Category: Lifestyle

A stiff neck or neck pain is a common health issue, affecting about 1 in every 3 people once a year. While the symptoms of a stiff neck are not life-threatening, they can be extremely painful and adversely affect the quality of life. Hence, it’s important that you learn how to fix stiff neck and manage its painful symptoms.

If left untreated, a stiff neck can possibly lead to secondary conditions such as migraines, shoulder pain, and severe headaches.

Symptoms of Stiff Neck

The symptoms associated with a stiff neck can be easily self-diagnosed at home. While the symptoms can vary in intensity from person to person, they’re commonly identified as:

• Sharp pain in the neck area
• Tight muscles
• Muscle spasms
• Pain that aggravates when you hold your head in one position
• Reduced neck motion/ inability to move your head around

Causes of Stiff Neck

Medically, a stiff neck occurs when the neck muscles are overstretched, overused, or strained. One of the most common causes of a stiff neck is a soft tissue sprain or a muscle strain.

Besides, day-to-day activities are also a major cause. As the sedentary lifestyle becomes more common throughout the world, health problems like a stiff neck become increasingly prevalent in today’s generation. Whether it’s simply for the lack of physical activities or hours of gazing into your smartphones or computers, a stiff neck or neck pain is often among the first issues to arise.

Here are some more everyday activities that may cause a stiff neck:

• Excessive anxiety or stress may lead to tension in the neck
• Poor sleeping posture
• Holding the neck in an abnormal position for long hours
• Poor standing/sitting posture
• Turning the head side-to-side repeatedly
• Injury

In rare cases, stiffness in the neck may be the result of an underlying condition such as an infection, meningitis, tumor, or cervical dystonia (neurological disorder).

Treatment for Stiff Neck

Luckily, people experiencing stiffness in the neck can easily manage its symptoms and treat it at home. Here’s how:

• Apply ice or heat to the affected area

Pain associated with a stiff neck can be easily reduced with this temporary solution. Apply ice for the first 38-72 hours to the painful area. Then, apply heat in the form of a heating pad, warm bath, etc.

• Stretching

Stiff neck treatment with stretching is one of the most common ways of fixing a stiff neck. Simple stretching activities like squeezing your shoulder blades together about ten times or flexing your neck muscles can go a long way in relieving a stiff neck. Certain yoga poses like warrior II, cat-cow pose, or cow face pose might also be helpful.

• Over-the-counter pain killers

Many people find temporary relief from pain caused by a stiff neck by taking over-the-counter medicines. However, it is advisable to consult with a doctor first. Some of the commonly prescribed OTC pain killers are acetaminophen, aspirin, and ibuprofen.

Stiff Neck – When to See A Doctor?

Symptoms of a stiff neck usually go away on their own within a week or so. With proper treatment, it may heal faster. However, if your stiff neck shows no improvement after a week, it’s best if you get it checked by a doctor.

Voice acting is a great career choice for people who have a good voice and the ability to control it. Being a voice actor means you get to audition for and work on various projects like voicing over an infographic, being a character in an animated film, narrating for a movie, or commercial.

Besides providing voiceover, an artist might also function as an actor taking on audiobooks, podcasts, radio spots, or public announcements.

However, becoming a voice actor is not an easy task since it requires a lot of patience, hard work, and training. From afar, people might think voice over is an easy job because it appears that all you need to do is talk, but that is not the case.

To become a professional voice actor, one needs to possess specific skills and train their voice to deliver versatile performances.

So, how do you become a voice actor?

Firstly, you need to possess vocal talent and develop it further. Investing in private coaching, signing up for workshops or going to conferences will help you nurture your talent.

After honing your skills, the kinds of projects you are hired for depend on your skills and personal branding. Moreover, the voice acting industry is commonly based on the freelance business model where voice talent work from home and do all their auditioning from a home-based recording studio.

Once you have established your name in the industry and have some clients, you can enjoy the benefits of flexible working hours, great monetary benefits, and the opportunity to be your own boss.

Here are some of the skills you must develop to become a successful voice actor.

1. Enunciation

Enunciation is different from pronunciation as it is more about pronouncing the words. Voice actors must have good enunciation to make their vocal delivery clean and distinct. If you are not good at enunciating, your vocal delivery may lack the proper impact. Mastering this skill could be challenging, but it is essential to learn.

If you wish to improve your enunciation, certain exercises and tricks can help.

One must enunciate well as it can increase the chances of landing a commercial voice acting gig. Companies trying to sell something over the radio often require those who enunciate well.

2. Must have a wide emotional range

The voice actor must possess a remarkable emotional range; you need to have mastery over your voice so that you can properly connect with the audience. Emotions are easily heard in the voice, and when an actor expresses the right emotion, it can make the whole delivery much more impactful. Besides, one needs to have an emotional range to work in different roles and projects.

For instance, a commercial might require you to sell a product, while another might require you to narrate an entire audiobook. Both projects need different emotions and delivery styles, so being able to switch between emotional states will be helpful to booking a variety of work.

3. Natural timing and delivery

Listeners can easily tell if a voice actor’s delivery is off. 

Voice acting is acting. Since you’re not on camera, use your voice to the best of your ability to paint the picture for your audience.

Speaking in a natural tone and pacing your voice may be hard to achieve in the beginning. However, as your career progresses and with practice, you will deliver with greater conviction and control.

Moreover, rehearsing a specific script may help improve the delivery for a better impact.

Voice coaches often recommend actors use their body language as it helps make the delivery seem more natural.

4. Consistency is the key

Your tenth project would be better than your first, and the twentieth project would be better than the tenth. The more you practice, the more voiceovers you do, the better you will become.

Voice coaches also recommend some exercises to improve your voice, and you must do these exercises regularly to maintain your voice. It might require more than one take to deliver a perfect performance, but you must be persistent about providing the best as an artist.

Training and development of skills are essential to enjoy the benefits of this profession. So, to answer the question, “How do you become a voice actor” one must develop their skills, learn from an experienced voice acting coach, and market themselves to become relevant in the industry. Once you develop the basics, you can learn and polish your skills as you progress in your career.

Buying your first car is an exciting milestone that promises a great deal of added freedom, but before you can enjoy yourself, you need to know how to handle the car-buying process as a first timer. Below are three of the most important questions you must ask yourself to ease your first car purchase.

1. What’s My Budget?

When it comes to buying your first car, budgeting is one of the most important factors. In all likelihood, this is one of your first major purchases, so you need to be smart and strategic about it.

Be realistic when setting your budget for the car itself. Think about your income as well as your current expenses (e.g. rent, phone bill, tuition costs). Then, consider how much money you’ll have left over each month and how soon you need a car. Figure out how much you can save up within that designated period of time and go from there.

When crafting your budget, you’ll also need to consider other expenses on top of the vehicle itself. For instance, think about car insurance and how much it will cost you on a monthly basis. To get a better idea of these expenses, try to get some online car insurance quotes from a few different providers. With this knowledge, you’ll be better able to take control of your money and make it work for you.

2. Is There a Brand or Make That Suits My Lifestyle the Best?

Consider what purpose you want this vehicle to serve in your life. Do you want something that is compact and easy to drive, especially around the city, or do you want a car that’s more spacious for long-distance road trips?

Based on the answers to these questions, you should be able to find the right car for your lifestyle. If you prefer a smaller car that’s easier to handle, you might like a Nissan Versa, a Toyota Yaris, or a similar model of car. On the other hand, if you want something roomier with lots of room for your friends, an SUV such as a Ford Explorer or a Hyundai Santa Fe might align with your needs a little better.

3. Will I Drive Manual or Automatic?

This is another important consideration you need to keep in mind when buying your first car: manual vs. automatic. If you only know how to drive automatic, then the answer to this question will likely be a bit easier for you. However, if you drive manual, you have more choices.

Many people find manual cars trickier to drive in stop-and-go traffic. If you plan to do a lot of city driving, you may be better off with an automatic. However, some drivers prefer the amount of control you have when driving a manual. If this sounds like you, a manual car could be a great fit.

If you’re in the process of buying your first car, self-reflection is an important ingredient in making the right selection. By asking yourself these questions, you’ll ensure that you pick the best car for you.

Whether you are in between moves or simply have excess items around the house or office, it’s evident you need more space. A storage unit will provide you with a secure place to keep your valuable items.

These days, there are a lot of storage units you can rent which can make your life more organized. However, with so many options, how do you find the right storage facility? Here are six factors you need to consider when choosing a storage facility.

1.    Security

Before choosing a self-storage facility, you want to know how safe and secure its storage units are. A secure self-storage facility like iStorage should have the following features:

• Security guards to minimize the chances of crimes happening in the storage facility
• Security cameras
• Fence
• Fire safety: Check for fire extinguishers, detectors, fire alarms, sprinklers, and detectors
• Storage unit features: The storage unit should be clean and air-conditioned. There should be pet control measures in place, and the floor level should be high enough to avoid water flow

2.    Location

If you need frequent access to your valuables, it is advisable to choose a storage facility in your area for convenience. However, the location will matter less if you will rarely need to access your items. In addition, keep in mind that you are more likely to get inexpensive storage facilities outside of urban centers.

3.    Fees and costs

There are a number of factors that will ultimately determine the cost, including contract type, minimum storage period, and additional fees. Explore different contract types to see what is convenient for you. Check if the facility has a minimum storage period and what happens if you want to access your items before that period lapses. You also need to consider additional fees, along with what happens when you make a late payment or miss a payment? You don’t want to incur extra expenses or lose your storage unit.

4.    Size

You don’t need to pay for space that you don’t need. A great self-storage provides a variety of sizes. Before choosing a storage facility, make a list of items that you want to store and how much they would take. Depending on the item you want to store, you may want to make sure they can fit in a storage unit both in terms of the height and width.

5.    Accessibility and convenience

It is important that you access your items any time you need them, but that may be a problem if the storage facility is not open. Some storage facilities are closed after the regular nine to five working hours and during weekends, while others are open 24/7. For convenience, it is advisable to choose a storage facility that is open round the clock.

6.    Check your home insurance policy

Review the terms of your home insurance policy to see whether the valuables will be covered if you move them outside your home. Most home insurance policies do not cover items outside the home, so it is advisable to look for a storage facility that offers insurance as part of their rental package.

Endnote

Whether you are moving or you have a ton of excess things on your hands, a storage unit can come in handy, and these tips will help you find the right storage facility for your storage needs.

Online shopping is the one thing in our life that is never going to stop. But, let’s be real, it is not surprising that we often end up spending a lot more than we have and that too in one round. If the same is happening with you, we’d suggest that you find some wholesale online shopping websites like DHGate that host a range of amazing items for half the price but double the quality.

All that aside, here’s a quick list of tips that you can use to save money the next time you think of shopping online.

• Make a list

We can’t stress this enough but making a simple list of the items that you want to buy. This might not seem like a lot, but it can help you save a lot of coins. Firstly, you will know what you want and what you don’t. So, the moment you navigate through the website, you won’t get side-tracked by other items that you probably don’t need in your life. Instead of aimlessly scrolling around the website, you can go ahead and buy things.

• Compare the prices

Another way to save money while shopping online is by comparing the prices. One of the best ways to do so is by comparing the prices on multiple websites. This can help you solve a lot of hassle and help you get a better idea of what’s right and what’s not. Try and choose the items across the major online portals because that helps you get a better idea of what kind of prices are trending.

• Look out for sales

Another factor that you need to look out for is the sales that happen on online shopping websites. There are several platforms that you need to look out for. That said, the sales are often seasonal, so you need to keep an eye out for that too. Make sure that you even set up alerts or notifications for the website to get notifications about the deals that are happening around.

• Join online shopping communities

Much like how there are several groups for foodies on this planet, there are also a few online shopping communities that you can join to get an idea of what kind of offers that you can avail and what kind of coupons that you can use. In these communities, you can also get a better perspective of things, which comes in handy as well.

• Refrain

Several people have a bad habit of just buying anything even when they don’t need it. If you are one of them, you need to avoid giving in to that habit altogether. Make sure that you keep a check on the items that you need only. Just because there is a sale going on doesn’t mean you need to buy something.

If you are here trying to save some extra coins during your online shopping, you must keep a check on these tips before making the purchase. Remember that you don’t need to buy something if you don’t need it.

The 10-day virtual event will offer exhibitors a cost-effective platform to showcase their best projects, expand their business network and grow globally.

Dubai, (September 7, 2020) – The International Property Show, in partnership with Invest in Dubai (IID) Real Estate, is absolutely primed for a remarkable world-class virtual exhibition that will offer a wide array of lucrative opportunities and a one-of-a-kind immersive experience to exhibitors from across the globe.

From the 11^th to 20^th of November, the real estate industry’s largest virtual exhibition with more than 20K participants from over 40 participating countries, will gather leading real estate developers, top-tier investors, industry experts, and professionals, in a secure virtual platform to leverage business opportunities and attract major investors from local, regional and international real estate markets.

“The powerful collaboration between the International Property Show and Invest in Dubai is a massive opportunity for exhibitors to promote and boost their brand and be exposed to a vast network of investors from around the world. Exhibitors will not need to worry about visitors coming to their stand because the whole world can visit them through virtual technology. With the use of technology, we are shaping the way the real estate market functions and are making it easier to bring together the entire global real estate community,” stated Mr. Dawood Al Shezawi, the President of the organizing committee of the International Property Show.

A multitude of advantages await the exhibitors of the first virtual edition of the International Property Show. As a globally acclaimed property exhibition, the virtual platform offers exhibitors a maximum exposure to 20,000+ high-quality visitors locally and internationally, gaining a greater opportunity to generate leads and boost sales without the added travel and accommodation expenses. Every exhibitor will have their exclusive virtual slot where they can showcase their projects as well as their expertise and competitive edge in the market.

“Dubai has embarked on a successful journey to incorporate innovation digitalization across all sectors and to create solutions that positively influence the productivity of the real estate industry. In addition to this, international markets are also utilising innovation in order to be resilient and bounce back from the impacts of pandemic. Likewise, through this strong collaboration, technology will be instrumental for exhibitors to have the virtual gateway to access new opportunities such as the increased promotion and sales of their various projects, creation of long-lasting relations and formation of rewarding collaborations and partnerships, which can all be achieved in the comfort of their own homes,” asserted Mr. Al Shezawi.

Exhibitors are also given the special privilege of utilising the different virtual activities of IPS Aside from having their own Virtual Exhibition Space, exhibitors will be able to get free access to Webinars and will have the chance to be a part of the panel discussions, together with other industry experts and specialists, giving them more exposure and bigger opportunity to build their reputation and boost their organization.  

Via the virtual venue hosted by Events10X, exhibitors can present their projects through advanced technology by taking part in Project Presentations. They also gain the chance to meet esteemed local and international Media Specialists, in the Meet and Greet feature, one of the interactive virtual activities of the event. Moreover, exhibitors will experience fast, seamless and secure transactions as they negotiate with serious buyers and close deals in a safe and secure virtual platform that fully protects their privacy.

In partnership with IID, this major event also serves as an ideal platform for local developers to showcase their most outstanding projects in Dubai and play a major role in promoting the city as a global investment destination, prompting more opportunities for growth within the Dubai real estate sector.

“It is a great honour to host the IPS alongside IID as exhibitors and visitors are offered a superior platform to connect with like-minded individuals. Through this event, we would like to satisfy the collective needs within this rapidly changing real estate industry and also boost investments in Dubai and in other parts of the world through technological advancement. Being a consistently successful event for many years now, we view the pandemic as a great opportunity to realise our true potential and create greater flexibility for every organisation in the industry,” added Mr. Al Shezawi.