Showing posts with label Blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blog. Show all posts

4 Tips to Getting Through The Stresses And Strain Of Being A Mom

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Finding out that you’re pregnant and that you are to become a mother is one of the greatest feelings in the world. A few months beyond that, you realize that giving birth and welcoming your child into the world takes the lead as the greatest. Seeing the little human being that you created and grow inside you for months and months finally in your arms as they frown, smile, cry and laugh is a feeling that you don’t understand until the moment happens to you.

28 Day Reading Challenge - Day 10

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I've read some pretty good chick-lit lately.  Sophie Kinsella never fails to come through.  One of her new books, Surprise Me also does not disappoint.

28 Day Reading Challenge - Day 9

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I run the risk of seeming like a book reader that really only loves books that get turned into movies given that most of my other posts in this challenge fit that description.  Particularly with today's selection of The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks.

28 Day Reading Challenge - Day 8

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The Happiness Project was another one of my favorite books from last year.  It follows the story of Gretchen Rubin as she tries to cultivate happiness over 365 days after having the realization: "The days are long, but the years are short."

She performs a variety of different experiments incorporating the wisdom of the ages, current research, and popular new trends to try and find what makes one happier.  She tests the theory of can money buy happiness.  Turns out it can if wisely spent.  What the Kon Mari method and my mother have been telling me for years - outer organization creates inner calm.

It is hilarious and at times a little sad as Gretchen finds her way through the 365 days of grappling with what happiness means.  I loved the book and definitely considered doing a 365 day happiness project myself.  Turns out lots of other people did too and now, there's a Happiness Project Manifesto, groups, along with dozens of other resources.

Until tomorrow and the next great read!





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28 Day Reading Challenge - Day 7

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The Tea Girl from Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See is by far one of the most moving books I've read in a long while. I have loved Lisa See's books since I first read Shanghai Girls which was the first encounter I had with her work. I've since read most of her books, heard her speak, and been a loyal fan for years. The Tea Girl follows an Akha through her life in Yunnan province.


The Akha people are one of the 55 minority groups that exist within China's borders. Yes, China definitely has more than just Han majority. I actually spent 3 weeks in Yunnan province in 2001 and went to some of the places mentioned in The Tea Girl. It is a beautiful province that was extremely poor both in the novel and my personal experience.


Times have changed over the past 20 years and with the growth of the tea industry, Yunnan has become famous for their Pu'er tea. Tea is at the center of this story and how it shapes the life of Liyan. It is how her peasant family made a meager living prior to the opening of China and how Liyan ultimately triumphs. It the story of loss, love, struggle, enduring and overcoming.
It is also the story of mothers and daughters - a unique bond that defines who we are as girls and women the world over no matter race, creed, religion, or background.  Read this book!
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28 Day Reading Challenge - Day 6





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The Help came out several years ago and also was made into a movie. It takes place in the deep South back in the 60s when white women were expected to marry, play bridge, and have the help raise their children.

28 Day Reading Challenge - Day 5

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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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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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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.



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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.

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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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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:

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!

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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.
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