»protest« by richard hughes (+)

»protest« by richard hughes (+)

"É preciso ter asas, quando se ama o abismo."

“É preciso ter asas, quando se ama o abismo.”

- Nietzsche. (via versejas)

via @notiun

"Deus, me perdoe por reclamar tanto de tantas coisas e esquecer de ser grata por tantas outras."

“Deus, me perdoe por reclamar tanto de tantas coisas e esquecer de ser grata por tantas outras.”

- Processiva
(via processiva)

via @notiun

»go« by tony lewis (+)

»go« by tony lewis (+)

4 Things That Happen When You’re Capable Of Self-Compassion (Supported By Science)

Self love is a concept that makes people uneasy. It evokes images of narcissism and selfishness. Recently there has been a shift away from encouraging the enhancement of self esteem, especially in children. It is seen as indulgent and as having a counter productive impact by inflating the ego and making children too focused on their own needs and less interested in the needs and well being of others.

Instead of pandering to the trivial needs of individuals, psychologists are now looking at ways that people can face life’s challenges in a more productive and selfless way. This not only has a beneficial influence on the individual; by making them more resilient and self nurturing, it also greatly enhances the cohesion of society as a whole; by making people more empathetic and less self interested.

The concept of self-compassion…

“…involves being touched by and open to one’s own suffering, not avoiding or disconnecting from it, generating the desire to alleviate one’s suffering and to heal oneself with kindness. Self-compassion also involves offering non-judgmental understanding to one’s pain, inadequacies and failures, so that one’s experience is seen as part of the larger human experience.” Kristin Neff, University of Texas

The most important way to conquer self-compassion is to practice mindfulness. This means being aware of what or who has had a destructive influence on our emotions and understanding that our response is justified and valid. Once we approach our pain with kindness and promote a constructive perspective to our struggle, we can begin to heal.

Here are 4 scientifically supported things that will happen when you are capable of self-compassion:

1. You’ll confront yourself more frankly

Self-compassion allows us to open ourselves up to confronting our pain with patience and sensitivity. It also helps us to regulate our emotions, so that we experience them in a balanced and healthy way. Their intensity and duration are managed and we don’t shy away from them, but at the same time control ourselves from over indulging.

The more notice you take of your feelings and where they fit into the scope of reality, the more mindful you will become.

2. You’ll be more empathetic to others too

Reflecting on your emotions and the feelings of others enhances your propensity to empathize. You will not only recognize your response to adverse and difficult situations, but you will also learn to be more aware of the suffering of others. Practicing sensitivity becomes a new habit. You no longer compare yourself with envy or begrudge the success of others; you instead take pleasure in others’ accomplishments and lament their losses.

3. You’ll let go more easily

When experiencing adversity, people tend to perceive this as failure and fall into the trap of self criticism. We often compare ourselves to others, which when at a low point, further perpetuates our feelings of inadequacy and disappointment in ourselves. This then becomes cyclical. The worse we judge ourselves, the lower we feel and then denigrate ourselves further.

Self-compassion forces you to let go. You will find peace in your circumstances whether they happen to be pleasant or heartbreaking. Understanding that everything is temporary makes the present moment all the more valuable because it is fleeting. The worst becomes bearable and the best becomes magical.

4. You’ll be more open to change

When you practice self-compassion you will become more flexible and willing to experience all the diversity that life has to offer. You not only look forward to change, you seek it out because this is what growth and development are all about. Change is difficult and requires commitment and energy and when you become willing to expend effort into personal development you also learn how to stop and take stock of your life. Rest is imperative and learning to be still in the present moment long enough to love who and where you are; without indulgence, this is what inner peace feels like.

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30 Ways To Treat Yourself No Matter What

As the old saying goes – if you don’t love yourself, who else will? It’s the little pleasures that get us through the everyday grind. Why wait for your next day off or vacation? Remind yourself that you deserve to lead a happy life and enjoy yourself on a regular basis with these 30 ways to treat yourself. Doing little things that make you happy is a good way to boost your self-esteem as well as your general mood. This in turn has a knock-on effect on your mental health. It’s a win-win! Plus, most are free or cheap, so there’s no excuse for not showing yourself a little love from time to time!

1. Give yourself the gift of five minutes of doing nothing. Sometimes this is enough to get a bit of breathing room and plan your next move.
2. Give yourself permission to reach out to someone else. Text or call a friend or relative who you know will support you.
3. Make a healthy snack or drink and enjoy it slowly. Take pleasure in nurturing yourself.
4. Give yourself a manicure or pedicure.
5. Make a plan for the weekend, thus ensuring you have something to look forward to.
6. Set a timer and tidy up your workspace for ten minutes. This doesn’t sound like much fun, but giving yourself the gift of a clear desk is not to be underestimated!
7. Go for a brief walk outside. Natural green shades are soothing, and if the weather is sunny, this will also provide you with a mood boost.
8. Go to an animal shelter or pet store and look at the cute animals. There’s something relaxing about watching them play or sleep together in a happy snuggly heap.
9. Get out a notebook and pen and start journaling. Let yourself express hopes, fears, desires and dreams. This can be very cathartic and healing.
10. Read an interesting and uplifting blog article for free inspiration within minutes!
11. Head to the library or second-hand book store for some free or cheap books. Grab anything that looks amusing, entertaining or inspirational.
12. Ask a friend for a TV show or movie recommendation. Bonus points if you can borrow it from them for free! You could even suggest a movie night, complete with drinks and popcorn.
13. Buy a seriously decadent treat, like a bar of your favourite chocolate, and savour it.
14. Pretend to be a tourist in your local area. Leave your everyday cares behind and walk around the park, museums etc. as though it’s the first time you have ever visited.
15. Buy yourself a new outfit, or at least a new accessory. If you are on a tight budget, visit thrift stores or hold a clothes-swapping event with friends.
16. Do something nice for someone else. Why does this work? When we carry out random acts of kindness, we feel a warm glow inside. Everyone benefits!
17. Give yourself the gift of learning something new. Stimulate your brain by reading or hearing about a totally new topic.
18. Go and see a new movie by yourself during a weekday afternoon. There’s something relaxing and peaceful about seeing a film alone in a quiet cinema.
19. Learn how to cook a new dish that you’ve always wanted to try. Master it and you’ll be able to have great food whenever you feel like it!
20. Have an early night, just because you feel like it. Put off the chores until tomorrow, and just get into bed with a good book or film. We all deserve that from time to time.
21. Give yourself the gift of taking your dreams seriously. Write down five key life goals that you want to achieve over the next year or so, and the steps needed to achieve them.
22. Take a nap. So many of us are sleep-deprived, so 20 minutes spent napping in the afternoon may be just the refreshment you need.
23. Make yourself an uplifting playlist containing all your favourite songs, and listen to it several times.
24. Buy some new bedlinen, or at least change your sheets. It will make you feel nice and relaxed at bedtime.
25. Avoid toxic influences. Do you suspect that a certain co-worker, relative or even ‘friend’ just depresses you or gets you down with their negative attitude? Try to spend less time with them.
26. If the weather is pleasant, get out a hammock or blanket and spend time relaxing in the yard or garden.
27. The next time someone asks you to do something non-essential that you don’t want to do, vow to look after yourself and say ‘No.’
28. Buy your favourite flavour of ice-cream on your way home from work and spend a couple of hours indulging in dessert and trashy TV.
29. Treat yourself to a few compliments – from yourself!
30. Get rid of any clothing that doesn’t fit or flatter you, and go shopping for replacement.

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When You Know It’s Time To Let Go And Love Yourself More

You’ve probably heard people say you must learn to love yourself before you can love another; but what if you stop loving yourself? What if you lost yourself in a messy relationship; or a good relationship has gone bad? Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

There are times in life when you must give up the things or the people (sometimes both) that you love in order to love youself. Think about it. What would you say to a diabetic who refused to stop eating sugar? You might ask them, “why have you stopped caring for yourself?” Here are Five times when you know it’s time to let go and love yourself more.

When you have to sacrifice your happiness

First, you must understand that you are in charge of your own happiness. If you are feeling unhappy, only you can fix it. If you are feeling unloved, that is a cry out from yourself to love yourself. Likewise, it is not your job to make another person happy either. If you are sacrificing your own happiness for someone else, it isn’t healthy for either person and it could be a sign that it’s time to let go.

When you’re expected to be someone you’re not

When you’re expected to be someone you’re not, it makes you feel like who you are is not good enough and that is a dangerous road to go down my friend. Remember, you are a beautiful person. When you spend your time with others who make you feel like you are less than you are, or like you’re not good enough, it will not only strip your identity, but it will put your identity in the control of another person. That’s the last place it should be. After all, it is your identity. Thus the cycle continues and, until you make the choice to let go and love yourself, you will continue to drown in self-doubt and lost identity. Instead, try and realize that when this happens, it’s time to let go of others’ expectations and love yourself more than them.

When you have become someone you’re not

This is a big one and it happens over a long period of time in relationships. It happens when you ignore yourself for too long and allow yourself to be influenced by another person because you feel like you are only “good enough” if they say you are. It happens when you love someone so much and you think you need to sacrifice yourself for them to the point that you stop caring about your own needs. Look, being someone you’re not is bad enough, but God forbid you to wake up one day and realize you don’t like the person you’ve become. Sometimes parents have to tell their children they cannot hang out with certain friends because they always get into trouble. This is exactly why. Different people open up different roads to different futures. If you realize you went down the wrong road and have become someone you never should have become, then it’s time to let go of the life you have and open up opportunities for a new life.

When you refuse to let go because of fear

If you know deep down that it’s time to leave something or someone behind, but you haven’t done so because you’re afraid, then trust me—you are not alone. This is one of the most common reasons people have for not letting go. I put off quitting smoking for years because I was afraid. Afraid of losing something I enjoyed, afraid that I would lose friends, afraid I couldn’t do it. There is always something to fear with any decision that you make, but ultimately you must do what’s right for you. If you are in a situation where you are being hurt, as I was when I was smoking, then you are not being loving to yourself. Anything that you do that opposes self love should be let go.

When you have lost self-worth

If you find that you have lost self-worth then there’s a problem. When you constantly put a person before you, you basically tell yourself that you’re not worth as much as they are. This is dangerous thinking. To share a life with someone is a beautiful thing. To spend your entire life putting yourself down to serve another—even if it started by your own choice—is no way to live. It’s never too late to stop this behavior and let go of this thinking. If someone or something is demeaning you, if you feel like you deserve what’s happening to you, or if you think you don’t deserve love, that’s even more of a reason to let go of these thoughts. You deserve love, so stop refusing to allow yourself to have it.

There’s only one person in this world who can love 100% you and that’s the person that knows you 100%–YOU! It’s not easy, but with a lot of work and self care you can let go of this thinking. You will have to make sacrifices. Sometimes you must let go of things in life and people you love, even long term relationships and marriages. The bottom line is, if something or someone is depleting your identity, self worth, and making you unhappy, it is time to let go and move on to a place of love, wellbeing, self-fulfillment, and happiness.

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This Is Why You Prefer To Be Single Now

What I’ve come to realise more than anything is that being single is not a better or worse path than being in a relationship. It is quite simply a different one. It has its own incredible, warm and enlightening benefits, just like being in a relationship does. And when you realize those benefits, well, it can be a hard life to un-choose.

The thing is, we always are in a relationship – with ourselves. And when this relationship is good, when we nurture it and find all we need from within, it is the happiest we can ever be. Anything on top of that is a bonus.
When we take the time to have this relationship with ourselves, we find out what we really need. We realize the true power and freedom in making choices for ourselves, and all of the possibility that includes. We can go anywhere we like, with anyone we choose, and it is only while on these paths that we discover who we are and what we are looking for in life. As a single person, we have time for this and are making time for this, and we are feeling good about ourselves because of our own making. We are not in danger of losing our identity, only of finding it.

I recall reading the infamous Eat Pray Love, and stumbling across a paragraph whereupon Elizabeth Gilbert leaves her husband and begins to allow herself single-person thoughts, such as “What do you want to do Liz?”
To which she replies, starting small and slowly getting larger in her ideas:
“I want to go to Yoga class.
I want to go home early from this party so I can go home and read a novel.
I want to learn how to speak Italian.”

Our possibilities are limitless, and the more time we spend with ourselves, the more we begin to see just how large we can actually dream. In the words of Bob Dylan: “When you ain’t got nothing you got nothin’ to lose.” Which is true, in terms of responsibility. Except you don’t have nothing. You have everything, right at your fingertips.

The greatest joys I have ever known within a relationship are when you can share the joys of your own life, of the things you love and strive for – the things that make you who you are. When you know those things and live them, they are only then exacerbated by the people who come into your life and love them too. And vice versa. We can be proud and excited and strong for our loved ones when we are strong in ourselves.

We can also exist entirely in the moment, without thinking about the future. Being single means a lot of traveling, sleeping over the whole bed, flirting, and wreckless fun. It’s about enjoying our own achievements, answering to no one, going where the wind takes you. It is a time we can fully commit to our education, our careers and hobbies.

We spend so much of our lives either in love or thinking about being in love. So we must cherish those precious moments in between, the moments where we don’t have someone else to think about, the moments where we understand the true value of selfishness, and its place in the balance of all things. Because if you don’t know these things about yourself, you cannot truly understand your needs in compliance with somebody else’s – the bright somebody of your future. The somebody who will someday run alongside you, as your best and most wonderful single self.

“My alone feels so good, I’ll only have you if you’re sweeter than my solitude.” – Warsan Shire

Featured photo credit: Magdeleine via magdeleine.co

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I Used Google for Everything for 30 Days, and Here’s What Happened

So as a long-form experiment regarding online life, I decided to cut myself off of online services and products that aren’t Google-owned or operated for a month. I was hoping to see just how far their reach was online and whether they could potentially gain a monopoly on the online marketplace. They clearly are the most popular search engine, but what about other services?

I had to find out. So I signed up or activated nearly every Google service under the sun, minimized all the others and started my journey. By the end, I hoped to answer the following questions. Here are my resulting thoughts:

Did I Miss Out on Essential Services?

My initial fears going into this project were mostly related to the services I thought essential. I used Amazon a lot. Would I be missing out in terms of being able to get products I needed? I used other tools for scheduling and planning my day-to-day activities. Would Google Calendar be able to suit all of my needs? Would my video calls be impossible?

After 30 days, I felt partially inconvenienced, but there were no major issues in my life. On occasion, I was left out of certain events or told about certain information later than others. Many of my issues weren’t necessarily related to the inferiority of Google services and products, but the unpopularity of those services. Google Docs and Google Drive were mostly sufficient for my career needs. It was possible to take care of most of my shopping needs through searching with Google, even if it wasn’t as convenient.

I also imagine others having a completely different result depending on their lifestyle and profession. Google doesn’t have total dominance yet, and it shows. Google might not be enough if special needs are taken into consideration.

Could I Communicate?

It was a tad more difficult to reach people I don’t talk with too often, but after mentioning on social media platforms that I would be taking a month-long respite, people were quite understanding. Anyone who was concerned about contacting me got either my Gmail address or my phone number. Even Google admits that its social media platforms aren’t doing all that well in comparison with the industry leaders, so while I got more involved with Google Plus, it wasn’t all that useful. A social network requires people to network on it.

While it was nice at the end of the month to scroll back and see what happened, I didn’t feel like I was missing all that much. Maybe I missed out on a sale that wasn’t communicated to me through a Google product or service, but I considered the opportunity costs of my time. Using only Google limited my communications to an extent, but they weren’t cut off. Instead, in my experience, they were filtered down to what truly mattered.

What About Entertainment?

So I didn’t have Netflix or Hulu for a month. It wasn’t too big a deal. YouTube is owned and controlled by Google, so nearly all of my video needs were met. While it is reliant upon content creators and licensing, there wasn’t too much of a concern when I needed something to do online. I even signed up for YouTube Red and got a pass for Google Music as part of the deal. While the services might not have been my first choice when it comes to streaming services, they proved sufficient enough. YouTube Red’s original content, however, was positively terrible.

I learned by the end that there is always something to watch on a platform given enough searching, minimizing the importance of a particular service. I still don’t have my Netflix account back, and more often do I actively search for content that fits my needs, not what I’m told I’d like. I feel simultaneously more trusting of Google and dismissive of its results.

How Did You Deal with Smartphone Use?

Fortunately, I already had a phone running Android when I started the project, so in those terms, it was relatively easy to use my smartphone for browsing and online services just like my computer. Other than neglecting a few social networks and services I rarely used anyway, such as the freeware that came on my phone, I didn’t really pay much attention to the differences.

As far as keeping touch with friends and family to clarify plans or send quick messages, I found that the standard of texting and calling remained true. Google dominates the internet, but the internet doesn’t completely dominate our lives just yet. Its reach hasn’t become one with the air around us.

How Did I Feel by the End?

To be perfectly honest, I felt concerned with the ability of Google to do just about everything. One wonders about the ability of the market to control such a beast. While Google does some things (searching and email) better than others (Google Plus), there remains the fact that it has the infrastructure to dominate should another tech giant go under. Combine that with the visions the company has for the future and what could come out of their experiments, we can feel excited toward new technology yet cautious about how it’ll get used.

On a smaller scale, I felt mildly inconvenienced, yet fine. The truth remains that while we do need the internet to work and communicate, a lot of other needs are manufactured and our time would be better spent reading books and growing gardens than checking new messages. Checking my Gmail served a purpose, but what was the purpose of checking Payton Manning’s Twitter every day? By the nature of the experiment, I was connected just a little less with technology, and it had a positive effect on my mind and spirit.

Do you have any thoughts on Google’s growing presence online? Are you afraid that they might become too powerful and form a monopoly on online life? Do you think there are any legitimate alternatives? Please leave a comment below and tell us what you think, and then get your friends in on the conversation.

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10 Things You Need To Do To Welcome The Spring In Style

Spring is a wonderful season! In spring, you can go out and enjoy a long walk, hear the birds singing, and see the seedlings emerging from the soil! Spring is the time of love, a time to celebrate, a time of rebirth.

If the allergies and mood changes make it difficult for you to love the springtime, you can pamper yourself for the new season – this is the easiest way to enhance your spring and come to love it!

1. Discover a new travel destination

Spring is the best season to travel: it’s warm enough for a walk, yet not in full season, so the prices are decent and the number of tourists is low. Here’s another major factor to convince you to travel in the spring: there are lots of festivals and parties which celebrate the new season!

You can plan your next big escape in a foreign country or simply put on the most comfortable pair of shoes and grab your backpack as you towards a new city or area in your home country. There is always something to see and somewhere to go, so browse the internet and find somewhere tp enjoy the rebirth of nature next weekend. This is also the perfect opportunity to establish a new family tradition: traveling to a new place each spring and having fun with your loved ones.

2. Pamper your body

Just like animals come out of their warm dens, you are going to come out of your cozy home in spring, which means you need to look your best. During winter months you may overlook some self-grooming tasks, such as waxing your legs – spring is the best time to update your look and pamper your body to get ready for the summer days.

Whether you book a day at the spa using a voucher or you choose to turn your own home into a spa, you should include a full body massage, a relaxation session with Epsom salts, and a look update.

3. Try a new hairstyle

Welcome the spring in style with a new hairstyle. A new hairstyle can make you feel better about yourself and can definitely make you feel the spring groove. Go bold and try something new, like a bun, pigtails, high pony, or curls. Of course, a new hairstyle is not complete without a color change – go from blonde to brunette or redhead, or try a new trend! Take a risk and experiment with a new color. I guarantee you will feel revived!

4. New makeup, new nails

After a new hairstyle, you need new makeup and a new manicure style. Nothing says spring louder than a new manicure and pedicure. Choose pastels, which are the best for this new season. Mint, turquoise, pink, blue, or lavender are all great options when it comes to your nails. Before you start painting, don’t forget to give some loving care to your feet and hands — a hot milk and honey bath is going to leave your skin soft and glowing.

You also deserve new makeup for spring — ditch the old makeup look and embrace a new one. You can choose to follow the current trends or just find a new way to highlight your natural beauty.

If you look at designers, you will see lots of spring colors, such as blue and green for the eye makeup; orange, pink, deep reds, and wine for the lips. Keep your skin glowing by using scrubs and hydrating lotions or creams.

5. New clothes

New hair, new makeup, new nails — you’ll need new clothes to complete your new look! Time to dive into the wardrobe and really spring clean! Welcome the spring in style with some staples: jeans, slip-on shoes, flower patterns, simple shirts, leggings, and an all-weather blazer and trench. Don’t forget a trendy and highly useful crossbody bag which can be converted to a simple small backpack.

A scarf is always handy in spring, as it helps you stay trendy and warm as the weather changes from hour to hour. None of these items are restricted to just one season. Pick versatile outfits which can be worn in multiple seasons – you just have to add new statement, trendy accessories each time.

6. Detox your entire being

To be able to welcome the spring in style, you need to give a boost to the natural detox processes which go on in your body. There are many ways to do this, yet the most effective and easy method is to stick with infused waters, detox smoothies, and whole foods.

Your first step towards detox is hydration. Because it can be hard to drink enough water during the day, you can use a simple trick: make infused water. Infused water can be made simply by adding herbs, fruits, and vegetables to your water. The added flavor of the water will make you want to drink more than usual, and the added ingredients will speed up your metabolism and increase your fat burning rate. Experiment with different ingredients until you find the one you like best.

Smoothies can support the infused water and act as your meals for the day, as long as you add enough protein to them. Base your smoothies on leafy greens, which have fibre and support proper bowel movements. Dandelion greens, spinach, kale, and parsley are among the best greens for your detox smoothies.

Switch to whole foods and local produce — ditching the processed foods is a great way to boost your health and cleanse your body. Aim to eliminate sugars, alcohol, and gluten from your diet, relying on vegetables and fresh products.

During your 7-10 days of detox, you have to pay attention to your spirit and mind as well. Aim to meditate for 5 minutes a day, or simply disconnect from the electronics and unplug all the devices, spending some time in complete silence, breathing deeply. You will notice the benefits of this practice after the first session and you will never want to give it up!

7. Embrace a new exercise routine

Spring is the best time to take up a new sport, so take advantage of it! Take a bike ride and enjoy the great outdoors! Biking is easy to fit it into your lifestyle, as you can just ditch the car and ride your bike while running errands. You’ll gradually get fitter, all while enjoying a new activity that puts you in a positive mood.

8. Create a new playlist

To get into the mood and welcome the spring in style, you need to have some appropriate tunes ready. Music has a beneficial effect on your mood and studies have proven that music therapy can reduce depression and depressive syndrome. This can be common during the spring, as the body is affected by the climatic changes, like temperature and pressure. Apart from the scientific side of music, it can make you relive past memories, like that song that was playing during your first kiss.

Music awakens emotions, so you can use it to pump up your mood in preparation for spring. Create a spring playlist and unleash your creativity and happiness. Add songs which remind you of your favorite spring moments.

9. Read a new book

Rediscover the library and boost your creativity this spring. Reading enhances your brain power — that’s a proven fact. Go for physical books rather than ebook — the experience of reading is not complete without the act of turning the pages.

10. Start a DIY project

Spring is the perfect time to start a DIY project. When the allergies hit you hard or the spring storms are not allowing any walks in the park, just take the DIY path. Make a cute purse, necklace, enhance your hangers, or give an old item a new life — spring is the right time to tackle those projects you’ve been procrastinating for the last year.

Spring is a lovely season, so embrace it! Ditch the seasonal funk by grabbing your infused water and crafting a new item while listening to your power playlist!

Featured photo credit: Albumarium via albumarium.com

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Choose Comfort for your Next Call Center Headset

If you are the manager heading a call center, you know you have options for what type of headsets to purchase. You have choices in features and technology. You can go wireless or corded. While these are important decisions to make, you shouldn’t forget one item when picking out headsets. You want the headsets to be comfortable to wear. If they aren’t comfortable, you will have many complaining employees. You also might face a lawsuit if the employees believe you are causing damage to their ears or head on a daily basis. What are the most comfortable headsets available? Read this list for more information.

1. Plantronics Voyager Pro 

The Voyager series has caught the eye of industry insiders for its comfort. The headsets use a single earpiece with Bluetooth technology. The type can be put into a call center or have at home. The problem is that the series is bulky even though the bulkiness is what adds the comfort to the wearer. It’s also more stable when it is sitting on the ear. These are great for situations where talking on the phone and to other people in the same room is important. Employees can change from conversing with customers or coworkers quite easily. Telemarketers, customer support technicians and others who are constantly on the phone will benefit from these.

2. Novero Tour

If you want less bulkiness, you will want the tour. The design is slim and looks futuristic. You can buy a wired or wireless version. You can choose off-white or black. Like the Voyager, it uses just one earpiece, but the headset comes with a band that goes over the head and leads to the microphone. The Voyager doesn’t need the band.

3. Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset

While call centers don’t need gaming headsets, you might benefit from the technology. Because gaming headsets are not like Bluetooth headsets for office use, they need to be comfortable. They often use a double earpiece headset design and surround sound for the game sounds. Call centers or telemarketers probably would not need surround sound. When you use two ear pieces, you have to have a band that links them. Although they might be heavy and cause pain in long-term use, a well-fitted headset shouldn’t cause this problem. Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930 has a memory foam headband, giving players hours of comfort. Then, they can go sleep on the pillow or mattress with the same material. Call centers that use double headsets might want to use the memory foam for the bands.

4. Bose Bluetooth Headset

Bose is known for its many Bluetooth headsets. Users rate them highly. If you choose these headsets, they will fit comfortably in the ear instead of over it or around it. The silicone tip contours to the wearer’s ear with little pressure. The headset can sit on the edge of a fingertip and is lightweight. The downside of this technology is that people might find it uncomfortable at first if they aren’t used to wearing earphones inside the ear. However, they adjust. It has the advantage of being used anywhere. Generally, people use them if they are on the go or in the car.

5. Microsoft LifeChat LX 3000

The Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 is designed to use two ear pieces that are cushioned with ear cups and a noise cancelling microphone. Although Microsoft created the headset to go with its Windows Live messenger, you can use it for other functions.

6. iMicro SP-IM942 Headset with Microphone

This iMicro headset has the added benefit that it’s not as expensive as some of the others. The company calls it an ultra affordable option. This the comfortable headset for people without a lot of money. However, you lose features. Still, people praise its quality.

7. Razer Carcharias Gaming Headset

Again, this is one that is for playing games not working in a call center. The Razer Carcharias Gaming Headset fits over-the-ear. The ear pieces don’t touch the ear. Besides the other features, this gaming headset also has a noise-reducing microphone that attempts to pick up only the user’s voice. You lose the background noise of the game or in a call center. Despite its comfort, it doesn’t come with many features.

Featured photo credit: Call Center Environment via lifehack.org

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