogged determination and what he calls a ‘disgusting’ degree of follow through, Borbay has landed on the pages of large publications such as Forbes and the Huffington Post, and built up a loyal following.

Quick Tip: No matter how great your business is, avoid superlatives like “best” and “most Incredible” in your press release – it sounds spammy.

The Pitch

With a press release ready, it is time to approach the folks on your list. Send them an email letting them know that you really enjoy their work. Make this letter as personal (this is where all that social engagement comes in handy) as possible. Tell them you have some big news, and that you would like to offer them exclusivity. Let them know when you are breaking the news, and give them a chance to hold it. If they are interested, you can get into details.

Quick Tip: Don’t create a press release about every company update. It should be truly newsworthy.

Tell the World

One of the most powerful marketing tools is a mention by a third party – especially a writer in your industry. If your press release has made it to the press, share it on your social media channels and website to generate buzz and traffic. Once you have garnered a few press mentions, it’s a great idea to create a press page for your website. This will serve to add to your credibility in the eyes of writers in your industry as well as of potential clients.

Quick Tip: If you don’t tell your story, someone else in your industry will tell theirs. This is not a time for being coy.

Offer Them Real Value

Ask not what your favorite industry writer can do for you, but rather… well you know the rest. Adding value is a great way to build the kinds of relationships that can lead to more press mentions down the line. There are many creative ways to do so, often beyond the context of PR.

For example, when Selena Soo, founder of the PR firm @S2Groupe, was searching for a mentor, rather than simply sign up to attend a mentoring event, she actively helped find mentees to participate in the event. Through adding value and making herself available to organizers, Selena ended up being matched with the ultimate mentor, Pattie Sellers (Editor-at-large, Fortune magazine).

Quick Tip: Sometimes the best way to connect and build a relationship is outside of the framework of your next Press Release.

Give these tips a try. You might just discover your inner PR ninja.

With Thanks To:

wix.com

http://www.wix.com/blog/2013/07/valuable-pr-tips

Creator Public Relations Pvt. Ltd.

Health benefits of music

Music has a special power to move us and stir our emotions. Anyone who has ever wiped tears away from their eyes listening to their favourite sad song will know how powerful simple notes and chords can be.

Now, scientific studies have shown that music really can change our mood and even help us concentrate.

We look at the effects music can have, and we ask the experts what songs are likely to help you run a race, prepare for an exam or relieve stress.

Music matters

Listening to a song can have a real effect on various parts of the brain, with studies showing that areas responsible for aspects, such as memory and vision, can 'light up' in response to music.

'There's a very wide range of reactions in the body and mind to music, and brain imaging studies have shown that various parts of the brain may be activated by a piece of music,' says Dr Victoria Williamson, lecturer in psychology at Goldsmith's College, London.

'For example, a recent study in Canada showed that there's a real causal relationship between music and the reward system, a core part of the brain that reacts to stimuli, which are good for us – food, light, sex for example – and reinforces these behaviours meaning that we do them more.'

So what benefits can music bring?

Mood boost

Everyone reacts to music in different ways. One individual may love heavy metal for example, while another is happiest listening to Mozart.

Whatever your preference, a 2011 Canadian study, published in Nature Neuroscience, has shown that plugging in to your favourite music could help melt away a bad mood.

Researchers at McGill University in Montreal showed that listening to pleasurable music of any description induced 'musical chills', which triggered the release of the feel-good chemical dopamine.

'We all know from our own individual experiences that listening to music can affect mood,' says Bridget O'Connell, head of information at the mental health charity Mind.

'Some people listen to music for a boost on a tough day, while others might use music to keep them awake during a long car journey or to purge a negative feeling.

'The brain is very complicated – and there are many elements involved in feelings of pleasure – but it's unsurprising that research suggests dopamine release is linked with feelings of pleasure induced by music.'

Focus

Music may even be able to help you concentrate.

A new 'digital tonic' called Ubrain, which can be downloaded onto smartphones, claims to be able to help people focus, energise, wake up as well as relax.

The process uses two different beats in each ear to create a third 'perceived' beat (a binaural beat), which can stimulate certain activity in the brain.

'By helping the brain cortex to generate specific brain waves, we can induce different states of alertness, depending on what we aim to do,' explains Paris-based clinical psychologist Brigitte Forgeot.

'If we're feeling anxious or stressed, we can encourage our cerebral cortex to produce slow alpha-frequency brain waves, while on the other end of the scale, if we help our cortex to produce faster beta waves, we will be better equipped to concentrate and focus our attention on a fairly lengthy task.'

Pick up the pace

Listening to certain music could actually help you run faster.

A study at Brunel University in West London has shown that music can help increase endurance by as much as 15 per cent, helping to lower the perception of effort during exercise, as well as increasing energy efficiency by between one and three per cent.

The best choices for exercise are up-beat songs that match the tempo of your running stride and which can have a metronomic effect on the body, enabling you to run for longer.

Better mental health

Music can be an effective and positive treatment for people dealing with mental health conditions.

'There are two distinct ways music therapy is used: either as a means of communication and self-expression or for its inherent restorative or healing qualities,' says Bridget O'Connell.

'Someone who is very withdrawn may find that music can act as an outlet for expressing things that they're unable to put into words. It can also act as a stimulus to awaken buried memories or evoke emotional responses that may take weeks to achieve with talking therapies.'

De-stress

Music can be a great pick-me-up for when you are feeling stressed.

According to 2011 figures from the mental health charity Mind, nearly a third of people plugged into their music players to give them a mood boost about work, and almost one in four said that they find listening to music on the way to the workplace helps them de-stress.

Paul Farmer, the charity's CEO, backs up the statistics by saying that the therapeutic benefits of listening to music are well-known.

Tuning in to one of your favourite songs can be incredibly soothing and help to reduce anxiety.

Patient care

Music can actually have a significant positive impact on patients with long-term illnesses, such as heart disease, cancer and respiratory conditions.

Numerous trials have shown that music can help lower heart rate, blood pressure and help relieve pain, anxiety and improve patient quality of life.

'Music can be incredibly useful for somebody who is in a situation where they have lost a lot of control from their external environment – say they are in hospital for a long period of time with a serious illness and less able to move around,' says Dr Williamson.

'It can give them a sense of control back, as well as creating a calm personal atmosphere and blocking out some of the disturbances around the patient.'

Which music?

While there are certain trends – fast upbeat music for exercising and slower-paced music to relax – choosing songs that have the desired effect is often linked to personal preference.

'The effect of different types of music on mood will largely depend on people's individual preference and experience,' says Bridget O'Connell.

'If you grow up with rock music, you might not find classical music uplifting at all. On the flipside, some people can't bear rock music, so they are more likely to be wound up than uplifted.

'Music can also invoke particular memories for people, including some that could potentially make them upset. On the other hand, it could also bring them out of a severely withdrawn state or act as a form of communication in place of words.'

There are some rules of thumb though, admits Dr Williamson. 'For a general rule, if you want to relax you should choose songs with slower tempo, less key changes and more predictable structure.' 
 


Written by Adam Ramsay, health journalist

Read More: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/wellbeing/health-benefits-of-music.htm

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