Bad Habits You Can Break Today

Hi lovelies,

We’re all guilty of some bad habits - we’re only human after all. But when your energy levels are starting to suffer and your health isn’t what it should be, that’s when you know it’s time to make some important changes.

Breaking bad habits can take time, and it isn’t always easy. But if you’re willing to make some positive changes, you can get your health back on track and feel more energized and youthful than ever before.

Want to know more? Here are some bad habits you can break today.

Photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash

Always eating on the move

A hectic work and social life can mean that you tend to eat on the go, a lot. From a take-out lunch to constant snacking, you’re not doing your body or waistline any good by always eating out. If time is short, then some quick and healthy recipes you can turn to in a hurry are always good for helping you maintain a balanced diet. 

Staying up too late

Do you tend to burn the candle at both ends? All of those late nights will soon catch up with you. It’ll show in your eyes, your skin and your overall mood. Sleep is more important than you might realize, and by making an effort to go to bed earlier, you can help yourself restore your energy. If something’s stopping you from getting your eight hours a night, like work or going out too much, then it’s time to start saying no and making some important decisions for your health.

Things that are causing serious damage to your health

While some bad habits won’t have a serious effect in the short-term, there are others that can cause long-lasting damage. Drinking too much and smoking are two of the worst things you can do for your health, but they’re also some of the hardest to stop. Getting a Juul Starter Kit could be a good way to help you give up smoking cigarettes, while drinking less will also make a difference to your overall health. Remember that your doctor can advise you on some of the best ways to quit to help you benefit your future health.

Not moving enough

Exercise is incredibly important for maintaining your health. It helps to keep your heart and lungs strong, while also making sure you keep your weight within a healthy range. 30 minutes a day is all it takes, so take a look at some of the ways you can fit half an hour of exercise into your day. Your mood will improve, as will your energy levels, to help you live life to the fullest.

Breaking bad habits takes time, but some say you could form a new habit in as little as 30 days. Make some positive changes to your lifestyle to help you put your health first and give your future self the best chance at a long and healthy life. You control your own destiny, so start breaking those bad habits now.

*This is a collaborative post.

7 Ways To Take Better Care Of Older Relatives

Hi lovelies,

Older relatives play a huge role in shaping our lives. From moms and dads to aunts, uncles, and grandparents, they work themselves hard to provide a great start in life and even better future. As you grow older, you tend to see a reversal in the roles you once held. After being taken care of your entire life, it’s difficult to realize that those older than you now need your help. Becoming a caregiver in any sense of the word is tough. It’s an often upsetting, exhausting, and stressful responsibility. To take better care of your older relatives, here are seven things that you must do. 

1. Learn More About Caring
To effectively care for your loved one, you must have a clear picture of their everyday needs. Looking after a senior is nothing like looking after yourself or a child. There are many health conditions that those later in life typically suffer from. You can only provide the right help and support if you learn more about these issues, especially when they affect your relative. Researching these conditions can be upsetting, but it will help you to prepare for what’s to come.

2. Make Changes At Home
Although your relative needs extra support, they might not necessarily have to move out of their home. Most seniors want to hold onto their independence for as long as possible, so, while it is safe, you should allow them to do so. That being said, you will have to check that their house is equipped for their needs. Safety features, like handrails and medical alert systems, might need to be added, and you will have to remove as many trip hazards from the house as you can. 

3. Find The Right Support
The older your relative gets, the more help they will need. Depending on your circumstances, you might not have the time to take care of them like they need to be. When you both start to struggle, it will help to seek out professional support. There are plenty of options to consider, from live-in home care to nursing homes. Make sure that your relative gets a say in the support that you choose. If there are other loved ones to lend a hand, you can ask for their help too. 

4. Look For Warning Signs
Asking a stranger to help care for your loved one isn’t easy, regardless of their qualifications and recommendations. What makes this worse is hearing all of the stories about nursing homes and carers that abused their patients. If this were ever to happen to your relative, you could contact a personal injury attorney about seeking compensation. For this reason, and the welfare of your relative, you should look out for warning signs that the professional you hired isn’t doing their job. 

5. Attend Important Health Checks
Annual health checkups are crucial at any point in life but are especially important for seniors. After all, you become more at risk to a number of different conditions as you grow older. The trouble is, many older people avoid these checks whenever they can. If you suspect that your relative is doing this, then you will have to step in. Rather than expecting your loved one to go alone, you should ask when their appointments are and tag along with them. 

6. Fight Against Social Isolation
Isolation isn’t always thought of as a serious issue for seniors. When there are so many life-threatening illnesses to look out for, loneliness isn’t a primary concern. However, studies have shown that loneliness can have a devastating effect on physical health, as well as mental health. Because of this, you must encourage your relative to be more socially active. As well as increasing your own time with them, you could suggest joining a club or visiting friends. 

7. Take Care Of Yourself
When taking care of a loved one, putting their needs above your own can easily become second-nature. The problem with this is that, if you don’t look after yourself, you won’t be able to look after anyone else, even your relative. You need to make time for exercise, three healthy meals a day, and plenty of rest. It can also help to join a support group for people in your situation. By talking about your struggles, you’ll find it much easier to overcome them. 

Taking care of an older relative can definitely be difficult, both for you and the relative themselves. However, with the advice above, you’ll both find it much easier to adjust to your new roles.

*Image for collaborative post From Pixabay

Looking For Health Warning Signs In Your Older Relatives

Hi lovelies,

It can often be worrying to consider that our close ones and relatives are also potentially subject to health ills. Of course, we would rather shoulder than burden ourselves, but we have no choice in the matter. All we can do is care for them, look out for warning signs should behavior change, and also divert them to the best help if needed.

This can be important when caring for an elderly relative, whether they live with you, by themselves, or in a care home. While your relative is likely in good care from their healthcare providers or care facility employees, you know them most intimately, and that means you can likely be a great help.

Looking for the warning signs of health issues can be a subtle art, but it can be important. Knowing certain illnesses well, or researching terms such as ‘what is alzheimers?’ you can come across a range of excellent guides and explanations - and thankfully, tips to care for them well.

Let us see how else you might find these warning signs:

Changed Behavior
Changed behavior can often be the most easy-to-spot symptom. For example, it might be that they are continually forgetful about conversations you might have had. They might repeat certain things they say to you, or have trouble with their sentence structure. It might be that when calling on them, they had forgotten you had arranged the visit. A range of small little differences like this can often be easy to pick up. Unfortunately, sometimes events can be quite worrying. They may become frustrated when shopping for groceries, or have a hard time booking a taxi as they usually did. All of these things can require your help and the opinion of a medical professional, so be sure to look out for changed behavior.

Odd Habits
Of course, elderly relatives have more time on their hands, but by that age many of them are set in their ways to some extent. This means that if they start going on longer and longer walks that seem to be completely out of character, they sleep for most of the day, or there’s something else worrying you, talking to them about their renewed habits can be a worthwhile effort. Of course, most of the time a change could be healthy, but some times, the times you need to focus on, they might not be. Be sure to keep actively involved with the life of your relative to understand how and why this happens.

Physical Changes
It could be that itchy, red skin, or perhaps hair loss, or perhaps a range of other issues can be quite noticeable. Talking to them about visiting a medical professional for an expert opinion can be worthwhile. Don’t just chalk something up to old age, such as a slower walk, worse posture, or other issues. Most of the time it will be natural, but keeping that possibility open allows you to be attentive if there is an issue.

With these efforts, you’re sure to help your relative through the health symptoms that they might be experiencing.

Photo credit for collaborative post: Pexels

Simple Steps To Make a Positive Change in Your Life

Hi lovelies,

It is natural to feel like someone who is a little resist change. Of things are going fine, then it can be a hard choice to change things up a little. Even if they could potentially mean greater happiness or productivity in life, it can be hard to take that leap. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be the case at all. Change is something that is actually good for us, with both our personal and professional lives. Change can help to make us more flexible, which can be good for things in life later down the line, and it can expose us to trying new experiences and meeting new people. That in turn can help to open up the doors to experiencing more opportunities and more of what life has to offer. However, if you want to make some changes in your life, then you will want to do so in a positive way. So here are some things to be thinking about. 

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Remove negativity from your life

Removing negativity from your life can sound much more simple to say that to actually do, right? But the thing is, if you are surrounded by negativity, then how can you think that you’ll be able to have a life that is happy, joyful and positive? In fact, it has been shown that people who are surrounded by negativity are more stressed, get sick more often, and generally have less opportunities come their way than their positive counterparts. So start step by step. Think about changing your mindset, and then look at other things in your life, or situations, that need to change.

Change the things you can change
It can be frustrating in life when you are trying to achieve certain goals but they can seem a little slow. For example, if you’re trying to get on the property ladder, then saving for a deposit can seem like an uphill journey. But the things that you can change are how much you spend each month, and perhaps even your job. If you are on a mission to be healthier or lose some weight, for instance, then the things you can change are things like changing your appearance, like trying a new haircut or color, perhaps. You could even look to get something like a tattoo or piercing; just make sure that you are informed and look up information about nipple piercings, for instance, so that you’re prepared. But changing some of the things that you can change can make you feel more motivated to get on with the end goal that you have. 

Exercise often
It can be hard to keep hearing things that tell you that you need to exercise more, but if you want to lead a happy and healthy life, then exercising can be great in many ways, for both your physical and mental health. Exercise can change your mindset, and the benefits of exercise are immeasurable. It will help you with drive, passion, and teach you some discipline. When you move more, you will feel happier about yourself, and that can lead to a reduction in anxiety, as well as stress levels.

15 Fabulous Ways to Refresh Your Mind and Soothe Your Soul

Hi lovelies,

Feeling stressed and overwhelmed is something you have become quite accustomed to over the years. You realize that you shouldn’t have to suffer on a regular basis, but nothing seems to be working for you. When it comes to refreshing your mind and soothing your soul, there are so many different techniques you can try. Whether you’re trying to enhance your workout or improve your diet, every small change can contribute considerable amounts. There could be many reasons why you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, but you shouldn’t have to suffer any longer. Of course you are going to have worries and stresses in your life, but they should never inhibit you from doing what you really love. If you have yet to find a calming and stress relieving technique that works for you, try some of the following fabulous methods right now.

1. Hydrate! 
You might be surprised to hear that the amount of water in your body can have a direct affect on your mood. If you aren’t drinking enough you will feel slow, sluggish and unmotivated for most of the day. With Berkey water filter systems you can be sure that you are getting your recommended water intake; the water will also be fresh and clean. If you aren’t a fan of plain water then why not spruce it up with some fresh fruit or cordial? Up your water intake to eight or ten glasses a day, and see if your mood improves.

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2. Eat Well
As well as water, food can have a huge impact on your stress levels and emotions. If you find yourself binging on high sugar snacks you are likely to experience an unwanted crash right afterwards. Keep your blood sugar steady with slow releasing carbohydrates and whole grain foods. If you get the urge for something sweet grab a green apple and dip it into a dollop of peanut butter. Switching up your diet will work wonders for your mind and body, so why not try it out today?

3. Move Your Body
When you exercise on a regular basis, your body gives off happy hormones called endorphins. These hormones release a positive surge throughout your mind and body, which can help to relieve symptoms of anxiety. Taking on gentle movement each day will help you to overcome your stress and feel calm again.

4. Rethink Your Career 
Your job is such a huge part of your life, so why be unhappy in it? Your career can take a huge turn for the better if you have the guts to admit that you’re unhappy. There is no point in dragging yourself into the office daily when it has such as negative impact on your emotions. Rethink your career and you will soon see a huge improvement in your mental health.

5. Reconnect With Family
When you are having issues with your family it can have a huge knock on effect to you mood. Your family are a fundamental part of your life so you need to remain well connected with them as much as possible. Don’t take your loved ones for granted as you never know when they might not be there. Take the time to call or text them whenever you get a moment and you will soon feel a sense of relief.

6. Assess Your Relationship
If you’re stuck in a toxic relationship, you are never going to get your mental health on track. It can be very easy to feel trapped with someone you have spent a long time with, but you can’t allow this to impact your happiness. If you’re unhappy in a relationship you shouldn’t be afraid to walk away and seek better things for yourself.

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7. Put More Effort Into Your Friendships
Your friends are going to be there for you through thick and thin, so you need to value every aspect of your friendships. There are many ways in which you can be a better friend, such as checking up on them when they are poorly or dropping them a text to let you know how much you love them. As soon as you put more into your friendships you will start to get a lot more out of them. 

8. Meditate
Taking some time away from your hectic life to meditate can help you to feel completely calm and relaxed. Use an app to tune out from the world and focus on your breathing for a short amount of time every single day. Meditation is proven to be a healer for anyone suffering from mental health problems or ongoing stress, so why not give it a try?

9. Lose Your Screens
Getting lost in your phone, laptop or tablet screen is becoming all too common these days. People are forgetting to embrace their real lives and they watch the world go by through a screen instead. Try to take some time away from your screen whenever possible; this will help you to really appreciate the wonderful opportunities around you.

10. Submit to Self Care
We sometimes fall victim to stress because we forget to take care of ourselves. Perhaps you’re busy caring for a family member and you don’t have the time to do things for yourself anymore. This won’t help you to feel refreshed and relaxed so it’s time to submit to self care. Whether you take ten minutes to read your favourite book or you go for a short walk in the fresh air, these small acts of self care will work wonders for your mental health

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11. Practice Gratitude
When you’re stressed out it is very easy to forget about all the amazing things you have going on in your life. Practicing gratitude will go a long way if you are trying to make a difference to your day to day emotions. Nobody else can carry out this technique for you, so it needs to come from within. Write down two or three things every single morning that you are grateful for and your mood will soon be turned from negative to positive.

12. Reduce Chemicals
The chemicals in your home may be contributing significantly to your stress levels without you even realizing. If you use a lot of antiperspirant sprays or toxic cleaning substances, then you could be breathing in a lot of dangerous fumes. If you want to totally revamp the health levels in your household you need to rethink your habits. For example, you can make your own cleaning products at home from lemons, white wine vinegar and baking soda. Keep your home sparkling clean without breathing in toxic fumes. Going greener might just help you to refresh your mind and feel at ease again.

13. Be Kinder
When you do nice things for other people, you will instantly feel uplifted. Carrying out good deeds is a sure fire way to increase happiness and reduce stress. Even if you buy a homeless person a coffee or help an old lady cross the road, you might find serenity in a daily act of kindness.

14. Talk More
Keeping your feelings bottled up inside will never be useful when you’re trying to refresh your mind and soothe your soul. Try to open up to somebody you trust and talk about how you are feeling. If you struggle to speak about your emotions then you might find it useful to visit a reputable psychotherapist. They will be able to teach you calming and therapeutic techniques to get over your stress and anxiety.

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15. Take the Pressure off Yourself
Finally, you need to stop overthinking every stressful situation in your life and take the pressure off. When your mind is constantly overburdened with stress you will start to feel overwhelmed. Take a moment to think about the bigger picture and don’t take life too seriously. Although this is much easier said than done when you are an anxious person, it will help you to achieve calmness in the long run.

Every single person is completely unique, so you might find some of these methods magical. Other methods might seem completely alien to you, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself to do everything. Over a prolonged period of time you should attempt some of the most appealing techniques and see how they work for you. It might simply be a case of eating well, hydrating more or reevaluating your relationship. You will find the root of your stress soon and the moment you gain clarity will be a life changing time. Suffering from stress and anxiety will never be easy, but you can find a way to gain control over it. Don’t allow your worries to tip you over the edge and give you extra stress in your life. Practice some of the ideas above and you will soon be able to refresh your mind and soothe your soul.

This is a collaborative post.

MINDSET + BODY: The Essential Self-Care Starter Kit

Hi lovelies,

Since helping others in how to unconditionally love, support, honor, and protect themselves through self-care is a personal mission of mine, I wanted to curate my essential self-care starter kit for those unsure of where to start when it comes to growing your level of self-worth and self-esteem.

It’s crucial to remember that self-care isn’t about spa days and face masks, although those activities can be apart of your self-care routine, it’s truly about taking inspired and intentional action to honor who you are and the space that you take up in this beautiful world.

Self-care is the foundation for creating healthy boundaries with yourself and others, exercising your own autonomy, building your self-confidence, elevating your mind, body, soul, and spirit, and unlocking your inner peace, love, and joy that’s waiting for you.

Please enjoy some of my favorite ways to honor my life by taking intentional time to slow down, be still, and get present.

Need additional guidance in harnessing the power of self-care? Then check out my self-care sessions, here, grab a copy of the Sugar Pills: 10 Days to Awaken Your Inner Power guide and journal, here, and don’t forget to subscribe to the Sugar Pills: 10 Days to Awaken Your Power podcast, here.

***Just click the images below to get started.***

BATH + BODY

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MEDITATION

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JOURNALING + CREATIVITY

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READING

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AT-HOME EXPERIENCE