What To Know Before Your Next Vacation
VACATION SAFETY TIPS TO HELP PREVENT HOME BURGLARY
According to the FBI, a home is burglarized every 15 seconds in the United States – resulting in an average valued loss of $2,188.Follow these vacation safety tips to keep your home and family secure while you’re away – and you can even use some of these tips when you’re home.
DETERRING BURGLARS ALL YEAR LONG
To secure your home all year long, install the following:
- Home security system
- Strong exterior doors made of solid wood or steel
- Deadbolt locks
- Motion-activated sensors on outdoor floodlights
- Block windows or locked window well covers for the basement
- Locks for your pet doors
For more tips on deterring break-ins year-round, check out the home burglary prevention page.
VACATION SAFETY TIPS FOR WHEN YOU’RE ABOUT TO TRAVEL
- Resist the urge to mention your trip on social media or in public. You can always post the pictures (and re-live the vacation) once you’re back home.
- Make an inventory of your valuables, including serial numbers and photos.
- Stop the newspaper and mail, or ask a trusted neighbor to pick them up.
- Park your car inside the garage – and ask a neighbor to park in your driveway occasionally.
- Put at least one light on a timer.
- Arrange for your lawn to stay trimmed.
AND JUST IN CASE SOMEONE DOES BREAK-IN
Even if the best vacation safety precautions fail to keep burglars out of your house, you don’t have to make it easy for them if they get in. Some ways to make their “job” harder and protect yourself:
- Don’t keep expensive jewelry on your bedroom dresser.
- Don’t store your expensive flatware in the dining room hutch or china cabinet.
- Keep important documents, financial information & small valuables in a fireproof safe, discreetly hidden in your house.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT HOME INSURANCE POLICY
No matter the precautions taken to prevent theft, sometimes the unexpected still happens. In the event thieves break into your house, steal your personal items or damage your home, home insurance may be able to help you.
Thank you Nationwide for this informative article!
Sources:
www.nationwide.com/home-burglary.jsp
Staying Healthy In Every Season
When the seasons change and temperatures shift, you may be more likely to encounter certain viruses, including the flu and the common cold. And if you have seasonal allergies, pollen and mold from plants can aggravate your immune system.
The good news is there are steps you can take to stay well, so you can welcome the new season instead of sniffling through it.
TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF.
The start of a new season can bring about schedule changes that might leave you overwhelmed — and more susceptible to sickness. Shuffling kids to spring sports practice or attending lots of seasonal events can leave you with less time to relax, exercise or eat right. The added stress can also slash your body’s production of infection-fighting white blood cells, putting you at greater risk for catching something.
That’s why it’s worth finding ways to unwind every day, like meditating or reading quietly before bed. Even a few minutes can make you feel more relaxed.
ADD MORE MOVEMENT TO YOUR DAY.
Being active helps flush illness-causing bacteria out of the airways and strengthens infection-fighting white blood cells. Plus, it can help keep stress in check.
The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of brisk exercise per week, along with resistance training twice a week. It can be difficult to fit regular exercise into an already busy day, so look for ways to be active in shorter bursts — plan a power walk after lunch, or have an impromptu dance party with your kids after dinner.
Also, if you usually work out outdoors, think about hitting the gym or taking indoor classes during seasonal shifts. Higher pollen levels or mold from leaves on the ground can trigger an allergic response and cause congestion.
FIGHT YOUR EXPOSURE TO GERMS.
Even if you wash your hands regularly, there’s no guarantee others are doing the same. Wipe down surfaces at home and at work with a disinfectant, paying special attention to germ-prone areas like doorknobs, phones, keyboards and remotes.
And if a bug is going around, see if you can take advantage of any work-from-home or flexible work policies to avoid being in contact with others who may be sick around the office or on public transportation.
FILL UP ON PROTECTIVE FOODS.
Eating more of these power picks can help you feel your best.
- Brightly colored fruits and vegetables. They serve up vitamins C, A, and folate, which all help fortify your immune system. Try to buy local produce when possible, since foods picked and consumed when they are fresh tend to pack more nutrients.
- Fatty fish and eggs. Both are rich in vitamin D, which activates the immune system when germs invade.
- Nuts and seeds. Snack on them for a healthy dose of vitamin E, an antioxidant that also works to keep infections at bay.
- Plain yogurt. The good bacteria in foods like yogurt can boost your gut health.
MAKE A SERIOUS EFFORT TO SLEEP BETTER.
Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night. Even falling short for a few days lowers your defenses against germs and makes you more susceptible to getting sick. If you have trouble sticking to a bedtime, set an alarm on your phone to remind you it’s time to start winding down for the evening.
Try to keep a consistent sleep routine even if the seasonal shift changes your schedule. When things get hectic, streamline other tasks so you can still get to bed on time. Prep healthy meals on the weekend or hire a cleaning service, so you don’t have to tackle cooking or chores on weeknights.
Looking for ways to improve your sleep habits? Find helpful tips for better sleep here.
With a little more focus on self-care, you can stay a step ahead of illness-causing germs and be healthy year-round.
Thank you MetLife for the great information in this article!