We all have flaws, although many of the factors affecting self confidence are beyond your control, there are a number of things you can consciously do to build self confidence. Even if your physical appearance or social skills aren’t what you wish they were, that doesn’t have to stop you from being confident. Here’s how to believe in yourself.

Dress Well and take care of yourself - When you don’t look good, it changes the way you carry yourself and interact with other people. Use this to your advantage by taking care of your personal appearance. This doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot on new clothes. One great rule to follow is “spend twice as much, buy half as much”. Rather than buying a bunch of cheap clothes, buy half as many select, high quality items. Also eat a healthy diet and get enough exercise. Don’t abuse your body, don’t overload it, and don’t deny it any of the things it needs. At the same time, don’t obsess.

Improve your posture - Similarly, the way a person carries herself tells a story. People with slumped shoulders and lethargic movements display a lack of self confidence. They aren’t enthusiastic about what they’re doing and they don’t consider themselves important. By practicing good posture, you’ll automatically feel more confident. Having good posture can actually make you feel more confident. Good posture also helps with deep breathing, which helps with feeling calm and relaxed.

Find your passion - Whether it’s football, martial arts, dancing, or basket weaving, you will feel confident pursuing that endeavor by recognizing what you enjoy doing the most. More importantly, you’ll be enjoying your progress.

Know your strengths and weaknesses -Learning who you are doesn’t happen overnight.

A good start is to identify your strengths and weaknesses and then weigh those against what you enjoy. (If you’re great in sales, but you actually can’t stand sales jobs, then it doesn’t really matter if you have confidence there. Unless it’s all about ego—but does that really make you happy?) It might help to list five things you do well that you enjoy, and five things you’d like to do well. Make an effort to utilize some of the first list and work on some of the second every day. As you use your strengths and improve where there’s room to grow, you’ll develop both confidence and fulfillment simultaneously.

Feeling Depressed? You may be having a quarter life crisis! It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are a lot of things about yourself that you didn’t know and may or may not like. You look at your job. It is not even close to what you thought you would be doing or maybe you are looking for one and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and are scared. Everyone that you have grown up with around you seems to be doing so well, yet you are nowhere near where you thought you would be at this age. You start to panick and ask yourself how did I get here?

Bearing all the hallmarks of the midlife crisis, this phenomenon – characterised by insecurities, disappointments, loneliness and depression– is hitting twenty- and thirtysomethings shortly after they enter the “real world”, with educated professionals most likely to suffer.

“Quarterlife crises don’t happen literally a quarter of the way through your life,” said lead researcher Dr Oliver Robinson, from the University of Greenwich in London. “They occur a quarter of your way through adulthood, in the period between 25 and 35, although they cluster around 30.”

This tends to be the age where regets about decitions made in School, College or University become more appart. The classes one didn’t take, or could have tried harder in, the teams one didn’t try out for, and wished they had and so forth can sometimes cause a lot of regret and even resentment of those that are doing things one wishes they’d done.

Some people will respond to a quarter life crisis by rushing into various landmark type goals in life (ie, getting married, moving out from your parents house, getting your first house, getting your first real job, having kids). You wonder how you will ever find job security/afford a house at today’s prices/find a partner if you’re working all the time/get out of your parents’ house if your debt is costing you every dime you make/afford rent while it keeps going up/find a job that pays the bills/pay off your debt/all of the above. Usually all of the above.

Basically, you wake up one morning and think to yourself, “Man - I’m totally screwed.”

Your happiness at work will depend mostly, of course, on how much you like your job and your co-workers. However we all get the Monday blues from time to time. Luckily there are ways to take action against them. If you’re going through a rough patch or are lacking job satisfaction, check out these ways to have a happier work day.

Organise your day at work - If your average work day often leaves you feeling stressed and overwhelmed, it is time to calm things down by getting more organised. Make sure you arrive a few minutes early for work to give you time to organise your tasks for the day and get mentally prepared. Then organise your space by clearing away any clutter and streamlining your workspace Finally, make a list of everything that you need to do that day in order of priority.

Get extra monitors and a headset -  The ability to have multiple pages up at once saves a huge amount of time. Also having a headset is much more comfortable than using a conventional phone, and it lets you walk around freely whilst on the phone, which will boost your energy. Also organise your desk. Could you invest in some desk accessories to help stay organized? Could you replace that hideous lamp?

Where your favourite outfit - While many of us are required to wear a uniform if you do have more freedom to dress as you wish, try opting for clothes or accessories that boost your mood. Whether you opt for a piece of jewellery that reminds you of a special memory, a colourful bag to brighten up your day, that confidence- boosting outfit, or even your favourite underwear beneath it all, adding something special to your worn-in work attire can really brighten your day.

Be nice to your collueges - This is the right way to behave, and it will also serve your best interests, if you need that justification. In situation evocation, for example, we spark a response from people that reinforces a tendency we already have — for example, if I act irritable all the time, the people around me are probably going to treat me with less patience and helpfulness, which will, in turn, stoke my irritability.

Stay Active - If your working day is getting you down, try giving yourself an instant happiness boost by squeezing some exercise into your lunch break. Exercise is good for boosting self-esteem and letting off stress, and it also releases chemicals in the brain such as endorphins and anandamide which can boost your mood and leave you feeling great. If you have shower facilities at work you could go for a lunchtime run. Alternatively, a brisk walk around the shops will get your heart rate up without working up a sweat.

As we go into the new year we are going to see rail fares go up by an average of 5.9%, with some commuters even finding their season tickets rising by almost 11%. Chief executive Anthony Smith said they should not have to keep paying for a “fractured, inefficient industry”. Whilst the association of train operating companies (ATOC) claim the increases will help pay for better services.

The average rise for all rail tickets - including unregulated fares such as advance and business tickets - is 5.9%. However, the cost of a Chester-Crewe annual season ticket goes up 10.6%, as does a season ticket for travel between Llandudno and Bangor in Gwynedd and Port Talbot Parkway and Swansea, will increase by 8.7%.

With the price of UK train fares being the most expensive in the EU its hardly surprising the majority of the general public are in uproar at these ridiculous increases. The rises are bad enough for commuters who mostly cannot hope to match the fare rises with comparable salary increases. Yet things could have been even worse, as the Government had originally intended to raise the January 2012 annual increase for regulated fares from RPI inflation plus 1% to RPI plus 3%.

However the Government is apparently still planning to operate a RPI plus 3% formula for January 2013 and January 2014, leaving us hard-up passengers to hope that promises of a reduction in inflation will be fulfilled. There was a similar “reprieve” for London travellers who had faced Tube and bus rises of around 7% from today until an extra £136 million of Government was found to limit the London increases to an average of 5.6%.

Michael Roberts, chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc), stats money raised through fares helped pay for improved services. “For a number of years, the government has sought to sustain investment in the railways by reducing what taxpayers contribute and increasing the share that is paid for by passengers,” he said. “The focus of the whole industry is to keep on reducing the overall cost of running the railways as a way of limiting future fare rises and providing taxpayers with better value for money.”

Campaign groups and transport unions have bemoaned the 2012 increases which come at a time when rail regulators have warned Network Rail about poor punctuality on some long-distance routes.

Last week, the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) released figures showing that passengers in Europe can pay between three-and-a-half times and nearly 10 times less for their annual season tickets on routes of around 23 miles than their British counterparts. But the Government, train companies and London Mayor Boris Johnson have all stressed that fare rises are necessary to sustain investment in Tube and main line systems that are attracting more and more passengers.

Coca Cola has been successfully using Christmas to promote its brand for over 80 years now. These adverts are so successful that even when logging into facebook mid November, my news feed was filled with statues about how “You know it’s Christmas when the Coca Cola advert comes on”.

However Coca Cola is not the only cola brand that uses Christmas to promote its product. Alongside its rival Pepsi they have been in what’s arguably the longest running competitive battle in the history of advertisement. So what makes the Coca Colas Christmas adverts so special, that it brings people to quote the same line time and time again “You Know It’s Christmas When the Coca Cola Advert Comes on”; when in reality Coca Cola has nothing to do with Christmas at all!?

Before the first Christmas campaign was made, many people believed that it was a summer drink. Coca Cola wanted to change the outlook people had on this so adopted the image of Father Christmas as its unofficial logo. Now Coca Cola claims to have changed the world’s view on who Father Christmas is. They claim that before the first ever advert was made, many people portrayed Father Christmas as being fat, thin, small, tall to even the image of an elf.

Coca Cola art quotes - When the name Santa Claus is mentioned anywhere in America today, the image that invariably comes to mind is the one created by Haddon Sundblom for the Coca-Cola Company. In 2001 this same artwork was used again for the basis of an animated commercial.

Since the start of the Christmas campaigns coca cola has gone on to create many different adverts using catchy jingles, polar bears and penguins; and in 2010’s advertisement they even used a more modern approach and placed the world in Santa’s own snow globe. Coca Cola has cleverly taken a product that has no relevancy to Christmas and turned it into one of the most recognised campaigns in advertisement history.

As well as the new campaigns they produce every year, the same famous “Coca Cola Truck” advert runs alongside the new ones. This advert is the most powerful advert Coca Cola has ever created. Many people immediately associate it with Christmas as they have been brought up with the theme tune “The Holiday’s are coming”, taking many people back to their younger days.

Looking back at Coca Cola’s Christmas campaign it is clear to see that they have cleverly taken a product that had no relevancy to the Christmas period what so ever and turned it into one of the most recognised campaigns ever to have been created.

Christmas is supposed to be a time of peace, love and goodwill to all men. But with all the stress and commotion of the season, many of us end up feeling a bit more like Scrooge than Father Christmas. But for the sake of those around you and to renew your holiday spirit, you can make an effort. Here are few thoughts and tips to help you find your holiday cheer.

Shop early. Nothing takes away the Christmas spirit like fighting for parking and struggling through crowds. Leaving the present buying until the last minute may seem like a good idea at the time, but as the big day draws closer, it will be an extra stress you could do without!

Think about what the meaning of Christmas and what it means to you. Is it the birth of Jesus Christ? Is it a time when all the family get together? Does it bring some warmth and light in the middle of the winter? Does it show others that you’ve thought about them with the gifts you’ve chosen? Or is it simply about receiving presents? Think about what you’d like Christmas to mean to you and how you can work towards that goal, giving yourself that warm and exciting feeling about Christmas.

Listen to Christmas Carols and watch Christmas movies. Films such as “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a good one for reviving a flagging Christmas spirit, as is “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Or if reading is more your thing there are novels availble such as “A Christmas Carol” and “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.” Do any number of these things will enable your brain to start thinking of the festive season, and hopefully get you into the spirt of Christmas.

Don’t for get to decorate your house! Be Inspired by Decorations. Walk around your town to look at the Christmas decorations and lights, visit family and friends and decorate or bake together, do anything that you know have something to do with lights, and Christmas, this will be sure to have some influence on you. However if you don’t want the hassle of a large tree, opt for a small or pre-lighted tree. It doesn’t matter how clean your house looks for your family. Just relax and have a nice time with those you love.

Why is it so difficult for the majority of people to let their waiter know that they are less than satisfied with what’s on their plate?! Its seems that the dining public has such a fear of letting the restaurant know that they were not satisfied with an aspect of their dining experience, that they would rather sit quietly through the meal than speak up. This often results in the diner going away feeling disappointed and unsatisfied, and often bad mouthing the restaurant.

Most restaurant owners want to know if you have an issue with the food or service so that they can improve it, as reputation is everything to them. They will often look at replacing the dish, and sometimes even chuck freebies in to make up for your misfortune. A friend of mine recently ate at a local restaurant that has a rather good reputation, however somehow this particular dish was not best cooked. My friend very politely sent it back and got a free drink, along with an improved dish in return. The staff where very friendly and apologetic about the whole situation and my friend left the restaurant with a positive outlook about eating there again.

Now I know not all restaurant staff will be this helpful, but unless you give them a chance to fix your issue you cannot truly be aware of whether the restaurant you have dined at was really that bad. A few various scenarios where the problem would lie with the restaurant includes: when your meal is the wrong temperature, stale, has a foreign object (a hair or something similar) in it, or is not what you ordered. In this case the fault lies purely with the restaurant, which means that you are entirely within your rights to send your order back (that is to say, you shouldn’t receive any complaints or trouble from your waiter).

If any of the above problems arise whilst dining you should politely request a replacement, and make sure that you are specific about what you would like to be changed. This means you should know whether you want the meal to be fixed, or cooked entirely from scratch. Another few tips to remember are -
•Be Light-hearted and smile, smiling cures everything. A kitchen is busy and people make mistakes.
•Never demand a server to work for you. Remember, they are handling your food.
•Unless they are having a bad day, most servers will not care if you send back food. As long as you’re not rude and ask politely, they should be happy to help.
•Your Server is not 100% to blame - if there is something wrong with your food, remember you are tipping on service.

Giant tobacco firm Philip Morris is suing Australia for new laws set by their parliament, which have been set to ensure that after December 2012 all cigarette and tobacco products must be sold in plain olive-brown packets that will only display graphic health warnings.

Canberra quoted that the law was “one of the most momentous public health measures in Australia’s history”, but Philip Morris responded by saying that “the move breached a bilateral investment treaty” and “it had served a notice of arbitration under Australia’s Bilateral Investment Treaty with Hong Kong”. PMA’s Australian affiliate Philip Morris Ltd (PML) will also pursue claims under Australian domestic law.

Anne Edwards a spokesman for Philip Morris was also quoted saying; “The government has passed this legislation despite being unable to demonstrate that it will be effective at reducing smoking and has ignored the widespread concerns raised in Australia and internationally regarding the serious legal issues associated with plain packaging.”

Philip Morris is also expecting damages to be billions of dollars, but the legal process could take anything between two to three years to complete.
“We are confident that our legal arguments are very strong and that we will ultimately win this case,” Anne Edwards also quoted.
British American Tobacco Australia was also quoted earlier this month saying it would launch a challenge in the High Court as soon as the laws were granted royal assent, and that the company will argue it is unconstitutional for the government to remove its trademarks and other intellectual property without any compensation.
Under the new Australian law, the only thing that will distinguish tobacco brands on their packets will be their brands name in a standard colour, position, font size and style. Nicola Roxon from Australia’s Minister for Health and Ageing said – although the tobacco industry is “fighting to protect its profits, we are fighting to protect lives. We know that packaging remains one of the last powerful marketing tools for tobacco companies to recruit new smokers to their deadly products. In the future, cigarette packets will serve only as a stark reminder of the devastating health effects of smoking,”.

Recent research suggests that voters are more likely to back candidates with lower voices, why?… because they come across as more dominant and authoritative. In previous studys researchers have found that deep voices are linked to high levels of the manly stuff we call testosterone along with the new reasearch which reveals how perceptions formed by our ancestors still hold true today.

One of the researchers - Cara Tigue from the University of Canada, quotes: “We’re looking at men’s low voice-pitch as a cue to dominance, which is related to leadership. Throughout our evolutionary history, it would have been important for our ancestors to pay attention to cues to good leadership, because group leaders affected a person’s ability to survive and reproduce within a group. We’re looking at it in a present-day, 21st-century context.”

Researchers played the recordings of lower and higher pitched versions of different voices for volunteers and asked them to rate their perceptions of the speakers’ attractiveness,  honesty, intelligence, leadership potential, and dominance. Whilst also asking volunteers what version of the voice they would prefer to back both in peacetime and wartime. In all cases the volunteers chose the voices with a deeper pitch.

Cara Tigue also quoted: “One of the implications of our research is that voters may take it into account when making voting decisions.”

Whilst earlier research also looked at US presidential candidates between the 1960’s and the year 2000, in which they found that in all elections, the candidate with the deepest voice had won the vote.

The volunteers also considered the men with the deeper pitched voices to be both more attractive and more dominant, but the new research shows that it’s the perception of dominance that has a greater influence on voting.

The Supervisor of the research - Professor David Feinberg quoted: “People think we want to vote for men with lower-pitched voices because they’re more attractive, but it’s because people perceive them as better leaders and more dominant, not just because they’re attractive.”

Borough Market, South London

A favourite with hungry Londoners, this market is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It is a favourite of many celebrity chefs, and can be found under the railway arches between Southwark Cathedral and Borough High Street. With a range of around 150 food stalls including fish, game, artisan cheeses, rare-breed meats and ales.

St George’s Market, Belfast

A beautiful Victorian market that is a must do for any visitor to Belfast. The food market is open on Saturdays only, and sees local delights such as fresh organic veg, Armagh beef, fish landed at Portavogie and Irish farmhouse cheeses. World foods such as Mexican snacks to Italian olive oils can also be found here.

Swansea Market

Wales’s most famous market is famous for selling Welsh laverbread, cockles and Welsh cakes (made from griddle and meat and vegetables). It is open Monday to Saturdays and it is the largest, and possibly the friendliest, indoor market in Wales.

Moseley Farmers’ Market, Birmingham

The BBC’s food magazine, Olive, recently listed Birmingham as the UK’s foodiest town, so it is hardly surprising this is in our top ten. It is a monthly market that see’s traders selling produce from all over the Midlands. You can find Balti dishes that are made famous by the city.

Winchester Farmers’ Market

This takes place on the second and last Sunday of each month, just outside Winchester’s magnificent cathedral. It is the biggest farmers’ market in the UK. Everything sold is top quality local produce, and you can even find the likes of water buffalo meat and Hampshire honey and peppery local watercress.

Kirkwall Farmers’ Market, Orkney

Kirkwall maket takes place on the last Saturday of every month you can find this market in front of the magnificent St Magnus Cathedral. You’ll find organic vegetables, herbs, local fish and beef as well as a craft market.

Edinburgh Farmers’ Market

Taking place in the beautiful surrondings of Castle Terrace under Edinburgh’s ancient fortress, you will find this market open every Saturday. You will find many orgainic foods such as organic mushrooms from the Highlands and Scottish venison.

Broadway Market, East London

Possibly East London’s coolest market, open every Saturday you’ll find traders stalls selling everything from locally baked bread to artisan scotch eggs and Vietnamese coffee.

Orton Farmers’ Market, Cumbria

Set in the small village of Orton, Cumbria; you’ll find this market open on the second Saturday of each month. With around 40 local farmers and traders selling everything from home-brewed cider to trout pate.

Shipbourne Farmers’ Market, Kent

This market takes place every Thursday morning and boasts around 20 stalls. You can pick local foods up including tangy chutneys and Kentish apple juice and it can be bought with Shipbourne’s own currency. Using your card to buy Shipbourne farmers’ pounds at the local pubs then spending them at the market.