Health impact studies taking hold, with challenges

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — While New York regulators have spent four years mulling the environmental impacts of shale gas development, the potential human health impacts have been given short shrift, according to health advocates.

Whether gas drilling impacts health has led to heated debates. Environmentalists and people living near drilling sites say the risks include contaminated water wells and air pollution. The industry says those fears are exaggerated and that the process been used safely on tens of thousands of wells.

The Medical Society of the State of New York has called for a moratorium on natural gas extraction using hydraulic fracturing until scientific information on health impacts is available.

In a letter last fall to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, more than 250 doctors and other health care professionals cited studies in Alaska and Colorado as examples of what New York should do as regulators consider allowing hydraulic fracturing to begin.

"The purpose of a health impact assessment is to take what's known and make reasoned professional judgments about what kind of health impacts could occur, and provide recommendations to mitigate those impacts before they happen," said Roxana Witter of the Colorado School of Public Health, who led what's called the Battlement Mesa study.

The Colorado study, the nation's first health impact assessment related to natural gas development, was completed last year.

Gina Solomon, a physician with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said health concerns include air pollution; potential contamination of ground or surface water with methane or chemicals used in fracturing fluids; fires or explosions; heavy truck traffic; and altered social conditions.

In Pennsylvania, medical professionals have complained that they have no studies to guide them in handling medical issues; with none to reference, they don't know what to look for, much less how to treat it.

Philanthropies including the Heinz Endowment are funding several new shale-related health projects, such as the Southwestern Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project near Pittsburgh. It's a medical outreach program for people near gas wells.

Some residents in the Pennsylvania town of Dimock have complained that fracking polluted their wells and a toxic response team from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has investigated. The Environmental Protection Agency said this month that well water tests failed to show health-threatening levels of contamination.

The National Research Council of the National Academies of Science recommends greater use of health impact assessments for major policies and projects. The goal is not to determine if a project is approved, but to ensure that adverse health effects are minimized.

Alaska, under pressure from doctors and community activists, has begun requiring a formal health impact assessment for permitting all large developments, according to Ed Fogels, Alaska's deputy commissioner of natural resources.

While thousands of shale gas wells have brought an economic boom over the last four years to communities in Pennsylvania, drilling in New York's part of the rich Marcellus Shale has been under a de facto moratorium since the Department of Environmental Conservation's review began in 2008. That review is expected to be completed in several months.

DEC has proposed rules for permitting gas-drilling companies to pump water, chemicals and sand into deep, horizontally drilled wells at high pressure to release natural gas from shale, a process known as hydraulic fracturing or "fracking."

DEC spokeswoman Emily DeSantis said the environmental study and proposed regulations thoroughly review potential adverse health impacts and put requirements in place to prevent them. The state Health Department has declined to do an assessment, saying it wouldn't provide significant new information.

A budget amendment proposed in the state Assembly would have commissioned a health impact assessment by a state university, but it was dropped during budget negotiations this week. A bill in the Senate would ban fracking until a health study is completed.

Brad Gill, executive director of the Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York, said the call for a health study was "part of a calculated campaign designed to frighten New Yorkers."

"There are no demonstrated cases of negative health impacts associated with natural gas development in the United States," Gill said. "In fact, a $1 million study, completed last August in Fort Worth, Texas, concluded natural gas development in the Barnett Shale did not lead to adverse health effects."

That study looked only at air quality. Although it found no significant health threats beyond setback distances, it recommended additional emission-control equipment and enhanced inspection and monitoring at natural gas sites.

In Alaska, native communities opposed expansion of oil development into sensitive areas of the North Slope in 2007. Collaboration on a health impact study led to compromises, said Aaron Wernham, director of the Health Impact Project, which assists in such studies.

Studies can become mired in controversy. That's what happened to one by the University of Colorado's School of Public Health for the 3,200-acre community of Battlement Mesa on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains.

County officials who commissioned the study halted it before it was final, saying it was hopelessly bogged down because residents and driller Antero Resources disagreed over its conclusions and recommendations.

The Battlement Mesa study made 70 recommendations for officials to consider before permitting Antero Resources to drill 200 wells. Antero called the recommendations baseless because there's not sufficient data to quantify potential health impacts

The Colorado School of Public Health reported this month that potentially toxic levels of airborne chemicals, including benzene, were detected near wells in the Battlement Mesa area during three years of monitoring.

The oil and gas industry-funded group Energy In Depth has disputed that study's findings, saying it exaggerates emissions from gas well development by at least 10 times and fails to take into account exhaust fumes from a nearby interstate highway.

Earlier this month, Alaska published a draft of its health impact assessment for the Wishbone Hill coal mine 50 miles north of Anchorage.

"In any study of such sensitive issues there are always going to be disagreements," said Katherine Nadeau of Environmental Advocates of New York. "But if we don't even try to get an assessment of what's going on in other states and what New York is doing to prevent similar problems here, it's a missed opportunity."

View the original article here

Health impact studies taking hold, with challenges

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — While New York regulators have spent four years mulling the environmental impacts of shale gas development, the potential human health impacts have been given short shrift, according to health advocates.

Whether gas drilling impacts health has led to heated debates. Environmentalists and people living near drilling sites say the risks include contaminated water wells and air pollution. The industry says those fears are exaggerated and that the process been used safely on tens of thousands of wells.

The Medical Society of the State of New York has called for a moratorium on natural gas extraction using hydraulic fracturing until scientific information on health impacts is available.

In a letter last fall to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, more than 250 doctors and other health care professionals cited studies in Alaska and Colorado as examples of what New York should do as regulators consider allowing hydraulic fracturing to begin.

"The purpose of a health impact assessment is to take what's known and make reasoned professional judgments about what kind of health impacts could occur, and provide recommendations to mitigate those impacts before they happen," said Roxana Witter of the Colorado School of Public Health, who led what's called the Battlement Mesa study.

The Colorado study, the nation's first health impact assessment related to natural gas development, was completed last year.

Gina Solomon, a physician with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said health concerns include air pollution; potential contamination of ground or surface water with methane or chemicals used in fracturing fluids; fires or explosions; heavy truck traffic; and altered social conditions.

In Pennsylvania, medical professionals have complained that they have no studies to guide them in handling medical issues; with none to reference, they don't know what to look for, much less how to treat it.

Philanthropies including the Heinz Endowment are funding several new shale-related health projects, such as the Southwestern Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project near Pittsburgh. It's a medical outreach program for people near gas wells.

Some residents in the Pennsylvania town of Dimock have complained that fracking polluted their wells and a toxic response team from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has investigated. The Environmental Protection Agency said this month that well water tests failed to show health-threatening levels of contamination.

The National Research Council of the National Academies of Science recommends greater use of health impact assessments for major policies and projects. The goal is not to determine if a project is approved, but to ensure that adverse health effects are minimized.

Alaska, under pressure from doctors and community activists, has begun requiring a formal health impact assessment for permitting all large developments, according to Ed Fogels, Alaska's deputy commissioner of natural resources.

While thousands of shale gas wells have brought an economic boom over the last four years to communities in Pennsylvania, drilling in New York's part of the rich Marcellus Shale has been under a de facto moratorium since the Department of Environmental Conservation's review began in 2008. That review is expected to be completed in several months.

DEC has proposed rules for permitting gas-drilling companies to pump water, chemicals and sand into deep, horizontally drilled wells at high pressure to release natural gas from shale, a process known as hydraulic fracturing or "fracking."

DEC spokeswoman Emily DeSantis said the environmental study and proposed regulations thoroughly review potential adverse health impacts and put requirements in place to prevent them. The state Health Department has declined to do an assessment, saying it wouldn't provide significant new information.

A budget amendment proposed in the state Assembly would have commissioned a health impact assessment by a state university, but it was dropped during budget negotiations this week. A bill in the Senate would ban fracking until a health study is completed.

Brad Gill, executive director of the Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York, said the call for a health study was "part of a calculated campaign designed to frighten New Yorkers."

"There are no demonstrated cases of negative health impacts associated with natural gas development in the United States," Gill said. "In fact, a $1 million study, completed last August in Fort Worth, Texas, concluded natural gas development in the Barnett Shale did not lead to adverse health effects."

That study looked only at air quality. Although it found no significant health threats beyond setback distances, it recommended additional emission-control equipment and enhanced inspection and monitoring at natural gas sites.

In Alaska, native communities opposed expansion of oil development into sensitive areas of the North Slope in 2007. Collaboration on a health impact study led to compromises, said Aaron Wernham, director of the Health Impact Project, which assists in such studies.

Studies can become mired in controversy. That's what happened to one by the University of Colorado's School of Public Health for the 3,200-acre community of Battlement Mesa on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains.

County officials who commissioned the study halted it before it was final, saying it was hopelessly bogged down because residents and driller Antero Resources disagreed over its conclusions and recommendations.

The Battlement Mesa study made 70 recommendations for officials to consider before permitting Antero Resources to drill 200 wells. Antero called the recommendations baseless because there's not sufficient data to quantify potential health impacts

The Colorado School of Public Health reported this month that potentially toxic levels of airborne chemicals, including benzene, were detected near wells in the Battlement Mesa area during three years of monitoring.

Earlier this month, Alaska published a draft of its health impact assessment for the Wishbone Hill coal mine 50 miles north of Anchorage.

"In any study of such sensitive issues there are always going to be disagreements," said Katherine Nadeau of Environmental Advocates of New York. "But if we don't even try to get an assessment of what's going on in other states and what New York is doing to prevent similar problems here, it's a missed opportunity."

View the original article here

The health care tax credit few are taking

Pennsylvania jewelry wholesaler Edward J. & Co. provides its employees health insurance. But it has yet to apply for appropriate tax credits. It's too complex, they say.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The health care tax credit is supposed to help small companies, but it's so confusing that many owners are forgoing the extra cash.

How much? Twenty billion dollars over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

"For any real company that has employees coming and going, figuring out this type of mess is crazy," said Ethan Wendle, CEO of Diamondback Automotive Accessories, which makes metal truck beds.

The tax credit is part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 and is supposed to help small businesses as they experience health care reform. Companies eligible for the tax credit are those that have 25 workers or fewer, pay average salaries of $50,000 or less and cover at least half of employee health insurance premiums.

But it has become an accounting odyssey few business owners are willing to take. The program's complicated formula has some unusual features including counting some workers as 1/15th of an employee. Even more befuddling: It actually reduces federal help if a firm insures more employees.

Until Thursday, Wendle had no idea his Philipsburg, Pa., company could receive thousands from the credit. He'd previously explored the option but gave up, deciding the company was too large.

It wasn't.

Part-time employees are counted differently than full-timers, and owners aren't included, bringing his number just below the 25-employee threshold. Wendle now estimates the credit might cut his tax bill by $2,500.

"Trying to figure this out could take me three days," he said. "If politicians wanted to take care of small businesses, they should just reduce tax rates across the board."

Another problem is that most tax preparers overlook the credit, because it's not even in their software, said Simon Gray, an Atlanta accountant who works closely with tech start-ups and medical firms.

And then there are people like Kim Williams, who until recently didn't even know the credit existed. The vice president of operations at jeweler Edward J. & Co., found out her Lancaster, Pa., company could claim thousands from the credit.

"That's a part-time employee," she said. "That's three more computers."

The general reluctance to apply for the program was noted in the CBO's report last week, which explained "small businesses have been slower to take advantage of the credits than originally estimated."

Last week, the IRS felt it necessary to remind companies about the credit. It offers a step-by-step guide, various numerical examples, answers to frequently-asked questions, a YouTube video and a webinar.

Some are willing to wade through the quagmire. The Masonic nonprofit Shriners International in Orlando reaped $3,500 from it last year, according to former treasurer Kenneth Mueller.

Similar savings this year have made Lincoln, Calif., insurance agent Paul Harrison a fan, too, even if it required filling out a lengthy questionnaire for his accountant, Fred Crooks. Clients like Harrison don't mind the extra $30 charge Crooks charges for the service if it means receiving the average $1,500 credit.

But accountants and business owners say the credit fails to do what the IRS describes as the program's goal: encourage employers to keep providing health insurance coverage or start doing so.

Jay Malik, an accountant in Allentown, Pa., said the credit has not inspired his business-owning clients to start or expand their employee health plans. Rather, he assumes the tax credit's largest contributions have been to accountants like him.

"This is like any other tax law," he said. "Whenever Congress passes a new law, they should call it an Accountant Employment Act. It increases work for accountants."  

function openWindowEmail (mailx) {var recipient = mailx;var refer = top.location.href;var url = '/popups/2005/biz2/email/emailsend.html?send_to=' + recipient + '&article=' + refer;var name = '440x520';var widgets = 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,width=440,height=520';popupWin = window.open (url,name,widgets);popupWin.opener.top.name='opener';popupWin.focus();}To write a note to the editor about this article, click here.First Published: March 19, 2012: 10:54 AM ET

View the original article here

The health care tax credit few are taking

Pennsylvania jewelry wholesaler Edward J. & Co. provides its employees health insurance. But it has yet to apply for appropriate tax credits. It's too complex, they say.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The health care tax credit is supposed to help small companies, but it's so confusing that many owners are forgoing the extra cash.

How much? Twenty billion dollars over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

"For any real company that has employees coming and going, figuring out this type of mess is crazy," said Ethan Wendle, CEO of Diamondback Automotive Accessories, which makes metal truck beds.

The tax credit is part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 and is supposed to help small businesses as they experience health care reform. Companies eligible for the tax credit are those that have 25 workers or fewer, pay average salaries of $50,000 or less and cover at least half of employee health insurance premiums.

But it has become an accounting odyssey few business owners are willing to take. The program's complicated formula has some unusual features including counting some workers as 1/15th of an employee. Even more befuddling: It actually reduces federal help if a firm insures more employees.

Until Thursday, Wendle had no idea his Philipsburg, Pa., company could receive thousands from the credit. He'd previously explored the option but gave up, deciding the company was too large.

It wasn't.

Part-time employees are counted differently than full-timers, and owners aren't included, bringing his number just below the 25-employee threshold. Wendle now estimates the credit might cut his tax bill by $2,500.

"Trying to figure this out could take me three days," he said. "If politicians wanted to take care of small businesses, they should just reduce tax rates across the board."

Another problem is that most tax preparers overlook the credit, because it's not even in their software, said Simon Gray, an Atlanta accountant who works closely with tech start-ups and medical firms.

And then there are people like Kim Williams, who until recently didn't even know the credit existed. The vice president of operations at jeweler Edward J. & Co., found out her Lancaster, Pa., company could claim thousands from the credit.

"That's a part-time employee," she said. "That's three more computers."

The general reluctance to apply for the program was noted in the CBO's report last week, which explained "small businesses have been slower to take advantage of the credits than originally estimated."

Last week, the IRS felt it necessary to remind companies about the credit. It offers a step-by-step guide, various numerical examples, answers to frequently-asked questions, a YouTube video and a webinar.

Some are willing to wade through the quagmire. The Masonic nonprofit Shriners International in Orlando reaped $3,500 from it last year, according to former treasurer Kenneth Mueller.

Similar savings this year have made Lincoln, Calif., insurance agent Paul Harrison a fan, too, even if it required filling out a lengthy questionnaire for his accountant, Fred Crooks. Clients like Harrison don't mind the extra $30 charge Crooks charges for the service if it means receiving the average $1,500 credit.

But accountants and business owners say the credit fails to do what the IRS describes as the program's goal: encourage employers to keep providing health insurance coverage or start doing so.

Jay Malik, an accountant in Allentown, Pa., said the credit has not inspired his business-owning clients to start or expand their employee health plans. Rather, he assumes the tax credit's largest contributions have been to accountants like him.

"This is like any other tax law," he said. "Whenever Congress passes a new law, they should call it an Accountant Employment Act. It increases work for accountants."  

function openWindowEmail (mailx) {var recipient = mailx;var refer = top.location.href;var url = '/popups/2005/biz2/email/emailsend.html?send_to=' + recipient + '&article=' + refer;var name = '440x520';var widgets = 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,width=440,height=520';popupWin = window.open (url,name,widgets);popupWin.opener.top.name='opener';popupWin.focus();}To write a note to the editor about this article, click here.First Published: March 19, 2012: 10:54 AM ET

View the original article here

Tips for Taking Time for Yourself

Many people agree that there are simply not enough hours in the day to complete all the daily tasks. We often have a chronic time shortage on our hands, which makes it difficult if not impossible to find time for ourselves. At some point, we can be distracted from essential daily tasks. As the result we could be drawn into irrelevant activities than concentrating on more urgent issues. People often complain that the lack of time make them stressed. Even people with a seemingly ordered work habit are often affected by stress, because they have very large workload.

These are a few things you can do to help you to take time for yourself:

Allocate "Alone Time" in Your Schedule

It?s obviously impossible to eliminate time shortage. But, it is possible to reduce the effect of stress and use your time more efficiently. The only way to make a time for yourself is to put it in you schedule. Make sure your "Alone Time" is completely undisturbed. A soothing bubble bath won?t be relaxing if it is interrupted by numerous phone calls the same holds true for your attempt to read an enjoyable novel. To enjoy a quiet morning, some people settle on becoming early birds, but they don?t compensate it by sleeping early, as the result sleep deprivation may happen. You shouldn?t sacrifice good night sleep to enjoy some solitude. If men can escape the bustle by spending some time outdoor, women should also spend a few hours each week to do anything they like, like walking around the mall, go to a day spa or get a manicure.

Employers and schools schedule breaks for employees and students because they want people to function well. Human need some time to relax, unwind and release some emotional pressure. If you believe that a spare time will somehow appear out of nowhere, you may be sorely disappointed. Your relaxation time is as important as anything else in your daily schedule, so allocate enough time for yourself and enjoy it.

Don?t Use the Internet

Surfing the web aimlessly is a huge time waster. The web is useful if you can use it responsibly. So many people are addicted to online games and lower-priority knowledge that they use up most of their relaxation time in the Internet. If you really want to make your relaxation time useful, stay away from the computer. After you?ve completed a relaxing activity, you can use the computer, if you still have some time left to spare.

Put Your Children to Bed Early

Some young families use a family bed, in other words, all members of the family sleep in the same bed. For families with a newborn or toddler, the arrangement may work. However, you should put the child in the separate bed if you want to have more time for yourself. You should set a predictable and easy-to-follow routine. At a fixed time each night, you should put your child to sleep in her own bed. You should allocate about one hour afterward to unwind, read a book talk with your spouse or watch a favorite sitcom.

Delegate Your Tasks

If you are not getting enough helps from your spouse and children, then you need to approach them. You should tell them that you?re physically and emotionally overwhelmed with all the responsibilities and obligations. You should also find people at your work that can contribute more and lend you a hand. If you get too much on your plate, your situation is obviously unhealthy. You need some help, if no one can help, you should look for ways to reduce your work. If you fail to do so, your job and obligation may eat you alive.

Limit Work Hours

If possible, you should work for fewer hours. Often, it equals to reduced pay, but sometimes the extra cash doesn?t worth the anxiety and stress anyway. If you want to get some valuable time for yourself, you may need to come home early. Or perhaps, you should go to work later, so once your spouse and children have left the house, you can spend about 30 minutes to enjoy yourself.

Start With Minor Changes

If you plan to spend 30 minutes just for yourself, then you can achieve this by making small and simple changes. You should make a definite commitment to start allocating time for yourself. However, making even a moderate change in your daily, such as allocating 30 minutes each day for "Alone Time" can upset the fine balance that you?ve set for years. Your own needs should get a priority too, in some cases they should be more important than what others are expecting from you. When making small changes, you should feel confident about your decision and refuse to do things that can disturb your plan. If you feel hesitant, it?s quite likely that you reverse changes that you?ve made. As you gradually increase the opportunity to take time for yourself, there should be positive feedbacks to other areas in your life. A relaxed and stress free individual tend to be more productive. Every time you make a new change, you should also set a new boundary. This way, you can have a sense of achievement and resist pressures that try to reverse your progress.

Don?t Be Afraid to Say No

Many people can?t say ?no? to others? requests, even it means that they need to sacrifice their time. They may not have the intention to be seen as kind, giving, and nice individuals; they just simply can?t disappoint others. However, it often means that they do it at the expense of their own physical and mental health. Over time, they?ll realize that they say "yes" to more than they can really afford. Saying ?no? doesn?t make you a bad person, if you clearly don?t have the opportunity to help.

Taking time for yourself will require good deal of commitment. Once in awhile something will come along and take up some of your energy and time, which will delay your effort. People who take time for themselves effectively will become more effective, satisfied with their life and more energetic than those who are busying themselves constantly with endless obligations and responsibilities. Your physical and mental health is critical for your well-being and it?s important to ensure that both are maintained as best as you possibly can.

View the original article here

Tips for Taking Time for Yourself

Many people agree that there are simply not enough hours in the day to complete all the daily tasks. We often have a chronic time shortage on our hands, which makes it difficult if not impossible to find time for ourselves. At some point, we can be distracted from essential daily tasks. As the result we could be drawn into irrelevant activities than concentrating on more urgent issues. People often complain that the lack of time make them stressed. Even people with a seemingly ordered work habit are often affected by stress, because they have very large workload.

These are a few things you can do to help you to take time for yourself:

Allocate "Alone Time" in Your Schedule

It?s obviously impossible to eliminate time shortage. But, it is possible to reduce the effect of stress and use your time more efficiently. The only way to make a time for yourself is to put it in you schedule. Make sure your "Alone Time" is completely undisturbed. A soothing bubble bath won?t be relaxing if it is interrupted by numerous phone calls the same holds true for your attempt to read an enjoyable novel. To enjoy a quiet morning, some people settle on becoming early birds, but they don?t compensate it by sleeping early, as the result sleep deprivation may happen. You shouldn?t sacrifice good night sleep to enjoy some solitude. If men can escape the bustle by spending some time outdoor, women should also spend a few hours each week to do anything they like, like walking around the mall, go to a day spa or get a manicure.

Employers and schools schedule breaks for employees and students because they want people to function well. Human need some time to relax, unwind and release some emotional pressure. If you believe that a spare time will somehow appear out of nowhere, you may be sorely disappointed. Your relaxation time is as important as anything else in your daily schedule, so allocate enough time for yourself and enjoy it.

Don?t Use the Internet

Surfing the web aimlessly is a huge time waster. The web is useful if you can use it responsibly. So many people are addicted to online games and lower-priority knowledge that they use up most of their relaxation time in the Internet. If you really want to make your relaxation time useful, stay away from the computer. After you?ve completed a relaxing activity, you can use the computer, if you still have some time left to spare.

Put Your Children to Bed Early

Some young families use a family bed, in other words, all members of the family sleep in the same bed. For families with a newborn or toddler, the arrangement may work. However, you should put the child in the separate bed if you want to have more time for yourself. You should set a predictable and easy-to-follow routine. At a fixed time each night, you should put your child to sleep in her own bed. You should allocate about one hour afterward to unwind, read a book talk with your spouse or watch a favorite sitcom.

Delegate Your Tasks

If you are not getting enough helps from your spouse and children, then you need to approach them. You should tell them that you?re physically and emotionally overwhelmed with all the responsibilities and obligations. You should also find people at your work that can contribute more and lend you a hand. If you get too much on your plate, your situation is obviously unhealthy. You need some help, if no one can help, you should look for ways to reduce your work. If you fail to do so, your job and obligation may eat you alive.

Limit Work Hours

If possible, you should work for fewer hours. Often, it equals to reduced pay, but sometimes the extra cash doesn?t worth the anxiety and stress anyway. If you want to get some valuable time for yourself, you may need to come home early. Or perhaps, you should go to work later, so once your spouse and children have left the house, you can spend about 30 minutes to enjoy yourself.

Start With Minor Changes

If you plan to spend 30 minutes just for yourself, then you can achieve this by making small and simple changes. You should make a definite commitment to start allocating time for yourself. However, making even a moderate change in your daily, such as allocating 30 minutes each day for "Alone Time" can upset the fine balance that you?ve set for years. Your own needs should get a priority too, in some cases they should be more important than what others are expecting from you. When making small changes, you should feel confident about your decision and refuse to do things that can disturb your plan. If you feel hesitant, it?s quite likely that you reverse changes that you?ve made. As you gradually increase the opportunity to take time for yourself, there should be positive feedbacks to other areas in your life. A relaxed and stress free individual tend to be more productive. Every time you make a new change, you should also set a new boundary. This way, you can have a sense of achievement and resist pressures that try to reverse your progress.

Don?t Be Afraid to Say No

Many people can?t say ?no? to others? requests, even it means that they need to sacrifice their time. They may not have the intention to be seen as kind, giving, and nice individuals; they just simply can?t disappoint others. However, it often means that they do it at the expense of their own physical and mental health. Over time, they?ll realize that they say "yes" to more than they can really afford. Saying ?no? doesn?t make you a bad person, if you clearly don?t have the opportunity to help.

Taking time for yourself will require good deal of commitment. Once in awhile something will come along and take up some of your energy and time, which will delay your effort. People who take time for themselves effectively will become more effective, satisfied with their life and more energetic than those who are busying themselves constantly with endless obligations and responsibilities. Your physical and mental health is critical for your well-being and it?s important to ensure that both are maintained as best as you possibly can.

View the original article here