Schools become accredited by being validated as legitimate educators by a third party, also known as an accreditation agency. These agencies generally investigate the school to ensure that the quality of education is acceptable for students. They will also find out whether or not the school operates legally, so by studying with a properly accredited school, you can rest assured that you won’t be taken for a ride.
Although accreditation agencies offer an assurance of legitimacy to schools, the industry of accreditation isn’t really regulated. It’s a voluntary process that is conducted without a lot of intervention from the government. So you will find that for as many good accreditation agencies that there are out there, there are just as many phony ones. Some schools even set up fake accreditation organizations in order to appear to have more authority, so you’ll need to do your research to find out if you’re being mislead in any way.

Stay in touch with friends. Humans are social creatures and there is a lot of value in our relationships. The people in our lives are essential to helping us feel motivated, encouraged, and solve problems. All of this leads to less stress and greater relaxation.
Organize your way to success. Another key component to being relaxed and reducing stress is to stay organized. When you are busy juggling work, school and family life, getting into the habit of writing everything down and maintaining a scheduling system will keep you accountable and drastically reduce stress.

Go offline. Even with a pressing deadline it’s still important to step away from your desk. Heading outside for a brisk walk can increase your circulation and mobility, as well as bring the necessary nutrients and oxygen to your body’s systems.

Catch up on ZZZZZs. An occasional late night or even all-nighter won’t leave you too run down, but continuously cutting your sleep cycle short can wear you out. People suffering from sleep deprivation experience drowsiness, an inability to concentrate, memory impairment, and poor physical performance. All of these are necessary to perform well at work, school, and completing family/household responsibilities. While forgoing sleep on occasion may help you tackle a deadline, doing this long-term will impede success. Power up with catnaps. If you are feeling tired from a lack of sleep, don’t underestimate the effectiveness of powernaps. Taking a short 20-30 minute catnap may be just the break your mind needs to improve function.

Playtime! All work and no play leads to stress which has adverse affects on the immune system and your ability to function. Finding ways to relax — participating in hobbies and allowing for some down time in your schedule — will actually make you more productive. Simple ways to relax include listening to music, meditating, doing yoga, and reading for pleasure.

Sanitize surfaces. To further reduce the spread of germs and infection in your home make it a practice to routinely wipe off common surfaces. This includes telephones, light switches, keyboards, and door handles. It only takes a matter of minutes and keeping disinfectant wipes around can be a helpful reminder. This is also a simple job to delegate to your children.

Eat healthy meals and snacks. Consuming healthy foods is important to fight disease, provide energy, and for the body’s systems to function properly. The food choices you make now can have lasting affects on your health. Don’t let your busy schedule prevent your from eating foods that benefit you in many ways.

Drink lots of water. The brain is made up of over 80 percent water and is essential to concentration and memory function. Get into the habit of filling a large water bottle and keep it with you wherever you go. Keeping one at your desk is a great reminder. Also take into consideration the way your routine varies from the weekdays to weekend. You may be in a great habit of drinking plenty of water at work, but then forget when you are at home on the weekend. Avoid feeling sluggish over the weekend by staying properly hydrated.

Stretch. The human body was created to move and change positions. Prolonged sitting in a chair will make you more fatigued, decrease your circulation, and leave you distracted by being uncomfortable. Simple stretching techniques you can do from your desk area can ease built-up tension in your body and reduce your chances of developing headaches.

Medicate early. Uh oh, is a cold coming on? You know that feeling…the scratchy throat, plugged up nose and just all around feeling of being out of it. Act now and don’t wait for it to get worse. Try sucking on a zinc lozenge or some other stop-that-illness-in-its-tracks remedy like Airborne. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that you wake up feeling great and ready to tackle another day.

Hand wash regularly. Nothing wards off germs more than good hand washing with soap and water. Hand washing is the single, most effective way to stop the spread of germs and infections. Antibacterial gels can help in a pinch, but nothing beats scrubbing up and washing those germs down the drain.
To properly wash your hands:

• Wet your hands with warm, running water and apply liquid or clean bar soap. Lather well.
• Rub your hands vigorously together for at least 15 seconds.
• Scrub all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails.
• Rinse well.
• Dry your hands with a clean or disposable towel.
• Use a towel to turn off the faucet.

• Increase the Fun: Slice several apples, and have your kids taste test sweeter spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice on the prepared fruit. Or invite your kids to try exotic spices like curry and turmeric in plain yogurt with pita.

Select gently used clothes and toys for donation. Next time you ask your kids to clean their rooms, ask them to do it with “giving” in mind. There are bound to be stuffed animals, dolls and games that can be donated to a local children’s home or charity. Give your kids a box or big bag to fill with gently used toys they no longer use. Similarly, kids can dig into their closets and drawers for clothing they’ve outgrown.

• Bonus tip: Take your kids with you when you make the donation.

Plan a dinner and shopping list. Give your kids dinner duty and have them peruse a cookbook or kid-safe recipe Web site. Have them stick Post-it® notes on or print out favorite recipes. Then have them vote on one entrée, one side dish and one dessert. Next, have your kids read through the required ingredients for the winning recipes and make a grocery list for needed items. Plan a night to cook together as a family.

• Increase the Fun: Ask a restaurant for paper chef hats for your kids to wear. After the dinner is cooked, have your children “play restaurant” and serve you.

Free choice chore duty. Kids like exercising some control over their choices. Have them be “Inspectors” and walk around the house with a clipboard, noting chores that need to be done. Then, have your kids hold a meeting and each choose two chores. After they complete the chores, let them inspect each other’s performance.

Holiday preparations and thank-you notes. Do birthday or holiday gifts need wrapping? Set out the supplies on the floor or table and put your children in charge of wrapping and decorating gifts. Remind them to stick nametags on the gifts! Recipients will love seeing that your kids did the wrapping all by themselves.

Trim and water plants. Kids will love being gardeners for a day. Show them how to use small clippers to trim bushes and snip off dead leaves and flowers. Have them put on bathing suits and use a hose or watering cans to water the garden. If your green thumb is the indoor variety, show kids how to water the plants in a controlled way. If you have plants with large, waxy leaves, have your kids”dust” off the leaves using damp paper towels.
Involve young children.Even young toddlers can grab a dust cloth and copy older siblings as they clean. Of course, everything including the dog may get dusted, but that’s okay. As long as your kids are focused and cooperative, they are getting the job done.