Hosting a drug intervention can be intimidating if you don’t know how to plan events accordingly. It takes a lot of moving parts to convince a drug addict to quit their substance abuse and actually face reality for their behavior. In a perfect world, a drug intervention would work out great and the addict would immediately sign up for the nearest treatment program because they are overwhelmed with remorse. Unfortunately, this is not the case because addicts do not think rationally about their substance abuse and chase their own personal desires instead. This can be incredibly frustrating for a family or friend who just wants to see their fellow addict look healthier and happier overall. It’s been too long to not continue watching them suffer and destroy their relationships, careers, and future overall.

In order to host a successful intervention, knowing everything you can about talking to an addict, pointing them to treatments, and speaking with compassion is important. You need to understand why they often fail in the first place so you don’t make the same mistakes yourself. But fear not, we’ll break down why these mistakes happen and the great things you can do to speak with confidence and influence.

• The first culprit of a failed drug intervention is not planning enough in advance before the right time comes. Interventions should always be conducted in a group environment with a team of people that really care about the person struggling with a drug. This means that anyone who is an acquaintance, distant coworker, or random relative should not be invited to take part.  Before the intervention actually occurs, the group should then plan out each piece of the event so they are on the same page. This includes outlining exactly what each person will want to tell the addict, a number of reasons of why the drug is affecting their life, and what consequences their addiction has had on other people’s wellbeing.

• After your feelings of concern are planned out, be sure to read over them before talking to the addict so you sound concise yet empathetic with your communication. From there, find a successful treatment center that is hopefully close to your local residence that will admit the addict as soon as the intervention is completed. In order to ensure a successful intervention is taking place, the addict should have an appointment immediately scheduled so they can begin the treatment process after he or she finally agrees to get some help. Look at different detox centers, counselors, or even call national hotlines to get a variety of opinions on what will help the addict. Be sure to consider what the addict enjoys and hates as far as an environment goes so they aren’t uncomfortable in the beginning. For example, if the addict hates hospitals or isolation, don’t book them a private room in a long term rehab suite with regular drop ins from a therapist. However, if the addict loves talking to people and likes being in social situations, booking them a seat in a nearby drug peer support group may be the answer to provide enough accountability without making them hate their life.
• Get a professional interventionist to lead the preparation for and execute the actual drug intervention so no mistakes are made. The normal person isn’t trained for years on how to schedule and deliver successful drug interventions, so it’s okay if you have many questions and feel like you have no idea what to do. Since some people with drug problems also have other problems that make them unstable or potentially dangerous, having a trained professional in the vicinity can ensure that the drug intervention runs smoothly and no one gets hurt. Take a look at what experts are in your area so you can get in contact with them well beforehand. Often, they will provide a complimentary consultation to talk about your situation so you both can decide if partnering up will be a good fit.
• Don’t focus too much on the drug addict and their problem. No addict will want to feel like a major liability to their peers even if they are remorseful for what damage they have caused. Instead, to ensure that they will take on a new treatment plan and listen to what you actually have to say, and focus on a specific solution that is tailored to their needs. Be wary of giving the person too many options of treatment because they will get lost in choosing. They may also become less motivated if they have to choose the steps for getting healthier themselves, so do them a favor and just sort through the details of booking appointments, flights to treatment centers, or calling local doctors yourself. It may take up more time on your part, but if you are already investing a lot of resources in scheduling a drug intervention you might as well dig a little deeper to make the event as fail proof as possible. This way, you won’t look back on the conversation with regret and wonder if you could have done something completely different.

Get Drug Addiction Support

These days, hosting a successful drug intervention is easy when you have access to hundreds of trained intervention professionals. By taking the time to work with their advice, you can together craft a strong dialogue, treatment recommendation, and statement of concern to the addict so they come out eager to gain help. We all want our loved ones to be happy and healthy, so learning about these options is crucial so that outcome happens. Learn more about why  are a step by step process and take a team of different personalities to deliver a diverse yet efficient effect on the addict!

Before we start discussing why some professionals turn to drugs to solve their problems, there are a lot of stereotypes about the types of people who abuse drugs. For a start, many people assume that people who abuse drugs are lazy, weak and morally flawed. They believe that the list of drug abusers would never include people in high up places, whether they work in business, politics or any other part of a stable American society.

The usual culprits that abuse drugs are thought to be the drop outs, losers and people who don’t have anything going for them. I am here to shed some light on the reality of drug abuse: the truth is, all different kinds of people abuse drugs, no matter their age, income level, social status, race or personality. There is not one class of people that are more susceptible than others, as many people with working jobs are just as stressed as those looking for their next dollar. Every person’s situation is different and, therefore, who are we to judge only what we see on the surface level?

Drug abuse is a serious problem in the United States for millions and millions of people, and many of these people are working professionals. Their jobs cause them to be stressed on a daily basis, giving them a reason to look for a way out emotionally from the pressures of their everyday life.  Although these people with high paying stable jobs may appear to have everything under control, they actually might have a higher potential to abuse drugs than everyone else. The pressures and demands of a career-driven life can lead people to make very bad decisions in deed.

Why do working professionals abuse drugs?

Some of the reasons many working professionals turn to drug abuse relates to their desire to self-medicate. To show how deeply rooted these issues are, we will take a look at some facts that were found in a report reflecting some doctor’s behavior across the United States.

As doctors, you would expect them to be the smartest when it came to drugs and what not to do. However, the toll they pay to do their job is so great that even these people sometimes turn to illegal drug abuse to get by. There was an interesting report found by Naueru that doctors may illegally self-prescribe drugs to cope with the stresses of their everyday life. Being a doctor is a very serious and tough job. Witnessing death every day, having lives rely on you, and having so many what-if scenarios play on your mind daily would never be an easy thing to handle, no matter how mentally strong you may be. Therefore, it was found that a few doctors use prescription medication illegally to self-treat the following problems:

• Emotional pain and psychological conditions: these were two of the most widely-reported reasons that doctors self-prescribed. In an attempt to help their own mental health condition, the doctors prescribed themselves drugs to try and treat their anxiety and depression.

• Physical pain: a large portion of the doctors in the study started using drugs illegally to try and numb pain. Directly after being prescribed medications for chronic pain, the study found that doctors had a tendency to prescribe other medication they were not supposed to be on to subdue this pain.

• Stress: this is one of the most obvious reasons doctors would begin to abuse drugs. Most doctors experience a high level of stress in their professions, and some of them find it difficult to manage it without the help of drugs.

• Drug withdrawal: this is the final step in the relative process of an addiction. Once they are hooked, there is no going back and will have to keep prescribing drugs to get through the withdrawals they have every so often. Since the withdrawal symptoms of some drugs can range from extremely uncomfortable to life-threatening, many doctors in the study admitted to treating these withdrawal symptoms with illegally obtained prescription medications.

This shows you just how susceptible some of the most knowledgable people in the drug field are to their own drugs. Remember that even working professionals become addicted. If doctors are turning to these medications for help while knowing the dire consequences, imagine the chances of another type of professional with half the knowledge of a doctor who turn to drug abuse. Doctors see the dangers of these drugs every day and still decide to take them, this gives people outside this profession that are still in a high stress situation much less of a chance in saying no to drugs.

I hope this post showed you some of the main reasons why people turn to drugs, and how we should never judge a book by its cover. Just because someone is in a highly respected position from years of work, doesn’t mean they will always be in their most stable mind at that stage in time

There are a few signs that someone has an opioid addiction. It is important for family members to recognize some of these signs so that they can step in before their loved one’s addiction gets worse. On top of this, it is helpful to know what symptoms someone would display if they have been abusing opioids. This way you can tell if an addiction is starting and can help before it is too late.

Fighting an opioid addiction is one of the toughest uphill battles someone can go through. The withdrawal symptoms can be arduous and a lengthy process to overcome. However, with the right direction and support, it is very possible to get someone back on the right track in life in a short amount of time.

What are opioids used for?

Before we start to discuss some of the signs and symptoms, I first want to talk about what an opioid is and what its primary use is. Opioids are a class of drugs that can include the illegal drug heroin, along with synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and pain relievers that are available legally by prescription. Even though many people feel safe trusting their doctors, they do not understand the danger they are putting themselves in when they start on a course of opioid treatment. These drugs are very addictive and can be very hard to stop taking when you start. Many athletes can become hooked on these drugs; they take them to numb the pain so they can play their next game, and before they know it, they are addicted to those drugs regardless of if they have pain or not. This is why opioids can be so dangerous to the public and knowing the signs and symptoms that someone can convey while taking these drugs is important.

Signs and symptoms of opioid use

There are a few signs someone can display when they are suffering from an opioid addiction. Firstly, it is important to note if the person in question has been prescribed opioids in the recent past. If this is the case, it is imperative to keep an eye out for signs that they are still using the drug after their prescribed period is over.

One first sign to look out for is a rise in the levels of their anxiety on a daily basis. Do they seem more on edge than usual? If this is the case, the answer may be that they are still using medication that they shouldn’t be. This sign is part of the withdrawal process. Their addicted body is feeling uncomfortable as they have not had the dose it wants in a while. Therefore, their anxiety becomes higher than normal as they stress about when they can take their next dose.

Another tell-tale sign that someone is abusing opioids is that they become more secretive in nature about their habits. Typical eating and sleeping habits can be thrown off by taking these drugs, so that you could find that your family member is sneaking around your house at 3am as they cannot sleep right. This is definitely an irregularity in a normal pattern that you want to look out for, as it can be the start of finding help for the drug abuser.

Some of the symptoms that stem from using opioids start with a change in personality. Some people may become very aggressive at times and very subdued at other times. Sudden mood swings are normal for someone being controlled by a drug addiction in their life. They feel like they need the drug to function; therefore, they have massive mood swings depending on when the last dose came and when the next dose is coming. Along with this, the drugs can have an effect on the mind and body making people act and behave a certain way that they are not used to at all.

The dangers of opioids

As with all drugs, many dangers come with an addiction, the first being that of a deadly overdose. All it takes is for one batch to be wrong or someone to accidentally take too many pills in one time and it could be a life ending disaster. This is a leading cause of death in the drug world and is a major reason why people should tread lightly before taking drugs of any kind. Another reason is the way the drugs make people feel and what they make them do. It can be a slow death of the mind which can then lead the body to slowly shutting down. Dying from drug abuse is one of the worst ways to die and something no one should have to suffer through. This is why it is so important for people to help their friends and family whenever they can. Stay alert for the major signs and symptoms of drug abuse so you can know when to step in if needed.

Today, it seems like we’re told all over the media to protect our mental health. Take care of your body, eat your veggies, get enough sleep, and seek a counselor are all tips that are almost on repeat every day. As helpful as the intent is to spread this healthy message, I honestly feel that the media is pushing the topic of mental health so much to the point that it is becoming oversaturated. It’s in the news, the topic of many new Netflix shows, sang about in mainstream rap music, and depicted in several popular commercials as well. I’m not complaining, as the people who truly need help with improving their mental health and anxiety disorders need to feel encouraged.

However, to create a truly positive impact, what we need are specific recommendations for treatment, awareness, and prevention that don’t appear to box mental health problems as some sort of untouchable disease. Mental health shouldn’t be glamorized as some spiritual journey that brings life events that would make an entertaining TV show. It should be talked about in a relatable manner so the people who actually feel the shame and embarrassment that different types of anxiety brings can feel boosted to take action.

One area of anxiety disorders that is less talked about is the symptoms that victims go through. Since mental disorders are fairly invisible, to a stranger’s eye a person may look normal and completely healthy. Yet, on the inside, they could feel absolutely crushed and frantically searching for a viable answer to their physical and mental struggles. Knowing the warning signs of an oncoming anxiety attack, how to manage them is incredibly important so you can hopefully help yourself or someone you know in the future. Being educated about mental health is always a good thing and there’s never a time you don’t have to keep learning. Let’s dive in to some of the key red flags of anxiety disorders.

• If you have an anxiety attack, it can be triggered from anything that causes internal stress to the body. It could be from thinking about a negative memory, person, place, exercise that is too intense, dehydration, and sometimes nothing at all. A person could start sweating much more than usual, begin trembling from out of nowhere, have shortness of breath, and an extremely quick heart beat. They may start talking faster, or suddenly fall silent and freeze up depending on their personality. If someone around you appears to experience this, don’t be alarmed or bombard them with questions as it can likely lead to even more stress.
• Anxiety attacks can last anywhere from about ten minutes to a couple hours depending on the person. It leads to fatigue and emotional draining after the attack is over. You may feel like you’re going to lose your mind, faint and fall over, or even die. However, rest assured that there’s no way this will happen unless you happen to do something that truly puts you in harm’s way during the attack.
• You can cope with anxiety symptoms. If you start to feel some of the signs coming on, take a moment to stand up and stretch your body so you can tame a potential attack. Remember that you are in control, and your mind is a powerful tool to overcome what signals you are experiencing in the rest of your body. Focus on your breathing and inhale as deeply as possible so you can feel more relaxed. Another great tip from people with anxiety disorders to stay hydrated by drinking a glass of cold water. The icey temperature of the water can help reduce the rising body temperature that often comes with stress and anxiety. As you start to feel more at ease, make sure you type in your iPhone’s notes or write down the root of your anxiety attack. What were you doing at the time, where were you located, and what was running through your mind? These are all details that can point you to why you may feel anxiety symptoms from nowhere.
• Diagnosis is doable. In the past, it might have taken several months or years for someone to get a proper diagnosis on their anxiety disorders. Mental health now is set as a priority and you don’t have to be afraid to tell a doctor what you’re going through so frequently.  You won’t appear stupid, weak, or dependent for reaching out. Instead, asking for health is a sign of being wise and strong enough to take charge of your personal health. If you don’t, you can risk suffering from your anxiety symptoms alone and in silence. You could start distancing yourself from friends, social events, and fall into a spiral of destructive thinking patterns of not being able to improve. My hope is that with enough education, people can feel empowered enough to discuss their anxiety symptoms with an expert who specializes in dealing with anxiety disorders. Remember, it’s never too late!

Face the Facts

You’re an amazing, powerful, and enduring human being who has the potential to grow every day. If you are struggling with anxiety symptoms or know someone who does, it’s time to face the reality of the effect it causes on your body. Gain as much information as you can on the symptoms you are dealing with and take an online anxiety quiz as well to get a better idea of your mental health. You hold the capability to sink deep into anxiety disorders, so there’s no reason you can’t pull yourself out of one and come out stronger than ever before.

A drug addict can look like a man clutching a vaporizer on the side of the road, the kid sitting on the back of the bus covering his habits, or a dressed up girl who keeps her drugs in her purse wherever she goes. No matter what your age is, gender, or background, anyone can become addicted to using drugs for the mental benefits it provides. Teenagers and adults who are going through stressful environments are even more prone to abusing drugs and take on symptoms of an addict after using intense substance long enough. They may keep these symptoms a secret, or it could unfold into a chain of disastrous events. One thing that rings true about drug addictions is that the negative consequences it creates are never pretty. The addict can feel and behave like a total wreck, run through their entire bank account, and ruin important relationships that took years and energy to develop.

In order to prevent an addict from going too far, acknowledging their signs of addiction and other important symptoms of drug abuse is highly important. You need to know about what environmental factors could trigger them as well, especially if they’re a close family or friend. If you simply just want to know more about addiction itself, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s break down the top signs of addiction and how they can be better understood.

Signs of Addiction

• The addict takes more of a drug over time. Biologically we develop a tolerance level to foreign substances that enter our body so we don’t react in an extreme way. The same goes for chemicals we often don’t think about that are found in things like coffee, candy, desserts, or fruit. With repeated use of a drug like cocaine, marijuana, or adderall, an addict begins to go through long term changes. Overall, their body develops a strong desire for a high more frequently and achieves it by increasing the dose with each consumption. With several instances of exposure to a certain drug, an addict’s body can be placed into an extremely dangerous situation and can easily lead to an overdose.
• The addict starts to look different. They won’t be growing blue hair or six inches taller, but you will definitely see a change in their character, daily habits, and physical appearance overall. They may be walking around with eyes that look glazed or bloodshot from the drug, dilated pupils, a lighter or much heavier weight than usual, and bruises that seem to come out of nowhere. Other symptoms of drug use include sleeping less or much more than normal, behaving more irritable towards others who question their whereabouts, and being oddly defense to the most innocent of questions.
• The addict starts falling short of life. They can’t keep up with the normal responsibilities they had to manage before, whether it’s from a job or school. The same goes for maintain important relationships, as seeking out a drug is now their priority over human connection. With continuous isolation and a vicious cycle of dependence, signs of addiction often include depression and episodes of anger. It’s no surprise that within thousands of homes, many cases of violence often overlap with a mom, dad, sibling, or spouse who is abusing drugs and can’t manage their high.
• The addict is slowly going broke. Another key feature of drug addiction signs includes a swindling bank account. Financing drugs on a regular basis is not for someone who can barely make it on a minimum wage job. If a person normally doesn’t spend much money, you’ll have to question if they’re making amends with their dealers or whatever resource they’re receiving their drugs from. As uncomfortable as the conversation may be, asking the addict to open up about their relationship with drugs could be first step in the right direction. If they seem reluctant to talk, invest in their long term health by booking an appointment with a rehab counselor yourself so they aren’t bothered with the mundane details. The addict then won’t have an excuse to not confront their signs of addiction with drugs either.
• The addict has their head in the clouds. No matter what they are trying to focus on, they may have trouble with focusing on anything else but the drug they are addicted to. It could be about how to get more of the drug, how to cover up their tracks, or how to get a better high the next time around. You will notice that an addict will look unfocused and out of touch with what is going on around them. Asking them a simple question could cause them to look extremely startled or confused.
• The addict avoids treatment to deal with their signs of addiction. The addict needs to know about what their options are for getting help so their health doesn’t completely fall down the drain. Seeking a local rehab counselor, attending an in person or online Alcohol Anonymous group, or visiting a
  holistic health center are all great ways to deal with even the most intense of drug addictions. If you’ve been meaning to talk to an addict in your life, make sure you can bring along a team of family and friends who genuinely care to see them get through the substance abuse. Together, you can recommend treatment methods with the addict and explain why all of you have noticed such a negative change in his or her life.

Assess Your Situation

Even if you or someone you know is taking a drug, understanding where the line falls between occasional use to a full on addiction is important. Take an online addiction quiz to get a better sense of your thought process for using the drug and why you may be so dependent on it. While it seems like a waste of time, the insight you gain on your inner workings is only beneficial for long term growth. We all want to know more about ourselves to make better decisions for the future, so don’t hesitate!

A smart home can be controlled from one central place instead of having to move from place to place to get things done. One computer tablet you can carry with you can control a variety of things such as lighting, climate, entertainment systems and appliances. This makes for a very simplistic home environment when all of your devices and appliance can be controlled from a central hub. If you want your bedroom warmer before you get there, just notch it up on the tablet before you head upstairs and it will be nice and cozy for you when you roll into bed. Want your garage to be open before you get to the car to leave? Just hit a button to get the door open and you can glide right on out to work on time every day. These small things make for much easier living for the entire family.

Do you need a certain home for a smart home to work?

The answer to this question is: certainly not! You can have any type of home and it can be set up to be compatible with whatever smart home options you would like. Old, new, big, small, modern, there is no requirement for the type of home that you need to live in for you to be able to make it a smart home. These features can be easily installed by professionals and you just have to wait a few days for the magic to happen. When deciding on how you want to set up your smart home you can choose to add as many or little features as you want. You could have it just control the lighting and heating if you wanted to keep it simple, or control almost everything and anything around your house if you wanted to.

Safety and children

Having a smart home is super child friendly and this shouldn’t be something to deter you. There is a way to put a passcode lock on the central device so that no unauthorized person can change anything around the house without the owner’s permission. Families with young children may not want to do it as they think their children may mistake it for a game and start to press random button, especially younger children who just play with anything. However, with the passcode feature, this should not be a worry as they would not be able to change anything on it.

A few home automation options

There are a few choices you have for smart home tech ideas. One of these ideas is for your bathrooms. Imagine that before you even walk into to your bathroom, the floors start warming up. In a cold house, this would be perfect to ensure you don’t have to be cold getting out of the shower. Imagine that the lights turn on in your bathroom before you’re in there, or the same for any room in your house. Installing a smart shower in your house can save a lot of water for you. A smart toilet can flush the exact right amount of water needed every time.

Imagine that you automated your kitchens so that you can push a single button and turn all the lights on. Or you automate a program that could turn the TV on for you when you’re cooking so you can see your favorite cooking show and it will adjust the volume perfectly for you.

Or how about installing automatic blackout shades in your living room, that automatically go down when needed to reduce glare? On top of this adding, consider a motorized projector that descends from the ceiling and a screen that rolls down the wall — this is all part of what you could experience in your living area.
Finally, outside can also have automated features linked to the security of your home. This should be an  

especially important consideration for any family. Automation can do everything from control your

home’s security cameras and link them to your phone to announce when the pool gate is open or

automatically turn sprinklers off when rain is coming. You can be alerted if any suspicious activity is

happening in your house if you are out with your wife and you are worried about your child. These are all

great reasons to start to act on installing a smart home today!

What is the cost of a smart home?

A quick note on cost, the average US family spends about 500 to 2500 dollars on smart home installation.

This is a small price to pay for the great benefits that automating can bring you and your family!

Process addiction is when someone begins to repeat certain behavioral habits that they cannot get out of and this becomes a vicious cycle. This is typically used to describe situations in which the addiction is detrimental to the person’s health or overall well-being in life. These habits could be a shopping addiction, gambling addiction, smartphone addiction, etc. These addictions can sometimes be tough to pin point, because if Jeff Bezos (the creator and owner of Amazon) goes on a shopping spree with his 120 billion dollars, it has a much lesser impact than if one of your friends goes on a spree with a credit card and puts themselves in debt for it. When does a hobby cross from fun activity to a dangerous and debilitating addiction? Is going to the casino twice a week regimentally an addiction or is it when they go four times a week and lose every time? This is why process addiction can be one of the tougher addictions to tackle as there can sometimes be a very fine line. However, with any addiction, it is always best to err on the side of caution and make sure the person you love or care about is not becoming a cog in the vicious cycle of process addiction.

Who is most susceptible to process addiction?

There are a few types of people who are a lot more susceptible to these types of addictions than others. Typically someone with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) would be much more likely to become obsessed with a certain activity and get sucked into repetitive behavioral habits than others. However, process addiction can happen to anyone and it is imperative that friends and family members understand what it is and the best way to handle it.

Why is important to understand process addiction?

I believe process addiction is one of the most discrete types of addictions there can be. This means that it is not easy to spot or uncover and therefore is more important that someone can notice it to be able to put a stop to it. Something like alcohol or drug addiction is easy to notice: being drunk every night, or high way too
often, are very obvious signs someone has a substance abuse problem. But when someone has a shopping addiction, this is much tougher to point out and then handle. What constitutes a shopping addiction? What level of shopping is ok that it doesn’t constitute an addiction and is just leisurely shopping once in a while? What type of buying is a necessity rather than an addictive type of buying? These are all the tough questions people have to face when dealing with discrete process addictions and not other more obvious additions like alcohol addiction.When someone has an addiction, it can be described as having repetitive behavioral habits that are created when the sense of the reward or excitement leaves and then not having enough self-control to stop the urge to do it again. A person getting into credit card debt or gaining weight, or someone that has a chance of drug overdose, are all practicing habits that are terrible for them. If someone was addicted to work and making money for his family, I can’t say that is a terrible attribute. I think becoming obsessed with an idea is how great people become so successful. But if that is channeled in the wrong manner, it can be a very dangerous character trait to have.  

What to do about process addiction

If you find out someone you know is suffering from process addiction, then it’s best to take action and speak out about it. Leaving the situation unhandled for too long may only make it worse and the person could have reached a point where it is really tough to get back to a normal way of life. Once confronting them, it’s best to start to seek steps to handle their process addiction and tackle their behavioral habits that they are suffering from. It varies from case to case as each addiction is unique so it’s hard to have one single answer for all the types of process addiction there could be. Definitely make sure to monitor them when you can and try to give them other more beneficial tasks to focus on. From here, the addiction will hopefully slow if they are forced to change in the beginning. Never be afraid to seek help if the problem gets way out of hand also. Addiction is dangerous and should not be taken lightly!

Are you obsessed with all the blockbusters? Having a properly planned and well-built home theater will give you endless hours of entertainment with your family and friends in the comfort of your own home. It also saves you hundreds of dollars otherwise spent on sky high prices at the movie theaters in town. Think about it, how many times can you anticipate spending more than one hundred dollars at the movies with all your kids attending? Even if you just enjoy watching all the latest movies, having a theater is a great investment and improves the quality of your home’s value. Moreover, installing quality audio system is key to getting the best media experience possible. These days, wireless surround sound systems are all the rage as they don’t require being plugged into an outlet and can be moved around anywhere as long as it’s connected to Bluetooth. Having your home theater integrated with great speakers for a sound system enhances your engagement with whatever movie you’re watching.

No matter what, there’s so many variables to also consider, both technical and financial when you’re building a home theater. For example, it’s estimated that investing in a quality home theater can cost you anywhere from $1,000 to $25,000 alone. Let’s break down some key things to remember as you setup your own home theater system.

1. Have a great projector. Big-screen TVs can take up a lot of space, as you can’t take them outside, around your home, and they don’t deliver the full cinema experience you’re looking for. Having a LED project is great as it lasts over twice as long as a standard projector and will bring you that high quality audio experience without breaking the bank. You can now even spend less than $1,500 on a great LED projector that will give you at least one hundred diagonal inches or more of eye-popping visuals. On the other hand, buying a modern 88-inch OLED TV will set you back a great amount of cash. And while TVs can offer benefits and special features that projectors can’t, like Internet apps, the decreased flexibility can cost you in the long run.
2. Surround yourself with sound. Quality audio systems are the key to watching a great movie with ease. Although there is a large variety of portable and compact wireless powered Bluetooth and Wifi speakers designed for personal music listening, more home theater designers than ever are turning to using wireless surround sound speakers designed specifically for watching movies. Running long and ugly speaker wires that are required to connect speakers for a surround sound can easily make your theater less comfy than it’s supposed to be. Today, people are more attracted to home theater system options that promote wireless speakers as a way to solve that problem. Make sure to do your homework about what inputs are required for each brand’s model, as it doesn’t always run consistent across the market.
3. Remote control your functions, but not with the hold handheld device you remember from home as a kid. Nothing can ruin your home theater or quality audio system quicker than a cumbersome remote control. Many of today’s theater components, even the high-end ones, come with extremely basic controllers that don’t provide an integrated user experience. That’s why you want to invest in a handy universal remote or an advanced control system to control all your devices. Today, a majority of control platforms aren’t limited to the gear in your home theater either, as DIY systems like Logitech’s Harmony platform allow you to manage even applications throughout the rest of your house. Ranging from multi-room music to lighting around the house, you’d be surprised what your options are with a universal control system.
4. Create your theater vibe. Having extremely comfy recliners, decently soundproof walls, easily adjustable lighting and even a snack or concession stand are among the most important features that give your room a true theater feel. Hopefully, any type of outside sound shouldn’t be able to enter the theater room easily or escape from inside. This means that you should look into building a home theater that has R30 insulation for the walls, floor and ceiling which serves as a barrier to sound waves. Home theater lighting also often includes recessed lighting in the ceiling or low-profile fixtures along the side walls that can be controlled by a remote. If you’d like to feature stadium style seating instead, you’ll also need floor lighting so your family can easily walk around the space when the lights are dim. As for furniture, you can generally choose from a variety of armchair seating, sofas, and other items that fit every budget.

Take a seat

When it’s planned carefully, home theaters can really pay off.  A custom entertainment space can exceptionally add to your home’s resale value as well as its positive experience. You’ll have a prime gathering space for family members and guests alike for years to come, so don’t be hesitant to take your time to implement the right technology, lighting, furniture, and control systems.

It’s a tough fact to face in this day and age that we are very reliant on that small device we almost carry everywhere with us: our mobile phones. It’s crazy to think that such a small thing can be such a large part of our everyday lives. It is our main communication point with the rest of the world; however, can we all really attest to only using it for communication purposes? I mean, if we did, why wouldn’t we all just still use flip phones if that was the only reason for having one?

Many of us can spend hours on it mindlessly surfing the Internet, or browsing Facebook or Instagram for useless purposes. So is there a chance that we are really addicted to our smart phone? After all, companies like Apple, Facebook and Microsoft spend millions a year in an attempt to keep us glued to our screen for as long as possible. Cleary their efforts are working, with the average person spending at least 20 hours a week on their phone. These statistics get worse the younger the adult is, as they grew up surrounded by these technologies. It is just second nature to them and has become an integral part of their life. There are so many functions packed inside such a small device to keep a kid entertained for hours. Whether they are messaging their fun group chat with friends, staring at their crush’s Instagram pictures or watching the latest episodes of Black Mirror on Netflix, it is all packed into that little device.

How to tackle the smartphone addiction

Many of us are victims of the smartphone market and currently own one, probably spending more time than necessary on it per week if you had to admit it. But, as I said, there are a lot of smart people who are dedicating themselves to make this phone as addictive as a drug. So is this addiction really our fault when this small device is becoming as addictive as some of the world’s most addictive substances, like heroin addiction? Although the symptoms of withdrawals from a lack of phone usage are probably not comparable to, say, opioid withdrawal symptoms, it can still
damage us psychologically. Studies have shown that we check our phones 47 times a day, and this equates to opening it up every 19 minutes of our waking lives. We are becoming a slave to the system all because of psychological tricks some of the world’s smartest people are using on us.

Take, for example, Snapchat’s streak feature. When two people send and receive Snaps with each other for days on end, both receive emoji flames next to their names, alongside a number, which ticks up every 24 hours, indicating how long the two have maintained their connection. If either misses a day, both lose their flame. That interface, while playful, capitalizes on what psychologists call the endowed progress effect. Fearful of zeroing out their banked progress, teenagers have handed over their login information to friends before vacations simply so that someone can help them maintain their streak. These little tricks are what keeps us hooked on to our phones and the apps it possesses. So how can we break free of this?

When is enough enough

I think when you find yourself spending hours above what you need to be on your smartphone, you should question whether you need to make a change to your life and everyday routine. That time could be much better spent on other activities and used much more productively. If you are capable of wasting so much time every day, you probably aren’t putting enough work into becoming the best you that you can possibly be. I think starting off by limiting your phone use to less than 30 minutes a day above what you need (such as checking important messages being sent or received, phone calls you need to place, facts you need to search on the internet etc.) are all acceptable uses of the phone.

However, scrolling the Facebook and Instagram feed for an hour straight definitely isn’t a good use of your time. There are much better ways to spend this time, because it’s a precious thing and we only get so much time each day. Once you get used to limiting your time, start to cut it down each day. After a while, you will start to be more productive in bettering yourself and your life, which should always be our main goal.

The future is here, smart home devices are all the buzz to get updated with the latest gadgets. Around ten years ago, just the idea of controlling your home’s functions from the touch of a phone via seemed like pure science fiction. Today, apps and wireless smart home devices like Amazon’s Alexa can manage your interior temperature, turn down your lights, change your living room playlist, and even recommend the next purchase that would upgrade your crib to the next level. Who knows what will develop next as the biggest tech giants in the world are racing against the clock to create the best innovation in the market. Yet, with changes in how things operate also comes increased risk with user data and safety. Here’s a breakdown on the best smartphone devices that’s risen to the top of user choices within the past year. While they’re a bit on the pricey side, the benefits far outweigh the temporary cost as it provides a level of convenience you’ll love.  

1. Introducing the Momo Smart Security robot. This is no ordinary gimmick or fantasy smart home device idea from the age of Star Wars. This robot is fully equipped with having surprisingly accurate facial recognition, detailed sound detection, and quick motion sensors to ensure your home is safe and sound. If there’s any case that something odd or sudden catches its attention, it sends an automatic alert to your smartphone so you’re in the loop about what’s going on around your home. The smart home device also has an integrated AI program that can intuitively learn your personal living habits and adjust the way it operates to compliment it the best. There’s no surprise that it also can sync up to other devices in your home as well, allowing for easy access and set up if your home is already decked out with new technology.
2. Stovetop Smart Knobs are the new name in the game for a smart house. Forget the old days of accidentally leaving your stove on too long, risking the consequence of burning your entire kitchen done. No more will you have to worry about burning your food either or waiting too long for your steak to become well done. The smoke and gas detector that comes built into these futuristic looking smart knobs has a built-in motion sensor.  While it sounds unnecessary and like a waste of money, it’s great to have a device that’s tracking whether you’re actually using your stove or not at a given moment. Every time it senses too much smoke developing from your food or that you walked away from the stove for too long, it will automatically turn off the knobs.
3. Tired of your traditional Wifi system? The new Wi-fi and air monitoring smart house device is great to make sure your internal environment is safe to breathe in. This monitor that released not too long ago is pretty to the eye and makes for a beautiful addition to your decorations. It easily keeps track of the room temperature, changes in humidity, and even detects if there are dangerous levels of carbon monoxide that may be present in the room. By sending immediate notifications to your phone via your home’s Wi-Fi, you can stay alert on the change you will have to stay out of the area. If your phone isn’t near you at the moment, the device will still light up in variety of colors as an alarm of sudden changes in the room’s environment. If you’re a parent of small children or pets, this is a no brainer to integrate for a variety of home automation options at your fingertips.
4. If you need a new and improved remote control, the Knocki remote control device is a stunning choice. It truly is an innovation of its own, as it can transform any type of surface that it is placed on into a touchscreen interface to control you home. That’s it, one attachment and the ultimate smart home device is at your fingertips. Be it your floor, countertop, or dog’s stool, it can work with a variety of materials. From there, you can then direct different controls for your TV, controlling your home temperature for your smart house, and locating your lost home with different tapping patterns you assign on your own. Proceed with caution if you feel that you can no longer do anything more than making a few taps at a time.

Upgrade Your Home 

Having a smart house doesn’t have to be complicated thanks to the ease of use with these products. You can even make smart technology upgrades in small Minneapolis studio apartments or huge houses in New York City.  Even if one isn’t your cup of tea, there’s guaranteed an alternative that’s already on the market that will suit your personal needs best. Upgrading your control system can spark a breadth of home automation options to save you time, money, and headache in case situations go south when you’re not home. Smart home devices are also on the trajectory of improving with each month, as experts within the fields of computer science and software engineering are working hard on making critical improvements. Explore your options and see where the tech takes you!