How Stress Affects the Body: Men’s Health Edition

Stress is something that most of us deal with daily. Whether it’s due to finances or an overwhelming workload, it seems that feelings of stress have become more normal than not. While a little stress can be beneficial and motivate us to be more productive, too much can become extremely harmful to our bodies, taking a toll mentally and physically. It’s quite common for males to ignore the effects of being stressed, and refuse to seek help when they begin to notice symptoms. They often believe that admitting to these feelings will be seen as a sign of weakness, and typically try to “power through.” There are many ways to treat stress, however dealing with specific situations can become tricky.

In honor of Men’s Health Month, we’re sharing a couple areas in which stress can impact men as well as how they can go about treating these effects.

On your body...

There are many ways in which stress, and the symptoms that come along with it, can impact your body function. Everyone handles and carries their stress differently, so symptoms may vary. However, it is fairly common for men to experience stress-induced insomnia, weight loss or gain, and even sexual dysfunction. Of those mentioned, the most common outcomes of stress men are embarrassed to seek treatment for are those that affect their sex life. Luckily, there are a number of ways to treat these problems in the comfort of your own home. Telemedicine companies like hims make it possible for men to consult a licensed physician who can diagnose the issue and suggest a treatment plan. For example, if you are experiencing premature ejaculation, your doctor may recommend using a lidocaine spray. If you are looking for an alternate approach to treating erectile dysfunction, consider incorporating meditation and a healthy diet into your day to day routine.

On your mood...

Many men who are under significant amounts of stress tend to bottle up their emotions. Often the damage goes unnoticed until they’ve reached the breaking point. This can leave them feeling overwhelmed, angry, and depressed. With these feelings comes an enormous sense of anxiety. While meditation, yoga, and deep breathing exercises can be helpful in getting your feet back on the ground, if you’re finding that the stress is too much to handle on your own, it may be time to seek professional guidance and advice. Talking through the issues that are triggering anxiety can help you understand there are some things you can’t and won’t have control of and give you a handle on your challenges.

It’s time to end the stigma around stress!

Recognize the damage your mind and body are receiving and take the correct steps to alleviate yourself. There is no shame in seeking help.

Comment below on how you plan to deal with your stress symptoms.

Have a listing you think should be featured contact us or email at Jeremy@offthemrkt.com to tell us more! Follow Off The MRKT on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

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Making Your Modern Apartment Homely

Modern apartments are great, often built in city centres or other fantastic locations, they are spacious and made with everything you need. However, the one thing they are often lacking is the personal touch, and the cosy, homely feel that you need from a home. Quite often these modern apartments all look the same, the wooden or tiled floors, the white walls, grey kitchen cabinets...you get the idea. For some people who don't want to bother with decorating or doing any DIY then this is perfect and for some, it is the reason they went with a modern flat in the first place to avoid having to do this to an older house. For others though, the location is, and they still want to put their stamp on their place, so here are a few tips on how you can make your home unique and homely:

Start With The Walls

Depending on how many rooms you have will depend on if you want the same colour throughout your flat. If you have the space, then treat every room as a separate room just as you would with a house. If it's smaller, then you might want to stick to neutral walls throughout and personalise in other ways. Also, try a feature wall, perhaps all the other walls could be one colour and then one with some exotic wallpaper. Decide on your colour schemes first and add some colour into that apartment to get started. Next, for the walls, they need pictures, either photos or artwork or posters - this really adds the personal touch as well as brightens up those walls and adds character to your home. Get a good variety of different items for the walls, various sizes, colours, different frames and be adventurous with how you place them on the walls.

Invest In Quality Curtains

Long, thick curtains add real luxury to a room and if you get decent quality ones, even custom-made in a beautiful fabric, this will really add to the personality of the place as well as adding comfort and warmth to the apartment.

Change The Doors

You'll be surprised how much of a difference this makes as you might not even notice doors. However, get some new ones, and your flat won't look like anyone else's anymore.

Get A Headboard

Just like the luxury curtains, an upholstered headboard can add another level of comfort and luxury to your home. It will make your bed look completely different and again will give it a unique look that no one else has.

DIY The Bathroom

Okay, you don't actually have to Do It Yourself, you can get the experts in if you aren't a professional builder or plumber, but getting your bathroom redone and personalised just for you is a winner. Bathrooms are a personal place, you might just need more storage space, or you might hate storage space, and your idea of the perfect bathroom is having little baskets on a shelf or having minimal products in it. Do it your way, get the colours right, the layout and make it your own.

Fluff Up Your Floors

Get some beautiful rugs down. Again the better the quality, the more luxurious they will be and will make your home more cosy. When you have hard floors then having something fluffy to walk over on your bare feet is ideal as well as that it just makes the apartment look better and homely, adding warmth and colour where you really need it. Plus, it's far cheaper than getting a carpet fitted, and there are some fabulous designs available too. You can find more carpet stores coventry pa.

Buy Second Hand

Buying vintage, antiques or second-hand is a great way to get some unique furniture in your house so that you don't end up with the same apartment as everyone else filled with the same IKEA furniture that everyone else has. Try antique fairs and car boot sales as well as looking online for some interesting pieces of art, a beautiful chair or lamp.

Plant Plants

Make sure you add some greenery to your home. If you're in an apartment, it's unlikely you'll have a garden so bringing in some plants is really good for your health as well as makes the place look a lot smarter, greener, homelier and more personal

Inject Colour
In any way you can, the walls the curtains, the furniture - make sure you're bringing in colour to your home. The easiest and cheapest ways to do this is by getting colourful accessories such as cushions and throws which can also be swapped or changed as little or as often as you want if you get a little bored and want to change the colour scheme. 

Spending time on your home is very important, it is your home, and it is your nest, so make it yours. You spend a lot of time at home, and you need it to be somewhere that you want to be, not somewhere you dread going to or look at the four walls hating them. Also, if you are getting work done in your home and the professionals are in, perhaps it looks like a building site, then be careful of injury as it can be a dangerous and you don't want to find yourself injured or in a lawsuit. According to Shrager & Sachs, as the owner, you are supposed to keep the premises safe for the people that will be on the property. However, this could be compromised, and different insurance issues may override it, so just make sure you're careful but also consult a lawyer if you need to. 

Have a listing you think should be featured contact us or email at Jeremy@offthemrkt.com to tell us more! Follow Off The MRKT on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

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5 Popular Green Features Being Added To New Homes

All across the country, home buyers are now looking for more green features than ever. Environmentally friendly elements make homes easier to sell today while also doing good for the environment. If you've got any of these features in your home or are looking for upgrades to make before listing your home, here are a few green elements that could improve your market value.

Solar Panels

Alternative energy sources are becoming increasingly popular as more and more people make the switch to solar power in their homes. One reason for the increase in popularity is the lowering costs of solar. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average cost of solar PV panels has dropped more than 60% since 2010 and the cost of solar electric systems has dropped by 50% since that time. This makes it more affordable to go green, pushing more people towards this source of renewable energy.

Alternative Building Materials

While vinyl is still a popular siding choice, the production of this material contributes to the amount of plastic waste worldwide. Today the world makes and consumes about 600 billion pounds of plastic yearly, and the market is still growing about 5% a year. Instead of relying on resource-draining materials like plastic or rare types of wood, many homeowners are looking to recycled materials or more easily replaced materials, like bamboo. And new metal roofs may contain up to 60% recycled metal content and are 100% recyclable at the end of their service lives. These materials can reduce the overall carbon footprint of the home, while also decreasing cost.

Modular Construction

While many people still consider modular construction or prefabricated homes as cheaper alternatives and not up to the standards of a traditionally constructed home, this couldn't be farther from the truth. Modular constructions reduce energy consumption during the building process by around 67% and reduces energy costs later on for occupants. Over time, prefabricated homes have become more sophisticated, making them a more realistic option for many home owners.

Improved Insulation

While you might not necessarily be able to see this upgrade when initially walking through a home, improved insulation can make a huge difference in the energy efficiency of a house. Heating and cooling makes up a significant portion of the average home's electricity bill, and installing extra insulation or replacing existing insulation with one of a higher R-value can reduce long-term costs and energy requirements.

If you're unsure where to start with improving insulation or other energy-efficient upgrades, companies like Green Improve offer tailored advice and solutions. They specialize in helping homeowners incorporate eco-friendly features that boost property value while reducing environmental impact.

Energy-Saving Appliances

Not all green features are necessarily included in construction. Switching to Energy Star approved appliances can make a home more marketable; these appliances are often newer and in better condition. They'll also reduce energy costs for later occupants, providing long-term benefits as well as initial appeal. If you're looking to upgrade appliances throughout your home before selling, check to see if they're Energy Star certified first.