Health Planet

I came across this article the other day on Business Insider about the best jobs for work-life balance, and, lo and behold, SEO specialist is on the second of the list. I cannot agree more with what I’m seeing. A day in the life of a SEO specialist can be quite hectic – not only do we manage Google and Yahoo SEO work, sometimes we dabble in paid search as well. While I know that some Hong Kong SEO companies can be quite cut-throat, most of them are quite laid-back compared to other industries. To be honest, in a place like Hong Kong, a job with no overtime work is a blessing already. I’m fortunate enough to work in a company that very much values work-life balance. However, most employees in the city just want to suck the life out of you and leave you very little room to live. Let me tell you why work-life balance should deserve more attention from companies.

First, excessive workload and stress ultimately cause inefficiency. When you are constantly under pressure, you are more prone to make mistakes at work and your productivity naturally declines. Imaging sitting in front of your computer for nine hours straight with one hour of lunch break only – it can really drive one insane. If you are working overtime every single day and are always going home late and tired, don’t be surprised you find yourself constantly making mistakes in a day.

Second, work-life imbalance can lead to a negative working environment. If your employees go to work every day looking dreadful and exhausted, it can be detrimental to the spirit of your team. Creating a positive office environment is extremely important in boosting office morale and ultimately the efficiency of your employees. When you are happy, you work better and faster – that is just a simple fact of life.

Last but not least, we simply deserve a life outside of work. We have our friends and family we want to spend time with besides our co-workers and bosses. Sitting in front of your desk and pretending to work is simply the biggest time-waster ever. Coming from someone who has been there, I can tell you there is nothing worse than that, not even ten reports due on the same day with client chasing you through the phone and email constantly. After all, we are all human and we are very much entitled to a life outside of work.

I have seen too many friends getting suffocated under this horrible working culture in the city. If employers could be a bit more understanding and lenient, perhaps it could help ease up the pressure at work and create a much more pleasant, positive working environment, which benefits your company at the end of the day.

Bed bugs could be your worst enemy if you don’t treat them seriously. Although they do not pose any immediate health threats, they can potentially result in severe allergic reactions. Let me break down the reasons why they appear and ways to prevent them here.

Bed bugs do not just appear out of nowhere, the most common way of getting an infestation is through used beds and furniture. It is very hard for you to determine what causes bed bugs to appear at the first place because sometimes travellers unknowingly bring them back to their home from hotels. Bug beds like to hide in the cracks under the mattress and bed frames. Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs do not thrive on dirty environments; instead, as long as they have plenty of room to hide in a warm place, they will continue to survive and flourish. Bed bugs travel and spread fast – once your home gets infested, you are in for some serious trouble.

If you have signs of constant itching at night and even blood on your bed sheet, chances are you have a bed bug problem. Bed bugs are the most active during night time and feed on human and animals blood to survive. They can severely get in the way of your sleep, causing you to feel exhausted and restless all the time. Studies have shown that these little creatures cannot carry diseases, but continuous itching and sleeplessness are already irritating enough. In some cases, serious itching can also cause allergic reaction, which has to be treated right away to prevent a skin infection.

So how should you treat them if you happen to have such a problem at home? First, conduct a thorough search under your bed and furniture such as couches and closets. Clear out all the items and check the hidden cracks and areas to ensure a careful inspection. If you do discover a problem, the best solution is to hire professional help from a pest control company. Common treatment methods used in bed bug control include vacuuming and biocides. Doing it yourself is possible, but if the examination is not through enough, the problem could still persist. Besides, incorrect use of chemicals could be harmful to you and your family. Therefore, professional help is strongly recommended in the case of any pest situation.

If you encounter the above problem in the future, do not hesitate to contact professional companies. Their effort can really save you the time and cost. What you can do at least to prevent the problem from breaking out again is examining your furniture and mattresses regularly, and make sure that everything you bring back from travels are disinfected and cleaned. That way, you can effectively reduce the chances of getting an infestation.