Drug & Alcohol Testing

Nova Medical Centers offer onsite drug and alcohol testing 24 hours a day / 7 days a week to ensure the workplace is safe from unnecessary risk.

To order:

  • During Business Hours call 1-866-480-1310 or click here to email.
  • After Hours please call 1-866-480-1310, option 2.

Are Video Games Bad?

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There’s been a back and forth debate on whether video games are bad for you. One of the most common arguments includes whether or not violent video games, like shooter games, cause aggressive or anti-social behavior. Well in a study conducted by the LA Times “There isn’t a lot of evidence to support theories that video games, particularly violent video games, foster anti-social or violent tendencies in young people.”

However, there is a slight chance that people may develop violent tendencies, but the sample size is too small to shoulder the blame on games. There are other factors that lead to violent behavior.

Even though video games do have their fair share of health issues, they also have many benefits, starting with stress relief.

Sometimes life can be stressful and can throw many unexpected curveballs. It’s important to let your mind breathe and relax. One of the best ways to relieve your stress is to sit down for a few hours and play one of your favorite video games. This will allow you to shift your focus elsewhere and allow enjoyment for the levels you are trying to complete.

Video games work your brain just as much as your hands. It takes comprehension and intelligence to complete difficult levels. Your brain is a muscle and you have to exercise it to make it stronger. Video games can help your brain grow as iD Tech writes “playing video games increases grey matter (basically, the size of your brain) and helps refine learned and hardwired skills.” Who said video games make you dumb? Now that just sounds silly.

There are also many features gaming consoles have to offer. From streaming Hulu to surfing the internet, gaming consoles are mostly known for keeping communication with your peers. It’s essential to partner up and strategize with your friends to take down an enemy. However, the main reason why the party chat feature is so great is that you’re allowed to your closest friends or to people all over the world. Playing a video game alone is satisfactory, but there’s no other feeling than playing with other people. A healthy communication among peers defeats depression and loneliness. BBC News writes “being part of a team and making new friends is claimed to help with depression.”

Creative minds are able to think of unusual solutions and tend to think outside the box. Playing video games can be challenging and sometimes there isn’t an easy route to defeat the last boss. You have to rely on out of the box tactics or tricks. This can too apply to real-world situations. Playing video games can stretch your imagination beyond its limit. Think of how we evolved from Tetris to VR gaming. It’s incredible how far we’ve come and that’s thanks to people who strive to be game designers to innovate the playing field.

Video games aren’t all bad as some try to make it seem. Whether it’s Tetris or call of duty, pick up your phone or controller and escape from the world. Just like in a video game, there are levels to complete in life too.

Seven Ways to Improve Workmate Relationships

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A major factor that plays a role in your happiness at your job is the environment. Establishing a good relationship with your colleagues can help ease the troubles you may find yourself at work. It can also lead to better production as MindTools states, “if people who have a best friend at work are seven times more likely to be engaged in their jobs.” If you’re shy or not a people’s person, here are 7 ways to improve your relationship with your fellow employees.

  • Start with small talk – Forget the high and bye that goes on passing through the hallway. Make an effort and engage in conversation with someone. However, make sure to do that when they’re on break or not busy. If you’re trying to start a conversation while they are hard at work can have the opposite effect.
  • Eat together during breaks – Instead of sitting alone in your office or cubicle, continue to build up steam. After you have engaged in some small talk, make the effort to it together during lunch breaks. The lunch break is a great opportunity to get to know each other. Try to talk about things you would have in common with him/her.
  • Improve your listening skills – paying attention to someone goes a long way because it shows that genuinely enjoy having a conversation with this person. One of the biggest turn offs is not paying attention to someone while talking to you.
  • Avoid gossip – It’s sad that once a high school activity still takes place in the work place. Keep it professional. Don’t engage in childish acts because it is one of the quickest ways to have a bad reputation. Instead of being a bystander, stand up for the individual who is the target of gossip. This shows respect and loyalty for the individual and others around the work place.
  • Positive energy – Nobody likes a negative Nancy, so smile often, stand up straight with your chest out, and develop a cheery tone. People are gravitated by those who have positive energy and it can help by getting a lot of recognition. You can also engage in positive topics that will help bring up the mood for other people. If you express negative energy, then people will be wary of you and will most likely try to avoid you.
  • Don’t be too compelling – You want to maintain the relationship, not ruin it. It’s okay to give some space here and there. Sometimes people will need their space and it’s okay to allow that. Work can be hectic at times, so trying to start a conversation while they’re working hard can become a nuisance and just get in the way.
  • Appreciate your colleagues – Appreciating your fellow workmates can say a lot about ones character. Remembering their birthdays, brining donuts in the morning, or buying them coffee when it’s going to be a busy day is a great way to show how much you respect them. The little things you do can come with a big reward.

It can be hard making friends at your job and sometimes you won’t get the results you expect. Some people are who they are and you must respect their feelings. However, it doesn’t mean you stop trying. So put yourself out there and make some friends with familiar faces.

Mosquitoes

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You hear the silent buzz. You feel the urge to itch, and as you rub the itch, you feel another spot to itch. It’s annoying, aggravating, and frustrating. If you can infer of what I’m talking about, then you too know that all mosquitoes should be destroyed. Well, that’s physically impossible, but there are some ways to combat these pestering insects.

However, before we get to that, mosquitoes are important for our ecosystem and play a big part in our daily lives. Gizmodo points out “many other insects and small fish feed on them and the loss of that food source would cause their numbers to decline as well. Anything that feeds on them, such as game fish, raptorial birds, etc. would in turn suffer.” In short, mosquitoes feed us. However, according to national geographic “mosquito-borne disease causes millions of deaths worldwide every year with a disproportionate effect on children and the elderly in developing countries.” They must be minimized to all humans, and here’s how.

Mosquito spray – Invest in a good mosquito spray. This will create a barrier around your body that will force mosquitoes to stay away. The better the spray, the likelihood of not getting your blood sucked increases.

Mosquito repellant – Try surrounding the areas where you spend time outside with mosquito repellant. This will create a perimeter blocking mosquitoes from entering. The best type of repellent you want to look for is anything that contains the chemical N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET). Mosquito.org states that DEET “remains the standard by which all other repellents are judged.”

Natural repellant – There are certain plants you can plant outside your house that acts as a repellent from mosquitoes. These plants include citronella, basil, and lemongrass. You can fill up your garden or backyard with pretty plants and kill pest at the same time.

Water – Mosquitoes’ love water, so try moving any items that contain water. This includes flowerpots, containers, and hoses. This will send mosquitoes to a different direction rather than yourself.

Window screens – Place window screens to prevent mosquitoes from getting inside your home. Mosquitoes are tricky and hard to see; installing a window screen will stop any small bugs from entering without asking.

Bed net – The most annoying time a mosquito can pierce you is at night. A bed net that would hang over your bed is a great way to block any mosquito from entering and disturbing your sleep.

Stay inside during dusk – Mosquitoes are everywhere but are most active during the nighttime. If possible, try to stay inside during those times. However, it’s not as easy as it sounds, but it’s a good thing you have repellent and spray to give you extra protection while you’re outside.

Mosquitoes are pestering but there are ways to make them less annoying. Make sure to be cautious when going outside and take appropriate actions when dealing with mosquitoes.