Are You Truly Happy?
Is anybody truly happy? Do you know what being really happy means and how to achieve that level of happiness? Not many people do, I can assure you but so many claim to be. The thing is, happiness is personal, or at least levels of happiness are. What makes your friend happy won’t necessarily have the same effect on you.
Many people if asked will tell you that they do not deserve to be happy. They believe that unhappiness is their due and that is the way they should live their lives. Happiness does not just happen. You have to make it happen and, to help you along the way, I have drawn up a few tips that will, at the very least, get you started on the road to being a happier person.
- First, you must have an understanding of what will actually make you happy. That’s you, not everyone around you. Each person is different and has different things that make them happy. Be the individual that you are and don’t spend any time worrying about whether you are upsetting someone else or not. If you’re not sure what makes you happy, some great sites for helping you understand what makes you happy are: Buddhanet, Vedanism, and TED.
- Once you know what makes you happy, start researching ways you take control of those areas of your life. Does being in a relationship make you happy? Study techniques for improving your relationships. Does achieving great feats at work make you happy? Become a better employee or learn how to start your own company. Does doing extreme sports make you happy? Start learning about how you can get more involved in them. Take control and start taking action.
- Get planning. Write down a list of goals that you think will lead to your happiness. Be honest, and only set yourself goals that are attainable, goals that you know you can make happen. As you try to reach each goal, your mood will improve, simply because you are doing something that makes you happy.
- Make sure you spend time with people that are happy. If you constantly surround yourself with negative people, it will wear off on you and you will become more and more unhappy. Being around people who are happy will also wear off on you and you will find that happiness is infectious.
- If things go wrong, don’t spend your time wallowing in that emotion that is the lowest – self-pity. Allow yourself a minute or two to regret that things didn’t go as you planned and then move on. Look for a solution and a way to make things right and you will soon be back to your happy go lucky self.
- Take some time every single day to think happy thoughts. Think about those things that make you truly happy. This will have the effect of focusing your mind on the positives in life instead of the negatives. Positivity is equal to happiness.
- Take some time every single day to do something for you. Take yourself off out to lunch somewhere nice or relax in a long hot bath when you get home from a long day at work. Even just spending an extra few minutes on the way you look can lift your mood significantly.
- While you have to be serious at some points in your life, it is always a good thing to look for the funny side in some situations. Make jokes about certain situations that would normally drag you down and you will notice that you are able to deal with it much easier and that you will be happier for it.
- Be healthy. Eating a diet that is full of sugar or living on a junk food diet is a surefire way to bring your mood down. It’s a vicious cycle – you are unhappy so you eat badly. Eating badly causes your weight to skyrocket, which, in turn makes you unhappy. And so it goes on. Making a change to your diet and getting out and exercising on a regular basis is guaranteed to have a positive effect on your happiness.
- The most important point is to understand that you do deserve to be happy. Tell yourself that every day. If you feel that you don’t deserve happiness, subconsciously you will do everything you can to wreck any happy parts of your life.
Happiness is the key to our survival and understanding what makes you happy is the first step. Telling yourself that you deserve that happiness is an ongoing step and will lead you to a richer and more fulfilling life.
Take a Walk on the Wild Side
One of the most beneficial forms of exercise is something we all do to a certain extent every day – walking. Taking regular walks can make a massive improvement on your overall health and well-being, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.
Here are a few ways that walking can benefit your health:
- It can help you to lose weight. Any form of exercise can do this but walking is free and it is enjoyable. A brisk walk every day helps to burn off calories, tone muscles and improve your breathing.
- It can keep your heart healthy. Technically, walking is classed as cardiovascular exercise. Obviously, as with many exercises, the harder you walk the better it is. Good brisk walking on a daily basis helps to increase your heart rate, thus increasing your cardio output, which, in turn leads to a lower risk of high blood pressure and heart disease in the long term.
- It can help to reduce the risks of cancer. Because walking is a physical activity, it has many benefits. Physical activity has been linked with a lower risk of certain cancers, such a breast, colon and womb cancer. In fact, some studies have shown that walking is actually more beneficial in this area than a more intensive activity such as running or playing a game of tennis.
- It lowers the risk of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form and one of the contributing factors is weight. Regular physical activity, such as walking, can help to reduce weight, thus reducing the risks of diabetes.
- It helps to improve bone health. Any physical activity that involves extensive use of the legs and arms, such as walking, can help to lower the risk of osteoporosis in later years. Walking strengthens up the bones, reducing loss of density, which is the main factor in diseases such as osteoporosis and can also help to reduce the risk of arthritis in the joints.
- It helps to improve mental health. That’s right, walking can actually improve your mood and make you feel better about things. It’s also a great aid to reliving the symptoms of depression and is a wonderful stress buster.
- It helps to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Believe it or not, it can reduce the risk by up to 40% and, if you already have the disease, it can slow down its progress. Older people can also reduce the shrinkage of their brains and reduce later memory loss by walking 6 miles every week. Studies show that regular exercise helps new brain cells to grow and also improves the repair mechanisms in cells and tissue.
How Much Exercise Do You Need?
Some say you can have too much exercise and that it is just as bad for you. In some respects, it is, but much depends on the type of activity you are doing and how intensive it is. On average, you should try for 10-20 minutes moderate exercise every day, up to 30 if you feel fit enough and have no mobility problems. This is not a difficult figure to achieve if you are walking.
To take effect a brisk walk should leave you a little out of breath but still able to have a conversation. You should try to incorporate walking into your daily life in any way you can. Try:
- Walking to the local shop instead of getting in your car
- Walk up the stairs instead of getting on the escalator or in the lift
- Park further away from the shops so you have a little farther to walk
- Plan a walking route at the weekends, perhaps through a country park or a tour around a town near to you
- Join a ramblers group. Not only is it good exercise, it’s also a great social activity.
One thing you must do, if you have any concerns about your health, is to consult your physician before taking on any physical activity.
3 Unique Ways to Reduce Stress in Your Life
Stress is a normal part of our lives. It comes from work, school, family, relationships and just about anything else. It’s normal to be stressed, but too much stress can take a serious toll on your health.
It can lead to minor yet annoying symptoms such as headaches and stomach aches, and it can also bring on more serious issues such as high blood pressure, a weakened immune system and a greater risk of heart attack.
Many of us already have ways to deal with stress, but not all of them are healthy. Just think of eating junk food, drinking or smoking—things many of us think about doing when we are stressed.
Because of this, it is important to have some strategies in place for dealing with stress so that we avoid these unhealthy habits and instead engage in more effective practices. Here are a few methods you maybe haven’t thought of before:
Write in a journal
Our own thoughts are one of the biggest causes of stress. We worry about so much in our lives, and this worry brings in negative thoughts that swirl around in our heads and multiply, bringing in even more negativity and stressing us out even more.
So, it makes sense that one of the ways to reduce stress would be to find an outlet to discharge all of these negative thoughts. This is why so many of us like to talk to friends or families about our problems; it helps rid us of all this negative energy.
But if you have ever been on the other end of this interchange, you know that this is not always easy for the other person. To be able to help someone with their stress, you need to first have your own under control, something that is not always the case.
A good way to get the same effect without placing too great a burden on someone close to you is to write in a journal. Doing this helps relieve stress for several reasons, but one of the most important is that it allows you to dispel your negative energy.
Some people scoff at the idea of writing in a journal, using excuses such as “I’m not a good writer” or “What’s that going to do?” But you’d be surprised at how effective this can be. And if you’re not a good writer, who cares? No one has to see what you put in this journal except for you.
Release Built Up Energy
When you’re stressed, you feel tense, so to release stress, you need to try and reduce this tension. Many people exercise or go for massages as a way of trying to do this, and this has been proven to be a rather effective method.
However, these strategies are not for all of us, so we need to find something that will allow us the opportunity to get that tension out of our bodies. For some, a day at the beach might be just what you need, or simply a day that is different from your routine.
For others, you might need more activity. Some interesting things you can engage in to help you release this tension are woodworking and sewing, or if you are looking for something a bit more stimulating, pick up an air rifle and do some target practice.
These kinds of activities, while they might seem random, have one thing in common: concentration. To do these things you need to focus intently, taking your mind away from your worries and relaxing this tension away.
Meditate
This method is becoming all the rage nowadays. Once thought of as something for hippies, meditation is going mainstream. And for good reason: it works.
It is so effective for some people because it helps provide perspective. We tend to get stressed because we blow things out of proportion. A small issue at work can become major one after you hear news there may be layoffs. Or an argument you had with your spouse can become a big problem if it happens right before you both head off to work.
Meditation works by asking us to slow our minds down and concentrate, usually by focusing on our breathing. This allows us to observe the thoughts that pop up into our minds without engaging in them.
If you are stressed when meditating, the thing that is stressing you will surely come into your mind. But in this peaceful, non-combative state, you will be able to place it in context, understanding where it comes from. This will give you better insight as to how to deal with it, and when we know how to deal with our problems, we tend to stress about them less. It is the unknown, or the uncertainty surrounding us, that usually gets us so worked up.
Combining strategies
Stress is a normal and natural part of our lives. However, too much of it can cause us great pain and put our health at risk. We need to have strategies in place to deal with this stress so that we can move beyond it and prevent it from doing us harm.
The strategies mentioned here are some you may not have heard of before that are quite effective. But remember, there isn’t just one stress-relief strategy. It’s all about balance. You’ll want to try different strategies out, as well as introduce some lifestyle changes and perhaps seek professional help.
In conclusion, taking stress seriously and working to find strategies that work for you to eliminate it is a huge part of living a healthier, more satisfying life.
Dealing With The Unexpected & Managing Stress
My job can be stressful. As a physician, lots of unexpected things can happen and I need to response quickly and precisely.
Last Friday was incredibly busy. I had a number of emergencies with two of my patients so I had to rush to the hospital. I had a backlog of patients at my clinic who all had appointments which were now all running behind. However, work wasn’t the only thing that would prove to be a headache.
I was excited to get home. I had the house to myself and I couldn’t wait to kick my shoes off, have a shower, and relax.
I wanted to get home as quickly as possible so I decided to catch a cab. As I got out of the cab and walked to the front door, I realised I had left my keys at the office in a rush to get home.
At that moment, I could feel my heart beat rise. I could instantly feel my muscles tighten and a surge of anger and frustration swept through my body. I was already stressed from the day and at that moment it just seemed to snowball. Have you ever had that experience?
Stress is a huge part of everyday life, and if not managed correctly it can be detrimental to your health.
Why Do We Feel Stress?
Stress is how the body reacts to any change that requires a response. The bodies reactions to these changes can be physical, mental and emotional.
Stress is excellent at keeping us alert and ready to avoid danger. When something happens, the body releases hormones and increases your heart and breathing rate. Your brain gets more oxygen, make thoughts clearer for solving problems. In the short term, it is designed to help us cope with tough situations.
The problem occurs when we feel stressed over a continuous amount of time without relief or relaxation between challenges. We can become overworked and tense.
As I stared at my locked door I could definitely feel that rising tension.
What Are The Impacts Of Continuous Stress?
Stress that continuous with no breaks can lead to distress, which is a negative stress reaction. Distress can lead to headaches, elevated blood pressure, upset stomach, chest pain and problems sleeping. Research suggests it can also impact your immunity against diseases.
How Can We Reduce Stress?
When can’t control when unexpected events are bound to happen. However, we can control our response to these circumstances.
The amount of stress you feel can often come down to how you cope with an unexpected circumstance. Luckily, like any skill, you can learn how to deal with the unexpected effectively. Through practice and repetition, you can get better at it.
Here are some things you can do when the unexpected occurs.
Stop And Breath
While some situations may require an immediate reaction, in most cases the best option is usually to take a short step back. Use this moment to take 2 or 3 breaths to compose yourself and consider an appropriate response to a situation.
Remember not to panic. In circumstances where you may need people, people may be less inclines to agree or help you if you don’t have control of yourself. Panic can also be contagious, so take the time to breath and get your bearings.
Stay Optimistic
Can you remember all those times when something didn’t go to plan, but you still managed to overcome the problem? Great, you are capable of dealing with the unexpected.
If you don’t react well you are more likely to makes mistakes. Trying to maintain a positive attitude even in the face of a challenge will inevitably reap rewards.
Staying optimistic can be easier said that done. It takes practice if it is not a natural state for you.
I good way to approach an unexpected problem is to associate with it as an opportunity in disguise. Look at where the opportunity for you to show your initiative, and how you cope under pressure.
Consult Others
An unexpected event is a perfect opportunity to prove how capable you are in a crisis situation, however, it doesn’t mean you have to go it alone.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help, or advice from other people around a situation. If you don’t, you just be making life harder for yourself.
Seek help when it makes sense, and don’t be afraid to ask for a second opinion if you are unsure.
Get In Action
So, you have managed to stop, take a breath and carefully considered what to do. Excellent. You have consulted others and received feedback to solve the problem. Perfect.
The only thing left to so it to get in action.
Sitting still and doing nothing, can cause a situation to get worse and increase your stress. By getting in action and executing a well thought out plan, you can minimise the problem and ease your stress.
Focus On The Big Picture
Sometimes a grand plan is to get over a situation isn’t really need. Sometimes all you need to do is remember why you are doing it, and get on with doing your job in less than ideal circumstances.
Prevent Future Stress
So you have managed to come out the other end, maybe a little battered and bruised, but everything turned out fine. Does this mean you can forget about the problem and get back to normal?
If you don’t want the problem to happen again, evaluate what happened and why. How did it come up in the first place? What is the best way to prevent it? How can I manage it more effectively?
By answering these questions now, you can be sure that the issue will likely not occur again. If it does, you will already have a well thought-out plan that you can put in action.
Relax, Relax, Relax.
Modern lives can be very busy. During the hustle and bustle of our lives, we sometimes forget to take care of ourselves. Which can quickly lead to distress and burnout.
Relaxing helps rejuvenate the body and mind and leaves us better equipped for dealing with the unexpected and stressful situations.
Find something that you enjoy and make sure you do it regularly. Set times in your calendar and make sure it is uninterrupted and you stick to it. It doesn’t have to be a huge amount of time. Just enough for you to disconnect from the craziness of life and relax.
Get Moving
Exercise is the bodies natural way of reducing stress. Just about any form of physical activity can help relieve stress and reduce anger, tension and frustration.
Exercise releases endorphins that lift your mood, leaving you feeling good. It can also serve as a good distraction from everyday worries.
Like relaxing, find an activity you enjoy and stick to it. Put it in your calendar and make sure it is uninterrupted by anything else.
Expect And Accept The Unexpected.
“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is.” I don’t remember who said this, but it is a perfect reminder that however routine your job might be, there is always the possibility of the unexpected.
Ever wonder why some people thrive in the unexpected and others just deal with it? It’s because they expect the unexpected. They expect it and they prepare for it.
Whilst you cannot prepare for everything, you can protect yourself against common problems.
Just Go With The Flow
Unfortunately, I hadn’t foreseen myself being locked out. But luckily I had my phone and called a locksmith to let me in.
Whilst I waiting for the locksmith, I decided, instead of being frustrated with the situation I would make the most of it.
As I lay on my front lawn and look up and the stars I felt myself relaxing. If it wasn’t for that moment I wouldn’t have come up with the idea for this article.
So at times, just take a breath, relax and go with the flow.
You never know what might happen.
Technology Trappings: Is It Effecting Your Health?
You stuff your smartphone in your back pocket. You park it in your desk chair for 8 hours a day, almost non-stop. Your commute to work is accompanied by earbuds and an iPod on shuffle and repeat.
It doesn’t take a genius to know that we are living—breathing, sleeping, playing—more with technology than ever before, and it stands to reason that this must be affecting our health. How could it not?
Between mental and physical adaptation, technology has us changing our nature, and here’s the facts about what’s happening and on what you can do about it.
- The Mental Consequences
It’s true that technology has made our world’s so much more organized, efficient, and most importantly, connected, but it’s had it’s fair share of effecting our world as well.
You know how you get when you have something that looks like a blister from new shoes but you Google it and end up thinking you have cancer? It happens to everyone; the go-to search engine for everything is trustworthy enough for a little research, right? Wrong.
When you consult the World Wide Web instead of your physician, you end up with lots of different ideas that may be completely far from the truth—but it can still stress you out like the truth. Hypochondriacs everywhere know the feeling, and trying to self-diagnose through Google is exactly how to increase your anxiety. In this instance, we recommend not doing it; just pick up your phone and make an appointment, it will save you time, effort, and sanity.
If you think self-diagnosing is the biggest threat to your mental health with technology, think again; spending time with technology regularly is actually rewiring your brain. No, we are not making this up.
Due to the hours we spend on our devices, the hardwiring in our brains is constantly updating, teaching us what to do with our technology addiction, and freaking out when we go without it, just like real withdrawal. Special bootcamps in Korea have become internet famous for taking teens out of their virtual, video game playing worlds and tearing them from technology by going cold turkey. And it’s not pretty.
With Millenials spending up to 18 hours a day using technology, this fix is a simple one: just unplug. Whether you commit to having a technology free dinner, or insisting that you and your families have a specified time limit to spend on technology everyday, make sure you’re getting those hours away from the phone as well.
Sure, it will be difficult at first if you’re used to satisfying every down moment without an update of your Facebook newsfeed, but it’s not worth it to become addicted. Trust us, even Pixar can’t make the consequences look pretty.
- The Physical Consequences.
While your company’s SIP trunking system may be making it easier to network from home, and therefore increase your productivity on those days you are sick, or just can’t get out of your pajamas, it doesn’t mean the ease isn’t taking a toll on your body from the couch.
From pimples caused from the bacteria on your smartphone to weakened eyesight due to staring at a screen all day, it’s true all the tech hours are taking a toll.
You think you’re chatting with friends but you could be increasing acne and triggering eczema, putting pressure on your spine, or lowering your sperm count. And although it’s not official yet, “tech claw” (which is surprisingly similar to carpal tunnel) is caused by the exact curvature of your fingers and wrist when you work on a keyboard, tap on a screen, or click a mouse, and it’s wreaking havoc with your digits.
And while all of these things are bad, we like to think that you just need to put this information into perspective and not get scared away from the inevitable need for technology use (we’re not expecting everyone to recreate the plot line of The Village). If you take heed of these problems and plan accordingly, there’s no need to worry, because the answers for the mental consequences are the same for the physical ones; put your phone down every once and a while, it’s just good for you.
How Business Stress Affects Your Total Health and Wellness
In the working world, there are endless sources of stress, both major and minor. Stress can come from any quarter in a business environment, whether it’s constant worry over deadlines, an abusive boss, or something as overwhelming as actually losing your job.
Distress, or negative stress, can take a serious toll on your wellbeing, which is evident in all the bad feelings you might be having. But it can hurt you in a lot more ways than simply the mental aspect. Distress harms the physical health, emotional stability, and mental wellbeing in ways that aren’t always immediately apparent.
On a physical level, stressors (factors that cause stress) cause an immediate physiological reaction, called a stress response. The pituitary gland begins to release adrenaline into the bloodstream, which results in temporarily heightened alertness and increased heart rate, intended to deliver more oxygen to the body in case of “fight or flight”.
But over an extended period of time, this natural response becomes highly detrimental to the body. Prolonged stress causes high blood pressure, fatigue, stomachache and digestive issues, muscle tension, a suppressed immune system, headaches, and even joint pain. Stress is also known to disrupt the sleep cycle, which negatively affects the body in every way imaginable.
Stress affects personal mental health by overburdening the brain with stress input. Over time, this can contribute to anxiety, depression, disordered eating behaviors, logical disorientation, and general hormonal imbalances. And if you’re already losing sleep due to stress, the mental effects will be even further exacerbated.
Emotionally, stress can unbalance even the strongest-willed. Stress puts an additional burden on the already taxed emotional health of working individuals, and often results in emotional fragility, mood swings, irritability, racing thoughts, and extreme low self-esteem.
Business stress can affect all of us, from the hourly wageworker to the high-level executive. A retail employee feels the stress of sales and customer interaction on a daily basis. A white-collar desk worker may feel overwhelmed by the enormous workload of account spreadsheets they have to finish by Friday. A wealthy CEO may agonize long nights over tough downsizing decisions or necessary layoffs. No one is exempt from the stress of the working world.
Since small business owners are typically carrying more financial burdens and responsibilities than other working adults, business stress can be an overwhelming obstacle. If owning a business becomes so stressful that it begins to damage your overall health and wellness, it’s time to think about selling. Having a property valuation done professionally is a good first step to take in selling a business and can alleviate some stress you might have about the market value of your assets.
Being a working adult is never an easy task, but it is possible to manage stress in a healthy way to stop it from causing damage. Some useful stress management techniques can include getting adequate exercise, setting aside time for a full night of sleep, eating a more balanced diet, and making time each day for mindful relaxation. In the world of business, it is worth the effort to make time for stress relief, so try asking yourself: How can you make positive steps towards handling the stress of your own work life?
Get More Vitamins and Minerals Into Your Diet
In today’s busy world, it’s become all too easy to find food on the go. There are numerous fast food restaurants on every block and convenient snacks you can simply grab on your way to the next meeting or eat as breakfast during the morning commute. Unfortunately, many of those quick and easy options simply don’t provide the essential nutrition we all need from our everyday diets to maintain healthy bodies and minds.
Recent nutritional studies have shown that the average working adult’s diet fails to meet the minimum daily recommended intakes for many key nutrients, particularly iron, magnesium, calcium and vitamins A, C, D, and E. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can cause serious health issues that affect people of all different body types and at every stage of life. For example, a calcium deficiency can contribute to bone density loss and cause osteoporosis in older women. Low iron levels cause exhaustion and can lead to anemia. Vitamin C is responsible for nutrient absorption inside the body, and adults who don’t get enough Vitamin C in their diets run a risk of compromising their immune system.
So, how do we go about getting those essential vitamins and minerals into our bodies? The best approach to take is to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into our daily diets, of course! Fruits and vegetables - especially fresh produce - are excellent natural sources of countless vitamins and minerals. Many citrus fruits (such as oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and limes) can provide 100% of the daily recommended intake of Vitamin C, which helps boost immune health. Dark leafy greens like kale, spinach, and broccoli offer lots of iron as well as Vitamin A, magnesium, and plenty of fiber. A good rule of thumb is to eat a variety of colored fruits and vegetables each day. Different colors indicate high levels of different vitamins and minerals; eating “the rainbow” can help ensure you’re getting the nutrients your body needs.
However, whether due to personal preference or possibly the resulting digestive discomfort, many of us struggle to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. That doesn’t mean we need to miss out on all the benefits fresh produce has to offer! One way to get those vitamins and minerals is to juice your fruits and veggies, so you can simply drink those nutrients without the bulk. Juicing offers a number of health benefits from immune system function to improved digestive health. To learn more about the benefits of juicing, check out the interesting and informational health documentaries available on Netflix. (If Netflix isn’t available in your country yet, learn which VPN is best to watch Netflix overseas here.)
The key to a healthy body and a healthy lifestyle is to make sure you’re giving your body the nutrition it needs to function every day at its greatest potential. Although many of us may struggle to eat the right foods to meet our vitamin and mineral needs, it’s always possible to work towards achieving a better nutritional balance in our daily diets and everyday lives.
Reduce Stress by Enlisting Help
A trend we commonly see these days, especially among young people, is the notion that they have to do everything themselves. At the end of the day, we can all get overwhelmed. None of us are super human after all. When you take on more than you can handle, you risk raising your stress levels, which can have numerous negative effects on our lives. Here are some simple areas in your life that can be improved if you seek help and guidance elsewhere.
Your Health: One of the most common things I see, as a life coach, are people who are unhappy with their bodies. Lots of people are very concerned with their health and physical appearance, and for good reason. It is no surprise to know that 70% of the U.S population is over-weight. While many people seek to change, it is very unfortunate that most of them don’t succeed. They try a million different things they see on TV, and then they get upset and quit. Often they then proceed to put on more weight than when they started. Many people are afraid to make real changes in their lives, so they insist to themselves that nothing works, when deep down they do. If they seek professional help in the form of a nutritionist or personal trainer, it is guaranteed that they will see results. Most people need the guidance to wade through fact and fiction as most of them have been brainwashed by the media. Very few people have the discipline necessary to change their bodies on their own. Being grounded by the presence of a professional is very important; not only for encouragement, but for accountability and the recognition of achievable goals.
Your Finances: Lots of people are bogged down with the burden of managing their finances. Personally, my eyes glaze over when I look at anything having to do with taxes. Lots of people are like me, in that we find the numbers really, really boring. But finances don’t stop at taxes. What about insurance, retirement planning, making wise investments and planning your portfolio. What about financing a mortgage, or getting out of debt. This can all be very daunting if you’re someone like me. Enlisting the help of a financial advisor can significantly reduce your stress. If you’re in debt, this is even more important. There will be someone to keep you accountable, as well as help you to make smart financial decisions. If you go with a random person assigned to you by your bank or insurance company, and even stock brokers, you may find yourself making all the wrong decisions because many of these people earn based on commissions. So they may encourage you to do things that aren’t necessarily in your best interest. It is always best to go with an objective third party when seeking out a financial advisor. Check out this guide by the Wall Street Journal: http://guides.wsj.com/personal-finance/managing-your-money/how-to-choose-a-financial-planner/
Your Career: Whether you work a 9-5 or you own your own business, it is beneficial to seek help with your career or business so you don’t remain stagnant. A career coach can be very beneficial to many professionals who are unsatisfied with their current jobs and want to seek more gainful employment. Whether you desire more free time, a high salary or location independence, a career coach can make it happen. You won’t have to spend thousands of hours emailing resumes and contacting employers. They also typically have connections that the average man wouldn’t possess in their Rolodex.
Conversely, if you own your own business it is just as beneficial to hire a consultant. They can walk you through your growth strategy, marketing strategy and your cash-flow. They will also help you to plan an exit strategy. If your business is on its way down they may be able to guide you with selling your business or liquidating it.
If you operate an online business, assist you with selling your website with a reputable website broker: http://www.incomediary.com/sell-with-a-website-broker
All in all, in the 21st century, way too many people have the idea that they need to be a one man army. Many people are afraid or embarrassed to ask for help in areas of their lives that they feel they should have under control. This results in extremely high stress levels, that can exacerbate the very problems they refuse to seek help for. We’re all human and there is no shame in enlisting the help of people who are trained and have experience in a particular area.
Why Good Nutrition is Important
Nutrition, otherwise known as the nourishment of your body, is required if you are to maintain a healthy body. You should enjoy a healthy balanced diet, containing a good mix of vegetables, poultry and fruits.
If your nutrition levels are optimal, you will find that you have far more energy than you ever used to have. You will sleep better at night and you will feel better about yourself overall.
Why You Should Eat a Nutritious Diet
Good nutrition is required if you are to perform at your best during the day. It provides a high level of energy, through fats, carbohydrates and proteins. However, you need more than that; your body requires minerals and vitamins to convert what you eat into energy instead of fat. If your diet does not have a balanced mix of everything, including those all-important minerals and vitamins, your health can decline, in some cases, seriously.
Good nutrition is also responsible for the growth, especially during childhood years. This is why parents are urged to keep their children fed on a balanced diet and not on junk and fast food. You need protein to help maintain your muscles, which can come from milk, eggs, meat and beans.
Keep Yourself Disease Free
If you want all of your internal organs to function as they should do, you need a good nutritious diet. While your body produces a certain amount of its own nutrients, it is not enough and you need to help it along with the right food. The wrong foods will stop your body’s cells from functioning as they should, leading, once again, to health issues.
Lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, and high, or low blood pressure can be prevented if you eat a nutritious diet. Saturated fats and sugar should be eliminated from your diet and replaced instead with leafy green vegetables. The phyto-chemicals contained in these vegetables will help to fight the free radicals in your body and can help in the prevention of cancer.
Strength Comes from Nutrition
A nutritious diet will help to strengthen up your bones and your teeth, again, especially during the childhood years. Sugary snacks can be replaced with cheese, vegetables and nuts, a far more healthy option than chocolate, candies and cakes that will rot your teeth and add to your waistline.
The final benefit of a good nutritious diet is good sleep and good mental health.
By good sleep, I do not mean the number of hours you sleep; I mean the quality of the sleep. Include vegetables, fruit, meat, poultry and dairy foods along with whole grains and unprocessed cereals. These have all been proven to keep your mood higher, fighting depression. Sea food, in particular oily fish, can also help to improve memory and concentration and goes some way towards preventing Alzheimer’s in later years.
A healthy, balanced and nutritious diet is essential if you are to be fit, both physically and mentally. If you are unsure of your diet, seek advice from a registered dietician who can help you to plan out your diet and keep an eye on any health issues that need attention.
Clean Air, Clean Health
Feng Shui is an ancient form of art that is designed to create a positive flow of energy in the home. There are a number of different areas that you can affect with Feng Shui, one of them being your health.
One of the main things that can affect your health indoors is the quality of the air that you breathe in. Believe it or not, pollution in the home is much, much worse than it is outside, and when you think about the amount of time we spend inside our homes, that is not good news.
So, how can Feng Shui help you to improve the quality of the air you breathe? Very simply, with the use of houseplants. These plants will remove toxins and pollutants from the air, increasing the amount of clean oxygen. And, on top of that, they will look great as well!
- Areca Palm. These are a beautiful indoor plant that have flowing leaves. These lend an air of soft energy to any room that they are in. The Areca Palm will also remove all tested toxins from indoors, leaving your air much cleaner and healthier.
- Lady Palm. This is one of the best plants proven to reduce pollutants and improve the quality of the air you breathe. The Lady Palm is also a very easy plant to look after.
- Bamboo Palm. The Bamboo Palm is a peaceful plant, adding a tropical feel to any room. It is also highly resistant to insects and has been proven to remove the following pollutants:
- Benzene
- Trichloroethylene
- Formaldehyde
- Rubber Plant. The Rubber Plant is an excellent plant for rooms that are dim-lit and it likes cooler temperatures as well. It is excellent at removing a number of pollutants and toxins from the air, in particular, formaldehyde.
- Dracaena Janet Craig. This plant is highly attractive and is another one that requires little light to flourish. It is the best plant in its family for removing toxins and pollutants, especially trichloroethylene.
- English Ivy. The English Ivy is a hardy plant and is extremely popular in public places. It is very easy to grow and look after; highly adaptable but does not like it too hot. It is an excellent plant for removing pollutants, especially formaldehyde.
- Dwarf Date Palm. The Dwarf Date Palm is quite a slow grower but it can grow up to around 5 or 6 feet in height. It will survive in dim light and will remove most toxins and pollutants, especially xylene.
- Ficus Alii. This is one of the easier plants in the Ficus family to look after although, if you move it, expect a few leaves to drop. It will adjust though. It will remove most pollutants, in particular formaldehyde and comes in 3 varieties – standard tree, bush form and braids.
- Boston fern. The Boston fern is a lush plant, very beautiful but does require a great deal of attention if it is to thrive. A healthy plant will remove most pollutants, in particular, formaldehyde.
- Peace Lily. The Peace Lily has beautiful white flowers on it and is a very easy plant to look after. It gives of a very strong and peaceful energy. It will remove acetone, trichloroethylene, alcohols, benzene and formaldehyde for the air in your home.
If you are looking for a healthy life, you must make sure you breathe in clean air. These plants, together with additional Feng Shui practices can help your home to become a healthy one, giving off strong positive energy vibes that will transfer to you.
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