How do I tell my boss that his breath stinks?
Dear Nabilah,
My Boss is kind and considerate, the best any employee could wish for, the only problem is he has a stinking bad breath, it’s so strong that I feel like vomiting whenever we are discussing an issue, I have to hold my breath until I can’t hold it anymore. Are people with bad breath unaware they have it? How do I let my Boss know about his bad breath without embarrassing him?
-Holding my breath
Dear Holding,
Yes, people with bad breath, especially chronic bad breath, may not even be aware of the problem. That’s because our oral cavities are connected to our noses through an opening at the back of our mouths. Some research suggests that our
brain automatically filters out triggers or receptors that it deems to be non-threatening through a process called sensory adaptation. According to this theory, our nose may filter out any bad smells coming from the mouth because we have grown accustomed to our own odours.
Telling anyone that they have bad breath can be an awkward and difficult thing to do. Most people will be embarrassed or feel insulted! A few might even deny it.
Even though you praised your boss as being kind and considerate, it’s no guarantee he will easily accept being told he has bad breath, especially from his employee, even a close friend or family will find the situation uncomfortable and awkward. As such, I recommend you write to him an anonymous email or text message, telling him all the details of his bad breath and suggesting that he visits the Dental clinic for check-up and treatment. You can also suggest he buys and uses mint gums, breath spray, tongue scraper and mouthwash.
Why do my legs hurt? Dear Nabila,
I’m suffering extremely, my legs hurt all the time and I don’t get any relief by taking pain killers. I’m also experiencing extreme sadness all the time, my heart aches heavily in my chest, I do things in order to lift my spirit but
nothing works. Kindly explain what’s causing me these sufferings and advise me on the best ways to find a permanent cure for my ailment.
-Heavily Hearted
Dear Heavily,
There are several illnesses that can cause the symptoms you mentioned; the most common cause of unending sadness is major depression which can also manifest as physical pains felt in different areas of the body, most especially legs and
joints. This happens because moods and response to physical pain share the same neurological pathways in the brain and nervous system, that is why what affects one, has an effect on the other.
Menopause is another condition that can cause both depression and painful legs, so if you have started experiencing these symptoms in your menopausal age then menopause is probably the culprit for your ailment. I recommend the following steps in your quest to finding a permanent cure for your ailment:
Adopt a positive mindset and outlook, discard all the negative and chaotic thoughts from your mind and mental faculty. Strongly believe it in your heart that you will soon find a cure, you will soon find relief.
Lower your expectations, understand that there is the possibility that your illness might be a lifelong illness with no permanent cure in sight, only management techniques to ease suffering. Because thinking and expecting a permanent cure might add to your sadness if it becomes impossible, lowering your expectations will lower the impact of disappointment if it happens.
The next step is to visit a qualified physician that specializes in this field and follow the treatment regimen he prescribed!
In order to have better moods and cure your aching heart, follow the following advice:
Become devoted to your religious practices and pray fervently, earnestly and unceasingly for Allâh to grant you ease in your life and mind, change your situation for the better and cure your illnesses.
There is a lot of happiness in serving others, the joy you bring to others will be doubled for you, likewise any act of kindness or generosity. Find something you can do as a daily act of kindness, things like cooking nice delicious food for the less privileged, candy for the neighbourhood children, clothes for the homeless, cooking the favourite dishes of your loved ones, etc.
Socialize a lot, visit friends and relatives, let yourself go among them with easy chatter and banter, enjoy yourself and smile a lot. Another way is to cook something unique and delicious and invite your nearest and closest friends for a get-together dinner. Or you can go further and establish a weekly event with friends, it can be anything you all agree such as weekly picnic, dinner or evening tea, etc.
Another important thing that will dislodge all sadness from your heart is forgiving all that hurt you or treated you unfairly, neutralize all grudges and disappointments, accept the reality of your life and what happened in it and look to the future with a positive mindset.
Magnesium supplements are found to be good for mood and reduce legs and joints’ pain to a great extent, you can request your physician to prescribe it for you if it would fit with your current treatment. Wishing you all the best in your journey.