The world is changing fast. That’s true in terms of the economy, culture, the environment, personal habits, politics, and almost every other realm of human activity. No matter where you turn, it’s obvious that technology and other forces are at work transforming human lifestyles in dozens of important, permanent ways. Not all of them are good. But the challenge for each individual is to figure out how to navigate the upcoming and ongoing forces and come out on the other end in one piece. What can working people do to help some of the changes along and resist the harmful ones? In addition to getting personal budgets under control and keeping a close eye on finances, just about anyone can take control of their fate by making the right lifestyle moves in a changing world.
Reduce Monthly Expenses
On a micro level, one of the most powerful actions a person can take to adapt to economic and financial changes is to rein in their expenses. The move begins with monthly budgeting. Even if you already have a detailed budget, create a new one with more line items and without excessive spending. How? Anyone carrying education debt stands to save a significant amount of money by refinancing their current student loan into a completely new agreement.
Many college grads have very old loans on their books and could use something like a NaviRefi student loan refinance agreement to better their financial situation in numerous ways. Along with more time to repay, refi loans usually come with more advantageous terms because borrowers are in a more secure financial situation than when they took out the original loan. Along with other cost-cutting methods, like eliminating convenience store impulse buying, consumers can do themselves a favor and potentially save hundreds monthly with a student loan refinancing package.
Monitor Your Health
How can every day, non-medical professionals monitor and improve their health? The first step is speaking with your doctor during an annual checkup. From there, consider regular visits to health care professionals. If your insurance coverage and schedule allow, stop in to see dentists and eye care pros at least once per year. Other commonsense approaches to bolstering personal health, should always be cleared with your personal physician, including getting enough sleep on a regular basis, avoiding becoming overexposed to the sun during mid-afternoon, avoiding all use of tobacco products, keeping alcohol intake at moderate levels, eating a balanced diet, and not participating in extreme sports like base jumping and hang-gliding.
Protect Personal Privacy
In a world that is increasingly becoming infused with technology that can record our voices, movements, financial transactions, social activities, and more, it’s essential for people to take control of privacy. What are some of the most basic ways citizens can avoid falling into the trap of revealing all their personal information online and elsewhere? First, check your computer and make sure that it’s set to delete tracking cookies at least once per day, preferably before you shut down the device in the evening. Use a powerful anti-spam and anti-virus app to keep computers, phones, tablets, and laptops free of pernicious code that can not only spy on your online activities but also harm your devices.
When it comes to using your phone, avoid answering calls or clicking on links in text messages unless you know who the sender is. Phishing is a technique that hackers use to gain access to consumers’ devices, and all it takes to give them what they want is a quick click on a link in a suspicious email or text message. Practicing cyber security on a daily basis is a core part of a well-rounded system for protecting your sensitive information, like bank account numbers, passwords, stored images, and health data.
Take Part in Politics
It’s easy to become apathetic and assume that the world will change without our input or participation. But even the largest political and economic transformations take place at the behest of millions of individuals who vote in free and fair elections. Of course, not every nation offers its citizens the chance to take part in this luxury. Indeed, at least half of all human beings reside in centrally controlled countries and have few freedoms. That is all the more reason that those who do live in places where voting is allowed take an active role in decision-making. For the overwhelming majority of citizens, the most powerful tool they have is their vote. That’s why it’s critical for everyone to register with the local authorities and vote in every election, no matter whether it’s local, regional, or national. Voting, for most of us, is the only way to make our voices heard.
Learn to Cope with Stress
Learning to deal with the inevitable pressures of life is a crucial piece of the solution to living in a fast-paced world. How can working adults minimize stress without hiring a full-time hypnotist? For starters, it’s imperative to set aside at least 30 minutes per day during which you can do nothing but sit, meditate, pray, do deep breathing, or just zone out, but not fall asleep. Naps are one thing, and stress reduction is another. Consider taking a yoga or meditation class in person or online if you want to up your anti-stress strategy. Likewise, many people discover that they can beat stress, or at least significantly reduce it, by taking brief walks one or more times per day.
Get a Side Income
Reducing monthly expenses is often an effective way to bring your finances under control. Another side of the coin is to increase income by taking on a side job or starting a small home-based business. Excellent options include online micro gigs like freelance writing for a few hours per week or starting a tutoring business via video connection. The side job universe is exploding as more global platforms come into being. Most work the same way. Users create an account and profile and then bid on posted jobs. Keep in mind that the majority of work people get on these sites are part-time, temporary engagements, not permanent, full-time jobs.