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Deal with it

Why your furniture isn’t working properly, and what to do about it

It’s a problem every household around the world faces. Over time, the furniture in the house acquires a dull patina that no amount of cleaning and sprucing up can banish entirely. The upholstery becomes dull. Wood furniture loses its sheen and acquires scratches. Laminate comes loose in shutters, drawers neither open or shut efficiently. It is time to take stock of the ills that plague your furniture and decide the next course of action.

Why your furniture doesn’t work like it used to

It doesn’t do to merely be disappointed about how the furniture in your home is coming apart and/or refusing to operate like it should. It’s time to find out why, and what to do about it.

* It has outlived its shelf life.

Every piece of furniture has a certain shelf life. Some items of furniture last longer than others, such as cabinets and cupboards. But couches and bed sets, among others, will begin to sag and creak due to regular heavy use. Not every piece of furniture will last long, and you cannot expect it to.

* It needs new fittings.

The most common reason for furniture not operating smoothly is that its inner fittings have malfunctioned. This happens mostly with inferior fittings like unbranded brass hinges, ordinary drawer channels, metal rollers that rust over time, and so on. If the furniture in your kitchen is not backed by superior kitchen fittings, shutters and drawers will not operate properly and you must spend extra effort in opening and shutting them. They may even remain ajar and cause accidents and injuries.

* It is overloaded.

Apart from malfunctioning kitchen fittings, do check if you have stored more items in your drawers and cabinets than they can take. Drawers, especially, have a particular load bearing capacity based on the dimensions and material of their make. If loaded beyond this point – think of drawers sagging beneath the weight of heavy pots and pans – then the runner systems operating that drawer begin to misalign. The bottom of the drawer develops a sag and may interfere in the working of the drawers under it.

* It has become corroded due to undetected dampness, pests, etc.

Corrosion and spoilage due to leakage and moist walls is most commonly seen with wood and metal furniture. Water is a highly corrosive element that causes irreversible damage. The damage can go undetected for years if the damp walls are hidden by heavy wardrobes and kitchen cabinets. Rotting wood and rusting metal can impair the furniture’s operational abilities to a dramatic extent.

What to do about problematic furniture

The most obvious solution is to junk whatever furniture is beyond repair or restoration. Indeed, repairing it might cost you more money and time, as compared to buying new pieces entirely that might be of a better quality, thus promising a higher shelf life overall.

Old furniture also imparts an ancient air to your home – this is not ideal, unless it’s a look you are actively aiming for. If you are not, then it is best to do a complete overhaul with new modular items that are more in keeping with new trends and your personal design ethos.

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Wellness

Cosy season’s here – Here’s how you pick the right comforter

African American Man Sleeping Hugging Pillow Resting Lying With Eyes Closed In Comfortable Bed In Bedroom At Home. Rest And Napping, Recreation, Bedtime Concept. Panorama

Warm and cosy, they go around you like a hug on a cold night. We’re talking about comforters! Comforters are a much-needed bedding accessory this season, when the weather vacillates between cold and pleasant and it even rains on some nights. But most people feel suffocated and hot inside a comforter. This happens when it’s not the right one for the temperature, and even your skin.

This article has some useful tips for picking the perfect comforter, no matter the season.

* Buy only at the right time of the year.

Comforter prices rise during the monsoon and winter months due to high demand. If you want one at a reasonable price, buy it when people are not thinking of them at all – the summer season is the best time to do this. And yet, top brands know that many customers do this, so they offer year-round price reduction with discounts and attractive offers. Another good time to buy is during the festive season, when there are sales and discounts galore.

* Discard the one you have if…

Normally, the right time to discard your existing comforter is if it has become frayed or lumpy. An old comforter with unevenly distributed filling or tears and rips cannot do its job properly and it is best thrown away.

* Research the insides of the item.

The comforter filling makes or breaks the item: it often determines how warm or light it will be. Conventionally, comforters are filled with duck or geese down (small feathers are called ‘down’) to impart softness and flexibility. Down also offers good insulation. The environmentally-conscious user will be happy to choose a down comforter rather than a polymer fibre one (though the latter might be much cheaper). Some comforters feature wool filling, but these are often heavy and overheat quite fast, so you cannot use them all year round. When picking the comforter, check what kind of filling it has, whether down or cotton threads.

* Look for good fill power.

Most people ask for ‘thread counts’ when buying comforters, but this term is applicable only to bedsheets. Instead of thread counts, comforters have ‘fill power’. This term indicates the amount of space the filling occupies per square inch. The higher the fill power, the denser the filling and the warmer the comforter will be. It naturally follows that if you want to use the comforter in all seasons, you must pick one with a lower fill power whose filling allows more ventilation when in use. Choose one with a fill power lower than 600.

* Check the stitching.

Whether the comforter is stitched properly or not determines whether it will keep its filling in place instead of allowing it to migrate to other areas and form lumps. Good stitching also determines whether the item can be washed regularly without coming apart in the washing machine or dryer. The most common construction you will find is the ‘baffle box’ or ‘square’ – you’ve probably seen this on quilts. This stitching allows for an even spread for the filling and holds it in place to prevent lumping. Unlike the fill power for the insides, the stitching or ‘overcloth’ will have a thread count; look for 300 to 500 thread count if you want an all-weather comforter.

* Check if it’s easy to maintain.

Most brands indicate wash and care instructions for the item, and it helps to follow these closely if you don’t want to ruin the product with harsh cleaning products or dryer cycles. Some comforters can only be dry cleaned. Others can be washed at home using a low spin cycle on the washing machine. All comforters should be washed in cold water to prevent the covering from pilling over time. If you must put it in the dryer, make sure to use dryer balls to extract human hair and/or pet fluff.

(Featured image courtesy https://blog.sobelathome.com/what-is-a-healthy-sleep-position/)

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Wellness

Stressed And Sleeping Poorly? This Will Help

Living in a modern city is wonderful – but also stressful. Rising living costs and uncertainty about jobs that started during the COVID-19 pandemic contribute to your stress. Add to that the fact that you have been sleeping badly and waking up feeling tired and irritable for months now. It’s a vicious cycle that you can’t seem to get out of – but here’s some help. We’ve compiled a simple guide to get you through this stressful time and improve your sleeping patterns.

#1 Just relax!

It is irritating to hear ‘Just calm down!’ or ‘Relax’ when you are stressed out. You would really love to relax, but don’t know how to! However, it’s not as tough as it initially appears. When you are stressed, you feel tired out also because you hold your body rigidly. Your shoulders may be hunched, neck out, back frozen in your chair, etc. Your muscles begin to clench and atrophy, and this causes small localised aches and pains. Here’s what you can do: take three deep breaths slowly, taking care to inhale and exhale slowly. Keep your eyes closed, and let your body relax. Let every limb stay loose, continue breathing slowly for at least five minutes. Do this twice a day as long as you can to reduce stress.

#2 Get the right spring mattress.

Stress has many unfortunate side effects, the biggest of which is an adverse impact on the body’s major functions. Digestion may be affected, as well as cognition and even sleep. If you have noticed an uptick in the number of sleepless nights you’ve had recently, you might consider changing your mattress. The simplest way to do this is to get a good spring mattress or memory foam mattress. These offer great cushioning to the key areas of the body and keep you comfortable all night. As a result, you find yourself sinking into a deep sleep – which in turn, helps you wake up calmer and more in control of your stress.

#3 Go to the outdoors – alone.

There is a lot to be said in favour of going to green open spaces or being in touch with nature. It soothes frayed nerves and the fresh air helps you refocus and think better. But when you are stressed, it is better to take some alone time for yourself. Strap on a pair of walking shoes and head to green open areas with fresh air. Look for easy hiking trails in and out of the city or go for a stroll with your dog. Breathing the fresh air, hearing the sounds of nature staying away from stressful triggers will help you gain control over your mind.

#4 Exercise regularly.

A fit mind is stress’s biggest enemy. You can get a fit mind that remains tranquil and unfazed when you exercise regularly and keep active. There’s no need to enrol in a gym to lift weights if you don’t want to – just wear running shoes and go for a 30-minute jog on the beach, or go cycling, or just walk briskly around the block till you work up a sweat. Exercise releases endorphins – the ‘feel good’ hormone – into the bloodstream, which reduces elevated blood pressure levels. Even your spiked blood sugar levels will drop down, and your mood will improve. Regular exercise also helps you sleep much better, which is an added benefit!

#5 Stay away from sugar.

If you thought only excess salt and oil are your body’s enemies, think again. Processed white sugar is as bad for the system as excess salt, since the kidneys take long to process it and it may create blood sugar level imbalances. However, the body has a strange reaction to stress – it craves sugar and comforting sugary foods, so you are more likely to binge on cookies, cakes, soft drinks, etc. when you are stressed out or worried. In turn, this creates havoc with your digestion and blood sugar function. Aim to eat balanced, healthy meals full of seasonal vegetables, lean protein, coloured leafy vegetables, and so on.

(Featured image courtesy https://sleepmdnyc.com/losing-sleep-shortens-your-life/)

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Wellness

The 12-3-30 workout

by Vrushali Lad | editor@themetrognome.in

The ’12-3-30′ workout is all the rage at the moment. Created by fitness coach @laurengiraldo, it’s an incline treadmill workout that follows this system: Incline of 12 at a speed of 3 for 30 minutes. It’s touted as a quick but intense weightloss workout for those who don’t have the time for longer regimens.

I tried it out this week and here’s what I think:

💪 It’s certainly intense. The high incline challenges the entire body to maintain posture and balance while walking steadily uphill. Great for weight loss.

❌ It’s tough on the knees, ankles and back. Attempt it only if your joints and muscles are limber and pain-free. Seek medical advice if you have any health issues.

✅ Incline walking is excellent for a nearly full body workout. If you’re attempting this one, do it not more than thrice a week.

❌ Do not start on the 12-3-30 system the moment you hop on. Use 10 minutes to ease your body into it. Increase the incline (2 to 12) every minute while keeping speed steady at 3. This means you will be on the treadmill for a total of 40 minutes. Beginners should not do the full 30 minutes right away.

💧 Hydrate well before you begin, because you will sweat a lot and might feel cramping or nausea. Once done, hydrate with small sips of fluid infused with electrolytes.

🔽 I expect that weight loss may plateau if this is the only cardio you do. I would intersperse this workout with regular weight training to fuel your effort. I’m not much into cardio but I think this is good for people who are comfortable with treadmills and looking for a new workout to burn the fat.

 

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Deal with it

A helpline for frazzled parents in Mumbai

This unique initiative aims to provide counselling for parents of 2 to 12-year-old children and discuss solutions to behavioural issues.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Raising children in today’s world is nothing short of a challenge. With children more and more entranced by technology and drifting away from their parents, it is becoming impossible to find out if one’s child is battling some private issues or if he needs help in any way.

That’s where a new pilot project aimed at helping such harried parents in Mumbai comes in.

Parisar Asha is a 33 year non-profit registered public trust committed to serve children through a unique learning approach ‘ESAL’- The Environmental Studies Approach to Learning. It was founded by the late Gloria de Souza, an Ashoka fellow with a mission to provide a joyful, holistic and child-centric environment-based quality education to empower children to be creative, sensitive and successful global citizens.

After working in the field of education for the past 33 years, Parisar Asha has realised that parents are also an integral part of the school space and it is also important to look into their well-being for the sustainability of the mission. Numerous close encounters with the parents have helped certain common problems come to the fore, oftne expressed in such terms as “I don’t know how to handle my child”, “I get a lot of complaints from the teacher about his non-performance in the class”, “It is always a tussle to meet our needs but still understanding the importance of education, I somehow manage my resources to send him to a good tuition class”.

These are few of the examples of parental woes that Parisar Asha’s CEO Aarati Savur talks about. She says the list is endless. “So we decided to extend support for these troubled parents by providing them with a helping friend who is always a call away. This will help resolve their problems and provide them with solutions. This unique initiative is known as ‘Positive Parent Helpline’. This is a pilot project, in which Parisar Asha’s expert counsellors provide free and confidential telephonic solutions to all child related issues between 2 to 12 years.

Abnormal behaviour has become a common phenomenon among children who are reared in normal family conditions and this is causing panic among parents. Continuous interaction with children and parents have led counsellors to deduce that often parents’ behaviour towards their children determine the children’s behaviour.   Additionally, environment plays an important part in moulding an individual’s behaviour and one’s personality gets carved based on his/her interaction with his/her physical, social and emotional environment.

The ‘ Positive Parenting Helpline’ is a free and confidential online and telephonic service which can be availed by parents to seek help for their children between age group 2 to 12 years. This service is available between Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. Parents can call or send an sms at 8828233443. All queries will be resolved by expert counsellors. Parents can also email their queries at info@parisarasha.org / pahelpline@gmail.com

(Picture courtesy ldforumforschools.in. Image used for representational purpose only)

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Deal with it

How to be a good colleague

Being a good colleague at office has a positive effect on everyone around you, and by extension, the higher ups.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

We have all experienced the effects of obnoxious colleagues. They are rude, brash, uncivilised, miserly and rarely say a good word about anyone. In contrast, we also hold a special place in our hearts for those who are the exact opposite – sincere, affectionate, humorous, and compassionate. Everybody wants to have a good office colleague who can, in time, even become a good friend. But how many of us are able to achieve this level of ‘goodness’?

It is not that difficult to be a good office colleague; fundamentally, it is possible only if you are a decent human being to be a decent colleague, or else you will just come off as insincere and pretentious. Here’s how you start:

Be a team player. We are all employed to do a certain job and earn our salaries. However, it doesn’t help to be so rigid in our thinking at work. We must certainly finish our daily tasks first, but isn’t it nice if somebody asks if we need help when we are lagging behind? Be sincere in offering assistance or taking on someone’s workload if you have finished your own work and have time to kill. If nothing else, help a team that is racing to finish work against a deadline by getting them coffee and snacks at their desks so that they don’t have to interrupt their work. It is nice to help others without an ulterior motive – it puts you in a good frame of mind and your colleagues will love you for being supportive in times of need.

Be generous with your time and resources. Nobody likes a stingy colleague, who doesn’t contribute money for a common cause (such as helping out a colleague who has met with an accident or to get a present for somebody). People also hate those who never pitch in to buy the occasional treat for the office, but who line up to partake of the feast. If you are unable to contribute money for some reason, contribute your time. Volunteer to put up the decorations, or write out messages, or coordinate a small party. The key is to become a part of the team, not remain aloof.

Don’t claim credit for a team project. It may happen that you pitched an idea or gave an input that ultimately helped a project get on the right track. When the project finally succeeds, you should never remind anyone that it was your good idea that helped the process. Be modest when others compliment you on your talent and skills, but don’t jump in and agree with what the others say. The less you say about your own achievements, the more people will appreciate you for your modesty.

Plan new things for the group to do. We all lead very stressed lives, with most of us spending a majority of our waking hours in the office. In this situation, it is very important for each of us de-stress. If not daily, there should at least be a weekly activity that helps the office relax and laugh. If the office doesn’t follow a policy of regular team lunches or movie outings, initiate an activity that everybody will appreciate. Plan a film outing on a Friday evening, or an impromptu snacks and soft drinks party. If nothing else, keep an hour aside after lunch and play some really silly games that everybody will love participating in. People naturally gravitate towards bonding activities, and they will appreciate you for bringing a much needed stress-buster in the office.

Always take the high road. This is easier said than done, but it has huge long-term implications. If your boss yells at you in front of everyone, don’t argue but don’t be apologetic about his or her bad behaviour. Tell them calmly that you would like to revisit the issue once he or she has calmed down, and not before. This may shame the person into behaving better next time, and they might grudgingly even admit that you handled the situation with poise and maturity. The same applies to fights with colleagues. Sometimes, you may even argue with your best friend at work, but don’t engage in shouting matches and arguments in front of the others; but take it outside in a neutral environment. If somebody sends you a string of nasty or threatening messages or emails, do not respond to them till you are certain you can handle the situation in a mature way. Think twice before reporting somebody to the management – remember that obnoxious behaviour is sometimes just a cry for attention and can be swiftly tackled with understanding and firmness.

(Picture courtesy www.pamper.co.in. Image is used for representational purpose only)

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