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Showing posts with label Blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blog. Show all posts
28 Day Reading Challenge - Day 4
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28 Day Reading Challenge - Day 3
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28 Day Reading Challenge - Day 2
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How to Become More Organized With a Bullet Journal
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You already know that a bullet journal can help you make lists for the future, build your business, manage your finances, and relieve your stress. But perhaps one of the greatest benefits to this type of journal is that it can help organize your entire life.
How to Become More Organized With a Bullet Journal
You already know that a bullet journal can help you make lists for the future, build your business, manage your finances, and relieve your stress. But perhaps one of the greatest benefits to this type of journal is that it can help organize your entire life.
Leading By Example: Overcoming Devastating Events As A Parent
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If you want your children to be well-rounded individuals, confident, good-natured, generous, and kind, it takes hard work, dedication, and commitment.
Picture by Josh Willink
If you want your children to be well-rounded individuals, confident, good-natured, generous, and kind, it takes hard work, dedication, and commitment.
The Weather And Your Mental Health
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We’re all aware that the weather can affect our physical health, some people get more aches and pains in the cold; the flu and viruses are rife as winter hits and sunstroke, sunburn or heat rash are common in the summer. However, did you know that the weather can also affect your mental health? It’s not just about the time of year which people find difficult, Christmas and New Year aren’t necessarily happy for a lot of people, and if you’re suffering from depression, then you probably feel the pressure to be happy as well as general anxiety around the festive period. It’s also the weather and the weather won’t be getting any warmer or brighter for a few months yet, so after Christmas and New Year is often really tough as well.
You may have heard about Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern. It is sometimes known as "winter depression" because the symptoms are usually more apparent and more severe during the winter although a few people with SAD may have symptoms during the summer and feel better during the winter.
According to the NHS, the exact cause of SAD isn't fully understood, but it's often linked to reduced exposure to sunlight during the shorter autumn and winter days.
The leading theory is that a lack of sunlight might stop a part of the brain called the hypothalamus working correctly, which may affect the: production of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that makes you feel sleepy; in people with SAD, the body may produce it in higher than normal levels. A lack of sunlight may also lead to lower serotonin levels, a hormone that affects your mood, appetite, and sleep. Feelings of depression can also be linked to your body's internal clock (circadian rhythm) as your body uses sunlight to time various vital functions, such as when you wake up, so lower light levels during the winter may disrupt your body clock and lead to symptoms of SAD.
It’s not just SAD and not just people who suffer from depression that suffer depending on the weather, according to John Grohol, PsyD, founder and CEO of Psych Central, “the overall preponderance of evidence suggests that weather can have more than just ‘a little effect’ on your mood.” In a 1974 study with 16,000 students in Basel City, Switzerland, 18 percent of the boys and 29 percent of the girls responded negatively to certain weather conditions, exhibiting symptoms of fatigue, dysphoric moods, irritability, and headaches.
During the winter months, everyone should try and get as much natural sunlight as possible, exercise regularly, and manage your stress levels. There are Depression Treatments available such as light therapy – where a particular lamp called a lightbox is used to simulate exposure to sunlight or talking treatments – such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or counseling can help too.
Taking Active Steps to Make 2019 As Positive As Possible
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2019 is literally around the corner and this can mean many things to many different people.
What’s Stopping You From Becoming Your Best
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Life can be tough, there’s no doubt about that. But it can also be beautiful and fun, curious and incredible. And if you’re not really living to your full potential, you may not know that. So, it’s ever so important for you to be able to become your very best self. Yet, it’s really not always that simple. Sometimes, you feel held back. Yet you have no idea why. And sometimes, you cannot figure out what you need to do to be able to make a change. And when you’re in this kind of situation, you’re not going to be at your best. So let’s change that. Because we all have potential and we all deserve to live our lives to the fullest and really get the most out of life. So let’s take a look at what could be stopping you from becoming the best version of yourself.
Fear
To start with, it could be because you’re scared. And not on an everyday, you’re so terrified of life kind of fear. But the fear of stepping out of your comfort zone. The fear of changing your life. The fear of failing. Yet, you won’t ever know what will happen until you try. Or until you make that first step. And if you have dreams and you want to accomplish them, you need to feel the fear and work on them anyway.
Money
Sometimes, it can be money. And if you do not have the funds to do what you want to do in life, then you need to work on that. Start to save. Get a new job. Sell your stuff. Start a side hustle. More money can always be earned, remember that.
Health
Next up, it could be your health. Maybe you’re sick or something happened to you? When this is the case, you may be worried about how you can move forward. Or maybe you’re still recovering from birth injuries or a diagnosis and you’re unable to actually do much to help yourself? Then here, you’re going to want to help your health and get the medical assistance that you need to actually move forward. You owe it to yourself.
Others
If you know that the opinions of others are holding you back, or what they actually want for you, then you need to just move past this. This is your life, and you need to do what makes you happy - for you. Because you’ll only ever regret it if you don’t.
Your Mindset
And finally, we then also have your mindset too. Because it could actually be the case that you’re kind of holding yourself back. And sure, sometimes this is through fear, but not always. Maybe you’re too negative and you always see the bad in life and in people? Maybe you’re pessimistic all of the time? Then you will need to improve your mindset. Because you’re only damaging yourself here. When you’re positive and grateful, your opportunities truly are endless.
Bullet Journalling: The Parenting Savior No One Tells You About
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Even if you don’t realize that you need a bullet journal in your life, you were drawn to this post for a reason. And, that reason is that journaling in this way could be your parenting savior.
Attention: Fix Your Posture!
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Everyone’s unique in their own way, but there are also loads of things that the majority of people have in common. These days, almost everyone you come into contact with has bad posture. Unless they’re a ballerina or an athlete, then their posture sucks! It’s an especially problematic issue for parents, as you’re often stuck doing things that make your posture worse.
I think all people and parents need to fix their posture, and I’ll explain how to do this later on. First, I want to discuss why this is so important:
Strengthen your back muscles
Along with your abs and core muscles, you need to strengthen your back muscles as well. This helps pull your shoulders back into their proper position, which stops them rounding over and causing all sorts of pain and soreness.
Sit less and stay active
The number one reason for bad posture is that we sit too much. We drive the car everywhere, we sit at work, we sit on the sofa - and so on. This causes all the muscle imbalances that throw everything out of place. So, if you sit less and maintain a more active lifestyle, then the previous three tips will start to be more beneficial. There’s no use strengthening and stretching if you aren’t changing your bad habits at the same time!
Posture is a massive issue for the majority of adults around the world. It’s worth noting that women have more to worry about as well! With the effects of pregnancy - added to the fact that there’s some extra weight on our chests that can make us round our backs - it’s easy to get bad posture. I hope this article has done an excellent job of explaining why you need to improve your posture, and how you can do it. Once you’re aware of the problem, it becomes much easier to focus on fixing it for good!
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| Don’t let posture pains stop you from playing with your kids. Flickr |
Everyone’s unique in their own way, but there are also loads of things that the majority of people have in common. These days, almost everyone you come into contact with has bad posture. Unless they’re a ballerina or an athlete, then their posture sucks! It’s an especially problematic issue for parents, as you’re often stuck doing things that make your posture worse.
I think all people and parents need to fix their posture, and I’ll explain how to do this later on. First, I want to discuss why this is so important:
Get rid of chronic pain
How many of you are stuck with a stiff neck or sore back all the time? Most of us, right? This usually comes down to lousy posture as it means our spine and hips are just in wrong positions, which causes pain. So, when you fix your posture, it gets rid of your chronic pain, leading to a much better life. This is also good for parents who might be too stiff or sore to play with their kids, which is never something you want to admit to yourself. By working on your posture, you can become more mobile, flexible, and pain-free! So, picking your kids up and running around with them becomes a breeze.
Good posture makes you much happier and positive! pixnio
Improve your mental wellbeing
Yes, your posture links into your mental wellbeing! Most people assume that issues with your mental health are purely mind-based. However, it’s often physical things that can put you in a bad frame of mind. With poor posture, you’re very rounded over, and your body language is quite closed off. Plus, there’s the soreness to deal with every day, which can make you negative. When you fix your posture and get into proper alignment, then everything feels better. You’re standing up taller, your body language is way more positive, and all the pain has subsided. As a result, you end up in a much better mental space!
Keep your body healthy
The worst thing about having lousy posture is that you don’t realize the effect it’s having on your body. Staying in an uncompromising position will put so much strain and tension on different muscles or joints. This can lead to serious problems like arthritis or it can even lock your body into unnatural positions. If you don’t do something about it, then you could end up like a hunch back all bent over or your lower back essentially gives out because there’s too much tension there. As a result, you could be asking for a one-way ticket to a wheelchair. If you look after your posture and work on improving it, then you help keep your body healthy. This helps prevent future issues like these, meaning you can stay in better shape for longer. Hopefully, you’ll still be fit as a spring chicken when you have grandchildren so you can play with them as well!
As you can see, your posture plays an integral role in your life! If you have kids, then lousy posture can ruin things for you. Simple stuff like trying to pick your child up will be painful for you. Your constant soreness means you don’t want to play with them as you’re in too much pain. So, you really need to focus on fixing any issues, and here’s what you’ve got to do:
As you can see, your posture plays an integral role in your life! If you have kids, then lousy posture can ruin things for you. Simple stuff like trying to pick your child up will be painful for you. Your constant soreness means you don’t want to play with them as you’re in too much pain. So, you really need to focus on fixing any issues, and here’s what you’ve got to do:
Strengthen your core muscles
Most people’s posture issues are caused by muscle imbalances - usually centered around your core. This is basically your abs, lower back, and a bit of glute in there as well. When you fix your posture, it inevitably means you strengthen all of these muscles. Why is this a good thing? Well, strengthening your abs can help to flatten your stomach, which instantly makes you look slimmer and leaner. More importantly, it keeps your spine in a more neutral position. So, it’s not over-arching or rounding in the wrong places, meaning your pain goes away and you’re more balanced. There are loads of exercises you can try, but a classic plank is probably the best one - and here’s a video to help you do it correctly.
Strengthen your back muscles
Along with your abs and core muscles, you need to strengthen your back muscles as well. This helps pull your shoulders back into their proper position, which stops them rounding over and causing all sorts of pain and soreness.
Stretch out your tight muscles
As well as strengthening your core and upper back muscles, you need to stretch out your tight ones. Inevitably, these end up being on the opposite side of your body to the weak muscles! So, stretch our your chest, shoulders, lower back, and hip flexors/quads. This loosens them up and stops all the tension and tightness that can pull your spine out of position. Again, there’s a video below that shows you some good stretches to try out.
Sit less and stay active
The number one reason for bad posture is that we sit too much. We drive the car everywhere, we sit at work, we sit on the sofa - and so on. This causes all the muscle imbalances that throw everything out of place. So, if you sit less and maintain a more active lifestyle, then the previous three tips will start to be more beneficial. There’s no use strengthening and stretching if you aren’t changing your bad habits at the same time!
Posture is a massive issue for the majority of adults around the world. It’s worth noting that women have more to worry about as well! With the effects of pregnancy - added to the fact that there’s some extra weight on our chests that can make us round our backs - it’s easy to get bad posture. I hope this article has done an excellent job of explaining why you need to improve your posture, and how you can do it. Once you’re aware of the problem, it becomes much easier to focus on fixing it for good!
Working Through The Pitfalls Of Life
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No matter how many systems govern our lives, and how effectively convenient and optimized our daily lives can be, the human experience will never be as well-oiled as a machine can be. We don’t run on algorithms.
The Life Lessons That Debt Gives Us
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Looking After Your Mental Health As A Parent
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The role of a parent is one of the most rewarding in the world, but it can also be quite difficult. You spend most, if not all of your energy looking after your children, and, as amazing as that is, it can leave you with very little for yourself. Everyone deals with stress now and then, parents more than most, but, when you ignore this stress, it can have harmful and potentially permanent consequences. To help prevent this, here are five ways to look after your mental health.
1. Exercise As A Family
Everyone knows that exercise is essential in weight control and physical fitness, but, what many don’t realize is that it’s key in mental health too. For this reason, you need to make sure that you find time to work out several times a week, if not every day. Instead of giving up time with your children for this, you should try exercising as a family. There are plenty of things that you could do together, including walking in the park, bike rides, and active games, like football.
2. Plan A Balanced Diet
Like physical activity, the food you eat affects your mind as much as it does your body. To ensure that you feel your best, you should eat a nutritious and balanced diet containing plenty of fruits and vegetables. Of course, with work, household chores, and the children, preparing these meals each night can be tricky. Because of this, you should write a meal plan and cook what you can at the weekend. This way, you can freeze your meals and simply reheat them on the right night.
3. Get Plenty Of Rest
Lack of sleep, for which parents are known for, can have incredibly damaging effects on your mental health. Because of this, it’s vital that you combat anything keeping you up and ensure that you get enough rest each night. You should create a night routine for you and your children so that everyone is starting to feel tired and prepared for bed when they should be. You should also make sure that the house is kept cool, quiet, and dark, and that everyone feels safe and secure.
4. Do What You Love
When you do something that you enjoy, you instantly feel happier. With that in mind, you should make sure that you do something that you love every day. If you want to work, but have children at home, then consider the many stay at home mom jobs out there. With so many to choose from, it’s likely that you’ll find something you’ll be happy with. You should also make time to catch up with friends and pursue any hobbies you’re interested in.
5. Know When To Accept Help
Far too many parents try to struggle through life and never ask for help when they need it. If and when this starts to affect your mental health, you need to take a step back and know to accept support. This could be from a friend or family member offering to watch your children for the afternoon or a doctor or mental health professional suggesting ways to manage your stress. There’s no shame in getting support, so don’t go through hard times alone.
Looking after your mental health can and will make you a better parent, so take care of yourself and follow the advice above.
Turning Your Life To The Next Chapter
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When most people think about it, there is something in their life that is holding them back. They might not know the cause of the setback which they are facing, but they will certainly see the results, and this can be incredibly frustrating to live with.
Sneaky Hacks That Will Convince The Whole Family To Exercise More
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Being a mom is a full-time job. Not only do you have to wash clothes and cook meals, but you’ve got to safeguard everybody’s health and wellbeing, too. And yes, that goes for the man of the house as well! Apparently, he’s too lazy to bother about cholesterol and working out and thinks he can get himself go.
Being a mom is a full-time job. Not only do you have to wash clothes and cook meals, but you’ve got to safeguard everybody’s health and wellbeing, too. And yes, that goes for the man of the house as well! Apparently, he’s too lazy to bother about cholesterol and working out and thinks he can get himself go.
Reasons to Keep a Journal When You’re a Creative Person or NOT!
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Whether you’re a writer, graphic designer or artist, maintaining your creativity can sometimes prove to be a real challenge. So, what can you do if your creativity starts to falter? Really though who cares if you characterize yourself as a "creative"? We all need help sparking our creative juices sometimes.
A journal is an excellent tool you can use to keep your creativity alive. This isn’t the type of journal you use to write your innermost thoughts and feelings (though you could use it for that purpose if it helps). Instead, a creativity journal focuses on helping you to solve problems, brainstorm ideas and practice creativity.
Here, you’ll discover just some of the reasons to keep a journal when you’re a creative person.
One of the best reasons to keep a creative journal is because it helps you to practice and refine your skills. Creativity doesn’t always come naturally. In fact, it often takes a lot of practicing to maintain it.
There’s always something new to learn and existing skills need to be maintained. By writing your ideas down, or practicing your drawing technique in the journal, you’ll continue to develop your skills.
Creative journals tend to be disorganized in comparison to standard journals. This means they can be used in many different ways.
You can turn it into a sketchbook, notebook, scrapbook or day planner. Whatever function you need it to meet you can use it for that purpose.
One problem you’ve no doubt faced many times is coming up with new ideas.
For example, a writer often struggles with “writer’s block”, finding it hard to know what to write. In this instance, a journal could be used to write down ideas, in no particular order. Free-writing can really help to get the creative juices flowing and help you to overcome that mental block.
You can use the journal to draw your ideas. You may find after doodling your ideas down, it all starts to come together.
If you tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to your creativity, it could really be holding you back. That inner critic can literally kill creativity, with everything you create seeming to turn out wrong.
A journal can help silence that inner critic. There’s absolutely no rules as to what you can and should put into it. There’s no wrong thing to write, plan or draw. It’s a safe space where your creativity can flow without being judged.
These are just some of the reasons to keep a journal when you’re a creative person. They really can help you to not just maintain your creativity, but nurture it too.
Whether you’re a writer, graphic designer or artist, maintaining your creativity can sometimes prove to be a real challenge. So, what can you do if your creativity starts to falter? Really though who cares if you characterize yourself as a "creative"? We all need help sparking our creative juices sometimes.
A journal is an excellent tool you can use to keep your creativity alive. This isn’t the type of journal you use to write your innermost thoughts and feelings (though you could use it for that purpose if it helps). Instead, a creativity journal focuses on helping you to solve problems, brainstorm ideas and practice creativity.
Here, you’ll discover just some of the reasons to keep a journal when you’re a creative person.
Helping you to practice and refine your skills
One of the best reasons to keep a creative journal is because it helps you to practice and refine your skills. Creativity doesn’t always come naturally. In fact, it often takes a lot of practicing to maintain it.
There’s always something new to learn and existing skills need to be maintained. By writing your ideas down, or practicing your drawing technique in the journal, you’ll continue to develop your skills.
They have multiple uses
Creative journals tend to be disorganized in comparison to standard journals. This means they can be used in many different ways.
You can turn it into a sketchbook, notebook, scrapbook or day planner. Whatever function you need it to meet you can use it for that purpose.
Ideal for brainstorming ideas
One problem you’ve no doubt faced many times is coming up with new ideas.
For example, a writer often struggles with “writer’s block”, finding it hard to know what to write. In this instance, a journal could be used to write down ideas, in no particular order. Free-writing can really help to get the creative juices flowing and help you to overcome that mental block.
You can use the journal to draw your ideas. You may find after doodling your ideas down, it all starts to come together.
Silencing your inner critic
If you tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to your creativity, it could really be holding you back. That inner critic can literally kill creativity, with everything you create seeming to turn out wrong.
A journal can help silence that inner critic. There’s absolutely no rules as to what you can and should put into it. There’s no wrong thing to write, plan or draw. It’s a safe space where your creativity can flow without being judged.
These are just some of the reasons to keep a journal when you’re a creative person. They really can help you to not just maintain your creativity, but nurture it too.
Flawesome Award
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The Rules
- Link back to the creator and thank the person who nominated you.
- Display the award on your blog.
- List three flaws and turn them into strengths.
- Tag 10 other people to celebrate their flaws too.
My Flaws
1. Perfectionism
I tend to be extremely hard on myself. I used to cry in grade school if I couldn't figure out a math problem. I also beat myself up when I got my first B in 3rd grade and cried to my teacher and mom. This, however, is a good thing because it has made me successful and driven my life long love of learning.
2. A Superior Need for Control
I get seriously freaked out if things are out of my control. While I was struggling with PPD, this became even more apparent. As we all know, most of our life is outside of our control - you can only control yourself and your reactions. It has made me a great planner at work at parties. You name it - I own what I am doing/trying to accomplish.
3. Extremely Emotional
I cry at commercials. Yes, I'm that teary-eyed one if there's a baby on the TV. My friends have made fun of me for years for how sensitive I can be. I honestly don't know any other way of living and it has given me a huge heart. I will give you the shirt off of my back if you need it. I'm a great hugger and always there to be a shoulder to cry on.
Sorry for the brevity in the post, my 2-year-old is trying to attack me while I'm typing this!
I nominate
Does Happiness Start With Money?
Is this even a question that need answering? Because yes, at the route of everything, we think that money does equal happiness. It controls us. From the foods we buy, to the clothes we wear, to the lifestyle we’re able to live. There’s not much you can do without money, and there's not many people out there who are constantly on the hunt for more money at some point! Of course, things such as family, friends, and pets all give us a large amount of happiness, but for the most part, it’s money that we’re searching for. But, how often do you think we’re actually happy with our financial situation? Do you not think we’re more focused on the negative aspects of money, rather than focusing on the positives? We think that most people are. So we want to show you why, and how, your happiness can start with money, and that money actually does make you happy!
Image Source
How Can Money Make Us Happy
Money can and does make us happy, as we have stated. But we want to go into more detail about the things in life that just give us freedom. Money can pay for a lot of things, and one of them is the freedom to own a home and have independence. We always view owning a home as a negative. They cost so much, things seem to break a lot and we always have to buy new things to keep it up to date. But, without owning a home, we wouldn’t be able to live the life we want to live. It also allows us to travel, which is probably the best thing that we could mention! Travel is exciting, yes costly, but truly freeing. All you have to do is save for as long as you need to save, and make sure you plan in advance. Half of the reason why money does the complete opposite but give happiness is because people really aren’t preparing for the worst!
When Doesn’t It
The question for some of you should be when does it. Situations where money might not make you happy, is when you might not have much of it. If this ever happens, you should look for the quickest and easiest solution, which for us, is a small loan. Loans are easy to take out, easy to pay back, and a real big relief when you feel like you’re running low. You can use personal loan interest rates comparison to make sure that you’re getting the best deal that you possibly can, and you should definitely never take out more than one loan at a time, just to make sure you’re keeping on top of your finances in the future!
How To Live With Minimal Money In The Bank
Sometimes you’re just going to have to come terms with the fact that you won’t have much money in the bank, and that you’ll need to cut down on things just a little. Our best advice would be to do a money plan, cut out pretty much all luxuries for a while and wait until your finances rise again! The less you spend, the quicker they’ll recover.
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