What Not To Do When You're Overly Stressed

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Hi lovelies,

Hey, you know what stress feels like, right? In one of our previous articles, we discussed some of the signs of stress, and what you can do to help yourself. Headaches, feelings of irritability, and sleepless nights are just some of the signs, and chances are, you will be able to relate to what we said in the article. Stress can affect us all, and there are a number of factors that can cause it. From troubles at work to problems with money, we can all bear the brunt of one too many stresses in our everyday lives. 

Of course, you don't need to let stress beat you down. As mentioned, we have indicated what you might be able to do to alleviate stress in the previously linked article. Have a read and follow the advice given. Then keep reading for advice on what not to do when stress starts to overwhelm you. 

#1: Don't ignore your stressors
It could be a troublesome boss that regularly causes you to worry. Or it could be a debt that is eating away at both your finances and your frazzled mind. It might even be a family member who is causing you to have sleepless nights. Stressors can be wide and many and it's important to get a handle on them. You should do this for two reasons. Firstly, they might never go away if you don't do something about them. And secondly, your mental health will start to deteriorate if they are always on your mind. Of course, there might sometimes be stressors that are out of your control. However, you can still reduce the effect they have on you, perhaps by following this advice on managing your stress. 

#2: Don't fall into an unhealthy lifestyle
Some people fall into bad habits as a means to counter their stressful thoughts. They drink or do drugs to numb the pain they are feeling, or they comfort eat as a means to settle their fractured nerves. Some people also spend longer in bed, unwilling to face the stresses of the day. And others increase screen time to distract themselves from the negative thoughts that are circulating through their minds. Such habits might provide solace in the short-term but they aren't long-term solutions. Not only are they ineffective as stress-relievers but they are guaranteed to cause more stress too. 

So, don't fall into an unhealthy lifestyle yourself. Engage in healthy stress-relieving behaviors, such as exercise and spending time with friends. But if you have already fallen prey to unhealthy habits, speak to a doctor or research the nearest American Addiction Centers location to find professional support.

#3: Don't withdraw from your loved ones
Some people battle with their stresses alone and ignore the support, love, and companionship that other people could offer them. But this doesn't help at all. When stressed, it is important to share stressors with others, as this is healthier than keeping them cooped up inside. The very act of talking to somebody about them can be a release, and it's a bonus when the other person can provide active support, as well as just a listening ear. So, don't isolate yourself or struggle tirelessly to cope alone. When you're overly stressed, turn to the people who love and care for you, for help and a healthy distraction.

You can't escape stress but you can deal with it responsibly. So, consider what we have said today, and handle your stress the right way instead of falling into bad (and potentially stress-boosting) practices. 

Take care and thanks for reading. 

Hacks that will Help you to Be Much More Confident in Yourself

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Hi lovelies,

If you want to make sure that you excel as much as possible, then you have come to the right place. Here you can find out the best way to boost your self-confidence while also being able to support your mental health too. If you want to find out more then simply take a look below.

Push through your Limiting Beliefs
As a child, you may think that you can conquer the world. Somewhere between your childhood and adulthood though, things may change. You may find that your inclinations to dream big are suddenly squashed. If you want to help yourself, then you need to try and find your own beliefs and you need to try and expose yourself to various situations too. This will help you to navigate different situations and it will help you to push through uncomfortable situations too. When you have confidence in yourself, you would be amazed at what you are able to accomplish.

Don’t Confuse your own Memory with Facts
Your memory will not store information in the same way that it is presented to you. You will extract the gist of what happened, and you will store it in a way that makes the most sense. This is why people may witness the same event but have a different recollection of it. Your brain will have a built-in confirmation bias and this means that it will store information that is consistent with the beliefs that you have as well as your bias. This selective system will stop your brain from becoming overloaded with too much information at any given time. You need to recognise the fact that your memory does not provide you with very accurate information at all. If you have low self-esteem, then your brain will store information that confirms this. This will be all you happen to remember about a certain event.

If you want to care for yourself, then you need to revisit the facts and try to gain a much more accurate perspective on the entire event. Have a chat with others who may have a different memory too.

Make a Change and Focus on Who you Want to Be
If you want to help yourself then you also need to make sure that you make a positive change. You need to try and alter what you don’t like about yourself, as this will help you to stop dwelling on the negatives. It may be that you are not happy with your body shape, and if this is the case, you may want to try and lose weight. If you feel like you need to make a more drastic change then it may be worth you trying to find the best breast augmentation surgeon so that you can feel more confident in yourself. Things like this can help you to push forward, and it can also help you to not only feel better physically but also mentally as well, so make sure that you keep that in mind.

Stress Management Tips for Entrepreneurs

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Hi lovelies,

As an entrepreneur, you can identify with the long hours of brainstorming, mapping out marketing strategies, outsmarting your competition, etc., to achieve your business goals. Although hard work is good, too much of it can lead to anxiety and other mental conditions. Research reveals that entrepreneurs are more likely to experience depression and other issues associated with stress. To keep away from the statistics, you should address this situation with the following practical tips. 

Identify the stressors
Certain factors make you anxious and stressed, and it’s best to identify them as early as possible. One way to do this is to write down these things and break them down into smaller fragments to help you map out strategies to address them successfully. For instance, if your morning routine makes it difficult for you to get to work on time, leading to a rushed and disorganized day, you can identify what you can take out to help make things less cluttered. It will help reduce your stress level and make you feel more relaxed.

Exercise regularly
Exercise is a good stress reliever that you should incorporate into your lifestyle. Apart from giving you a toned figure, workouts increase your endorphin levels, making you feel refreshed and improving your mood. You can incorporate Tai Chi and yoga into your workout routine, as they lower your heart rate and blood pressure through controlled breathing and movements. You can also include Pilates, dancing, walking, swimming, gardening, etc. You should let your doctor determine the suitable workout for you and have fun while exercising. 

Take a break
It will help to take a break from your usual work routine. While it might seem like a contradiction, various studies have proven that regular intervals from work can refresh your body and increase your productivity. Why not plan a vacation or a staycation to take your mind off work for a while? During this chill out period, try as much as possible to avoid work-related activities, calls, or emails. Focus on any other activity that you enjoy. For example, you can spice things up by getting yourself some smart copper mugs for Moscow mules and experiment with different ingredients to create a refreshing beverage. Or you may prefer to go for a long walk to appreciate nature or simply get cozy at home with a movie. Whatever you choose, just make sure that you are resting your body and mind. 

Retire to bed early
As an entrepreneur, you shouldn't underestimate the power of a good night's sleep. Research conducted by the University of Pennsylvania revealed that entrepreneurs who had 4 hours of sleep each night had increased stress, sadness, and anger levels and felt a lot better when they acquired 8 hours of sleep. For this reason, you should retire to bed early to get your needed rest. It’s advisable to avoid taking food or caffeine late in the day. You should also develop a sleep routine and reduce irregular naps. Besides all these, a soothing bath will prepare you for a lovely night's sleep. 

Spend time with loved ones
Being around people you love (family and friends) can increase your laughter rate, which helps to relax your body. It also reduces your stress rate, improves your cardiovascular health, and prolongs your lifespan.  You can meet with your loved ones weekly or organize an outdoor party once a while to have fun with them. It will also help to have virtual meetings or phone calls, especially when you can’t meet up with them physically. 

It will be best to give yourself time to unwind, to perform your tasks effectively. Hopefully, these tips will help you relax your mind and body for maximum business productivity. 

Anxiety Attacks Don't Have To Be Part Of Your Lifestyle

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Hi lovelies,

It is a bold statement to say that anxiety can be completely eliminated but the truth is that factually, it can be. With the help of your doctor or therapist, you can handle anxiety in a number of ways that don’t involve self-medicating. You may have already heard of cbd oil. This is a natural supplement that can be great for anxiety. In fact, cbd can help anxiety attacks also; but first you must identify what type of anxiety you actually have. 

What is an anxiety attack?
An anxiety attack is a very unpleasant experience: a feeling of lack of control and helplessness along with various physical symptoms. The feeling of this fear is threatening and is accompanied by palpitations, sweating, and sometimes confusion. It is not easy to deal with an anxiety attack alone, so it is strongly recommended that you reach out and seek the help of a professional who knows the subject in depth and knows how to give a good mental response, if you haven’t already. It is important to enlist the help of family and friends as part of the support circle, but when anxiety attacks and impairs function and quality of life, professional psychotherapy must be enlisted in order to get life back on track.

Dealing with frequent attacks.
We have already spoken about cbd oil and supplements to assist but there are other ways to incorporate into your life also. Anxiety attacks are known to be a factor that negatively affects the emotional quality of life. It is more difficult to function in daily tasks in a normal and regular manner. There is a fear of doing things, such as living normally, having fun, properly experiencing humor and positive experiences are inhibited. If this condition lasts for a long time it can lead to a decrease in mood and negative thoughts and even depression. Coping sometimes leads to avoiding various situations that are unpleasant or that create stress and pressure.  During a severe anxiety attack the physical sensation is completely uncontrollable. It may manifest in a feeling of a heart attack that is about to occur, tremors in the body, a sense of loss of vitality and an understanding of the environment. Deep breathing, meditation and journaling are all considered important factors to healing.

How to deal with an anxiety attack at night?
Some people also suffer from an anxiety attack at night, and this type of occurance isn’t spoken about as widely. It isn’t really known what triggers it but experts say the sense of calmness and inactivity, triggers the brain into “overthinking”.

They may suffer this before they go to sleep, or wake up sweating, with palpitations, confused and feeling a huge fear that something bad is about to happen to them. An anxiety attack during sleep can greatly frighten and reinforce the feeling of lack of control, and the stress of a sudden threat. Not every person who suffers from recurrent anxiety attacks will suffer from an anxiety attack at night but the possibility exists. Its results are impaired sleep quality, and sleep routine all of which must be reaffirmed to get back onto the path of health once again.

5 Top Spring-Time Activities That Will Warm Your Soul

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Hi lovelies,

Your preferences for different seasons will always play a significant role in how you will spend the season. The peak of these seasons are the memories you create through social interactions and different activities. However, most spring enthusiasts will often point to the beauty and relief spring brings to their lives and the environment. 

Spring presents an undecided window because of the exhaustive preparations that you will have in mind for the summer. The hype and buzz of the summer often play down the importance and beauty of spring. The dynamic nature of the spring schedule also adds to the unrecognizable impact of the season. 

The spring brightness thrust after the cold winter is usually an excellent time for anyone who wishes to rejuvenate. Besides the floral beauty, there are many activities that you can partake in to make spring more memorable. It all revolves around being creative and making the most of the season. 

Have a Photoshoot
The essence of a photoshoot is to reminisce and capture the moments. It keeps a record of the emotional and physical appearance of the moment. You need to identify the perfect natural environment where your photographer can work the magic to create a nature-themed shoot. Be bold to experiment with different clothing pieces to blend in with the environment. 

Go for Spring Fishing
The beauty of spring fishing is the satisfaction you will get from nature. Picking the perfect spot for fishing should be the first thing you research when learning how to fish. It would help if you were adept at the lakes and rivers that you can visit to enjoy a good fishing spree. Avoid making guesses and riding on your luck. Do your due diligence and seek advice from the experts. 

Additionally, you also need to perfect your skill and purchase appropriate fishing tools. Ensure you align your plan to fit into the fishing schedule. Remember, fishing is all about patience and accuracy. Thus, ensure you maintain the calmness and elegance of spring into the fishery. 

Enjoy Nature
There are a lot of ways you can use to explore nature's beauty during spring. A simple nature walk will help you unwind and give you inner peace and contentment. You can also choose to hike, bike, or road trip through various sceneries that are still taking form from the cold winter. The backdrop of the long-lost sunshine will also encourage you and keep you going. 

Travel
There are various spring festivals like the tulip festival celebrated globally. It would help if you visited different countries like the Netherlands, Japan, or Germany to experience the different floral patterns and nature trails that will satisfy your spring hunger. 

Have a Spring Dance
A choreographed dance in the beautiful plan fields will always give you Goosebumps. Whichever occasion you choose to celebrate, this gesture will not go unnoticed. It will highlight the day and make it more memorable. 

Despite its unpopularity, you can never underestimate the power of spring. The summer anticipation should not overwhelm your love for spring. Celebrate the season and let it impact your life. 

5 Ways To Practice Self Care At Home To Improve Your Wellbeing

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Hi lovelies,

Self-care is an essential aspect of people’s everyday lives. After long stressful hours at work, an emotional week, or even taking care of your children all day, it is essential to take some time off to unwind. Practicing self-care may seem like indulging in your guilty pleasures; however, it does more than that. Taking the time to treat yourself right and giving yourself extra care improves your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. The great thing is, you can do some of these activities from the comfort of your home! If you’re wondering how you can, check out this list of a few things you can try now!

Take a relaxing bath
Scented candles. A bubble bath. Rose petals. A cold glass of wine. Yes, the whole works. Taking a relaxing bath may seem like a cliche self-care activity that shows up on every self-care list, but that’s because it is very beneficial. Scientifically, taking a bath has been proven to come with great benefits that improve your health. For example, baths improve the functions of your chest and lungs, helping you breathe better. It also improves your heart health and takes care of your brain and nervous systems. 

Therefore, be sure to put a relaxing bath on your list after a long day to enjoy some pampering while taking care of your health. If you prefer taking showers, consider a refreshing cold shower after washing yourself with warm water. Doing this improves your blood circulation, gives you extra energy, and releases endorphins which have an antidepressant effect. 

Clear your space
Decluttering may seem more of a chore than a way to take care of yourself. Research has shown that a cluttered space tends to increase stress levels and decrease your self-control. It also leads to chronic procrastination and reduces your productivity around the home. This is as bad as it sounds. If clutter causes all these adverse effects, decluttering produces the opposite results. According to psychologists, decluttering offers an opportunity to gain some self-control. 

After cleaning and clearing a cluttered room, you will likely feel a sense of productivity and accomplishment. This, in turn, improves your mental health. Also, the sense of organization and order that comes with decluttering puts you in a good mood. Therefore, if you have had a long tiring day, you should consider getting rid of the pile of clothes you have left on your dressing chair or that room you have been dreading to clean to put in a good mood. Remember, however, that if your clutter-challenge is a big one, you should declutter in bits and pieces to avoid overworking yourself. If possible, get someone to help so that it doesn’t feel too overwhelming. 

Stay hydrated
Somewhat unsurprisingly, it is pretty easy to go for hours without drinking a drop of water. This is because you may quench your thirst with fizzy drinks and other alternatives. In some cases, although you may drink water, chances are, you are not drinking as much as you should. The recommended amount of water to be consumed in a day is eight glasses. But why is staying hydrated a part of a self-care list? Water aids several physiological functions and chemical reactions in the body. 

It regulates the body’s temperature, aids in digesting, absorbing, and transporting nutrients, supports skincare, amongst other benefits. Dehydration can cause health issues such as confusion, constipation, dizziness, and low blood pressure. Keeping a habit of drinking more water can be difficult. So you can try keeping a water bottle that you refill hourly throughout the day. This way, you can keep track of how much water you are consuming.  

Get active
Exercise plays a significant role in self-care. It improves your physical and mental health. However, being active isn’t just about following an intense workout routine at home. There are so many activities you can do around the house to keep you on your toes. You can create a vegetable or spice garden in your backyard or take some time to connect with your loved ones over the phone and through video calls. 

You can also get lost in a book or binge-watch your favorite series. Starting a DIY project is also another great way to keep yourself active and practice self-care. How so? Well, the appearance of the space you are in affects your mood and motivation levels. And naturally, over some time, you would want to make some changes. So, pick a room or part of a room and start an upgrade project. Where necessary, hire Annapolis Propane and other professionals to service various devices and prevent accidents. 

Sleep early, wake up early
On average, you are required to get about six to eight hours of sleep. However, it can be challenging to get the prescribed hours of sleep. Getting enough sleep at night is vital to your self-care. Good sleep boosts your immune system, improves your cognitive functions, and improves your mental and emotional health. Therefore, it is crucial to cultivate good evening habits to ensure you get sound sleep. 

You can try making your room more sleep-inducing and make your room darker by getting thicker curtains or play calm white noises in the background. You should also avoid drinking alcohol or caffeine before bed. More importantly, you should develop a sleep routine. Set a bedtime that is early enough for you to get the required amount of sleep and wake up early to tackle the day ahead. Waking up early in the morning gives you a chance to start your day without feeling rushed or sluggish. This way, you can create a morning routine that would start your day on a high note.

Practicing self-care is not encouraging selfishness. Instead, it is taking the time to take care of yourself and ensure that your wellbeing is in top shape. When you are in good condition mentally and physically, you become a pleasure to be around. Therefore, incorporate these practices into your daily routines to improve your well-being significantly. 

5 Positive Changes to Make Before You Hit Rock Bottom

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Hi lovelies,

When your mood is low or your outlook is bleak, it can be hard to enact positive changes. However, taking action now could get you out of a slump and prevent you from hitting rock bottom. Similarly, being able to recognize when changes are required will enable you to modify your lifestyle to enhance your mood and well-being. If you’re not sure what your next step should be, take a look at these five positive changes to make before you hit rock bottom:

1. Talk to Someone
Seeking advice or even just sharing your feelings can be a cathartic process that will help you to feel lighter and unburdened. Whether you consult a therapist, visit American Addiction Centers or speak to your primary care physician, reaching out for help is often the most effective thing you can do. If you don’t feel able to talk to a professional just yet, confide in a family member or close friend and let them assist you. 

2. Practice Self-Care
When you’re feeling demotivated, self-care is often the first thing that gets dropped from your day-to-day routine. Often, this sparks a vicious cycle because, without self-care, your mood drops even further. By re-instating your preferred self-care techniques or embracing new ones, you can begin to make positive changes and turn your situation around. 

3. Reassess Your Schedule
If you’re under too much pressure, it can directly affect your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Take a look at your recent schedule and see whether excess pressure could be the root cause of your current slump. If so, take action by learning to say no. In addition to this, delegate some of your responsibilities or modify your expectations, so that you’re not under so much pressure. If you need to, visit your doctor and arrange to take some time off work or ask family and friends to assist with childcare or other important tasks so that you can prioritize your well-being. 

4. Make Exercise Part of Your Day
Exercise can be a great way to boost your mood and relieve negative emotions, such as anxiety. Of course, no-one feels like working out when they’re not in the right frame of mind but, if you can overcome this barrier, you’re likely to reap the benefits. Even a short walk can be enough to have an impact, so why not commit to spending a few minutes a day in the fresh air to see what impact it has? 

5. Be Kind to Yourself
Ironically, we tend to be hardest on ourselves when we’re most in need of kindness. Instead of berating yourself for feeling down or struggling, recognize that you need a little extra support right now and give yourself permission to take things a little slower. 

Make Your Well-Being a Top Priority
When your physical or mental health isn’t at a peak, it can affect every aspect of your life. When your well-being is a top priority, however, this positivity flows through to other areas. By focusing primarily on wellness, you can ensure that everything else falls into place and that you’re able to take positive steps forward sooner, rather than later. 

5 Superfoods that Help Boost Skin Health

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Hi lovelies,

When it comes to your skin, you most likely know that what you eat directly affects your look. No one can stop themselves from aging; however, it can be controlled. If you want to get back your youthful skin, you should consume healthy foods and consider botox injections. The foods you eat should contain good fats, amino acids, antioxidants, collagen, and vitamin C.

Below are some superfoods that have the necessary nutrients to support your skin:

Fatty Fish
Oily fish like trout, salmon, herrings, mackerel, sardines, and tunas are superb foods for healthy skin. They have Omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial for preserving skin health. Omega-3 are polyunsaturated fatty acids that safeguard the skin from exposure to the sun and help restore the already damaged skin. Omega-3 fatty acids present in fish are beneficial and helps keep the skin nurtured and decrease irritation.

Additionally, fatty fish has vitamin E that guards the skin against damaging radicals and irritation. Oily fish similarly contain protein and zinc, which are both needed to maintain the skin’s health.

Avocado
These are popular skin remedies. They are abundant with poly and monounsaturated fatty acids such as omega 9s, which help keep the skin sustained, and strong. It similarly aids in reinstating injured skin cells and decreases tenderness and soreness. Avocadoes are an excellent source of vitamin E, which is a significant antioxidant. The antioxidant element of avocadoes helps shield the skin from sun injury.

Avocadoes also have ample Vitamin C that is vital for healthy skin. Deficiency in vitamin C can result in scaly, rough, and dry skin prone to bruises.

Lemon
Besides being an incredible source of vitamin C, lemon is a neutralizing nutriment. The vitamin C available in lemons helps neutralize the free damaging radicals and helps the skin create extra collagen and elastin, which holds the skin together to make it firm and youthful.

The advantages of lemon to the skin are extensive and can easily be added to your daily routines. Start by taking a glass of lemon water in the morning. Besides, lemons have an antiseptic element that helps exfoliate the dead cells and fight irritating flakes.

Blueberries
Blueberries are mostly known for their disease-fighting components. They are found throughout the year and are a brilliant accompaniment to your diet. However, blueberries have numerous advantages for the skin. They are ample in vitamins K and C, which are crucial in wound curing. Blueberries similarly have antioxidants in abundance that help put free radicals that can harm the skin at bay. Additionally, blueberries are documented to improve the circulation of blood which is crucial for skin health.

Nuts
Nuts might be crunchy, but they are beneficial to the health of your skin. And besides making you feel satiated with their fiber, nuts can make your skin elastic and even. Nuts like pistachios, walnuts, almonds, and cashews are abundant with vitamins A, E, and C and minerals like zinc and copper.

Summing Up
Refresh your skincare routine to prevent acne, treat wrinkles, and help keep your skin conditioned and youthful. Nutrition is also essential for skin health. Consider consuming skin-friendly superfoods like fatty fish, nuts, blueberries, avocadoes, and nuts.

Want to Heal Your Wound Faster? Here are 4 Remedies That Actually Work

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Hi lovelies,

Nobody likes to get a wound. Depending on the extent of the injury, a wound can be merely painful or potentially septic. It leaves the internal tissues of the body unprotected from environmental hazards. 

You may be able to tend a minor wound at home. However, you should seek medical attention if you have a severe injury that involves excessive bleeding and fractured bones.

Even though most wounds heal naturally after a while, it is possible to make your wound heal faster. Read on for more information on the tips you can use to speed up your healing and when to seek medical attention.

How to Speed Up Your Healing

Use Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is a plant that is a member of the cactus family. It is rich in minerals and vitamins. Also, Aloe Vera has a glucagon substance, which enhances the body’s ability to secrete collagen. Collagen is a protein that aids in healing wounds.

Studies show that Aloe Vera is effective for healing wounds and second-degree burns. Moreover, it can aid in secreting the skin’s moisture while preventing ulcers.

Apply a small amount of Aloe Vera gel on the wound area or even cover the wounded area with a bandage soaked in Aloe Vera. This will help the wound heal faster.

Open Wound Treatment
If you have an open wound, you might need to use wound care supplies for treatment.

First, clean your hands using soap and clean water. Then move your clothing away from the wound. Stop bleeding by applying pressure to the injury. Clean the wound using a saline solution.

Secondly, check the wound for foreign materials and dirt. Apply antibiotic ointment to prevent infections from occurring.

Finally, pat the wound using a clean cloth, then cover the injury using a Band-Aid or an adhesive bandage.

If it is an infected wound, leave it open until the infection clears.

Use Antibacterial Ointments
You can also treat a wound using antibacterial ointments, which you can get over-the-counter. Antibacterial ointments help prevent infections and make the wound heal faster. 

These ointments are typically used for minor injuries. If you don’t have any cream, you could use petroleum jelly instead because it acts as a barrier protecting the wound from the surrounding factors.

Honey
Honey holds a special place in traditional medicine and was used to alleviate numerous diseases. It is an effective treatment for wounds, thanks to its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties.

Research suggests that honey increases the rate at which wounds heal in animals. It reduces the formation of scars and bacterial growth in the wounded areas.

Moreover, honey heals partial-thickness wounds better than other treatments. However, honey can cause more infection in post-operative wounds. You can use honey for your major and minor injuries if approved by your doctor.

Garlic
Garlic has a compound known as allicin which has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.

Many studies have consistently shown the efficiency of garlic in healing wounds. In one study, an ointment with 30% garlic enhanced more proliferating fibroblasts than petroleum jelly. Garlic has a positive effect, and it also speeds up the healing of wounds.

Conclusion
Minor wounds should not be cause for alarm, and they often don’t require medical treatment. However, it would be best if you kept your wound clean and well-dressed using a sterile bandage. You can then use your desired method to speed up the healing process of your wound.

However, if your wound is large, be sure to seek medical attention.

Being Mindful: 4 Practices Everyone Can Incorporate Into Their Lives

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Hi lovelies,

It is not easy to be calm all day every day. When we're on the move, we are throwing ourselves into situations that may prove stressful because we feel we have no control over them. But this is why we have to surrender and become more mindful. The one thing we can control is ourselves. And being more mindful will gradually, over time, help to relax us and give us the ability to cope. But how can we be mindful in our day-to-day lives? 

Introducing Short Bursts 
This is something that we can do and gradually build up. We might think that being mindful is about constantly feeling calmer, but we can start with very small practices. You can set aside a minute here and there every day to focus on your breathing. But also, you may want to think about little moments of calm in the things you do. For example, when you wake up in the morning, you can become more mindful when it's nice and quiet, and you are sitting focusing on your coffee. It's also important not to underestimate herbal help if you can get it. You can get products like the Bay Smokes Delta8 cartridge for a quick dose of calm, or even L-theanine pills from your health store. L-theanine is an amino acid found in green tea. While we need to drink pints of green tea to feel calmer, all you need to do is pop a couple of tablets in your mouth, and you're good to go. 

Learning to Slow Down 
A crucial thing if we feel that we are constantly anxious. The ability to go a million miles an hour all day every day is impossible. When we are constantly bound by deadlines, we've got to learn to slow down. We rarely allow ourselves the opportunity. When we slow down, it gives us the opportunity to be fully present in every little moment. When we start to slow down physically, we start to mentally slow down. It gives you the opportunity to focus on the sensations that are there in front of you, but also it becomes a way to live your life. 

Doing Nothing 
You might wonder who can actually do “nothing” in the modern-day. We live in an age where we have to constantly multitask or check social media if we allow ourselves a second of silence. Instead, sit down and do nothing. This may seem very strange initially, but if you take the opportunity to do nothing, you will see how it can impact you. Sometimes it's incredibly satisfying just to be. Take five minutes to do absolutely nothing, with no distractions, and notice the difference. 

Self-Observation 
The idea of being mindful is about observing yourself. When you start to observe yourself, you naturally practice mindfulness. If you feel that you are thinking things you should not be thinking, it's about accepting that they are there, rather than actually trying to change it. You shouldn't believe your thoughts or even take them seriously. Thoughts are things that are conditioned into us. And once we realize that thoughts are just reactions to things, we can begin to become mindful in the best possible way and change our frame of mind for the better.

Work It Out: Building A Gym Into Any Home

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Hi lovelies,

Gyms have been popular for a very long time across the world. Venues like this pre-date Ancient Rome, and this shows just how good they can be when you’re trying to keep yourself in shape. Of course, though, many people don’t like the idea of going to a gym packed with strangers each day, and the idea of having a home gym can be very desirable to many. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring the steps that can go into the process of building a home gym, with as many options considered as possible to ensure that you can find a route that will work for you.

Finding The Space
The first stage in this process is going to involve finding the space for your home gym. As you would expect, this sort of feature takes up a lot of space, and this can make it challenging for those who live in small homes. You can find some examples of the sort of spaces that can work for this below.

• Spare Rooms: Spare rooms will always be the most ideal place for your fitness area, though you will need a house that has one if you are going to go down this route. It’s usually best to go for rooms that are on the ground floor of your home, ensuring that you don’t place too much weight on your ceilings.

• Garages/Sheds: Outdoor buildings like sheds and garages tend to be used for storage, while also being cool and easy to ventilate, and this makes them ideal for use as a small home gym. You could even consider the idea of building a new shed for this, with plenty of guides on YouTube to help you through the process.

• The Garden: This idea will only work in places that have climates suitable for exercise, but you can fairly easily add fitness equipment to your garden and use it for most of the year. Of course, you will need to get waterproof items for this, as rain would destroy regular indoor gym gear.

• Shared Spaces: Making an existing room into a shared gym/other room can be a good way to approach this if you have very little space. Using folding gym equipment will make this easier, giving you the ability to set your room back to normal once you’ve gone through your workout.

As you can see, you have a lot of potential gym spaces around your home, but this will only be the start of the process. Next, it will be time to start looking for the equipment that you use in your home gym.

Choosing Your Equipment
The equipment you choose for your home gym will always be one of the most important parts of the whole thing. There are several considerations to make as you go through this, and it will always be worth exploring these areas before you make any big decisions. Equipment like this can be expensive, making it well worth spending the time to get as much out of it as possible.

• The Workouts: There wouldn’t be much point in buying a treadmill if you only want a gym to be able to work with weights. You need to make sure that your gear matches the workouts you want to do, with weight training equipment only being useful to someone who wants to pump some iron.

• The Space: The space you have reserved for your gym gear will also impact the type of equipment you buy. If you have very little space, looking for combination machines or ones that fold can be a good way to go. Of course, those with a lot of space will have far more freedom here.

• The Money: Money is always a major factor when spending on something like gym equipment. Thankfully, you can find options at very low price points when searching for items like this, making it easier to get a deal that suits your wallet.

Equipment like this can be extremely pricey, and it’s always worth making sure that you are getting the best deal on the pieces you buy. Shopping in the secondhand market can be a good way to approach this, making it possible to get great deals that you may not be able to afford on the regular market. You can research the best brands and models by simply searching the web.

Decorating For Functionality
Once you’ve found the equipment you’d like to use, it will be time to start working on decorating your home gym. The way that a room like this looks doesn’t really matter, though some people will choose to make them look like a real gym. Vinyl flooring can be ideal for this, providing you with a hardwearing and long-lasting option that will look great and be easy to install, though some people take this further with options like concrete. You need to make sure that the floor you choose will be able to take the punishment of the equipment you’ll be using.

With the floors in mind, it will be time to start working on the walls. Traditionally, gyms will usually have mirrors on the walls so that people can check themselves out as they work. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you have to take this route, but it can be a good way to make your home gym feel more authentic. For those that are moving their gym into a room that is used for other things, it could be worth finding a middle ground so that you’re able to make your gym nice and functional.

Building Your Gym
Building your gym is going to be one of the more complicated parts of this process, and you’re probably going to need help from someone else. Getting your decoration done first will be a great way to make the whole thing easier, as you won’t have to fight around the equipment you’ve found. This can make it a good idea to put your equipment into storage until you need it, ensuring that it doesn’t clutter up your home. Getting help with this might be tricky, though most people have friends that will be able to make this process easier for them.

Using Your New Workout Room
Once you’ve finished building your gym, it will finally be time to start using it. It’s always best to hit the ground running with this, ensuring that you get into a habit of exercising as early as possible. This will give you the chance to build a good habit out of your exercise, rather than simply walking past your gym each day like it is any other room. As time goes by, you will quickly learn what you like and don’t like, and will be able to adapt your home gym to better meet your needs as time goes by.

As you can see, building a gym at home is a lot easier than you might have expected. Many people choose to go down this route with their home, giving them the chance to exercise whenever they want and without having to pay for a gym pass. This move can save you a small fortune in gym memberships, while also giving you everything you need to maintain a healthy and happy life.

Self Care Tips for Body, Mind and Soul

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Hi lovelies

Interlinked, intertwined, and symbiotic for all eternity, your body, mind, and soul are you. From the most pragmatic person to the spiritual among us, nobody can deny that these three core concepts form the basis of self-knowledge and self-actualization.

Self-care covers all personal aspects of anybody’s journey and recognizing and implementing these into your life through all three disciplines of micro, macro, and situational can help you become more in tune with yourself than ever before.

Taking care of the body is directly linked to the mind and the presence of the soul can depend on your willingness to accept who you are, both positive and negative, and strive to make meaningful changes to your life:

• Exercise for joy

• Free your mind

Many people exercise as a purely competitive and body toning sport but light exercising for fun can make a huge difference to your life and help to bond with others while focusing the mind will help release the demons of the day which frees you to focus on the important things in life.

Exercise for Joy
Exercising for competition is as old as human civilization and dates back to the original Olympic sports games of Marathon in ancient Greece. While many of us don’t have the energy, drive, or time to sit in the gym all day, there are the obvious physical benefits of exercise in terms of losing weight and toning the body. But there are also other aspects to exercise as it relates to self-care.

Micro: Calorie Control
Most people don’t exercise to their physical limits and they really shouldn’t since this can be dangerous and should only be reserved for professional athletes or those under the supervision of a qualified trainer.

What you can do though, is exercise as part of a healthier lifestyle that will be a huge benefit when it comes to staying a healthy weight for your age, height, and body type. A popular method of exercise is to partake in light exercises that are meant for burning calories as part of a controlled diet that will keep the extra pounds away.

Jogging and stationary biking are the best exercises for burning calories and they are as easy as putting one foot in front of the other. If you haven’t done any running before or for a long time, then you can start with brisk walking and then jogging. A good rule of thumb is that if your heart rate is elevated then it qualifies as exercise. 

This great free exercise calculator can help you work out how many calories you've burned from a single workout.

Macro: Form Relationships
Another benefit of exercising is that it can be an excellent group activity. Apart from the obvious social advantage, exercising with others has been shown to improve the workout experience and make it less boring for those who find it difficult.

Friends will also encourage each other and a workout that might otherwise have seemed like a long and tedious process can go by in a flash and feel like a day out with the girls or guys since the bonding activity takes your mind off the fact that you are exercising. 

Motivation plays a key role in exercise and many people suffer from motivation issues. While it is normal to feel unmotivated at times, lack of motivation all the time could be a sign of depression and might be serious. This is why exercising is a great self-care method since it has been directly shown to alleviate the symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Situational: Pandemic Stress Relief
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused depression among the population to rise sharply and with no end in sight, it has become necessary to find ways to relieve the effects of being isolated while under lockdown orders.

The situation will change but it could take some time. Because of this, situational self-care has become an essential element of our daily lives as we might be alone, far away from friends and family or even unable to leave the home. While there are many distractions we could indulge in, they might not be the best for us. 

Binge-watching TV shows or playing video games is fun for a while but it won’t do anything to relieve feelings of loneliness, depression, or anxiety. Physical activity such as exercise causes serotonin to be released directly from the central nervous system into the brain and body which causes you to feel good and is the same feeling you get when accomplishing something, eating your favorite meal, or falling in love.

Free Your Mind
The body can be taken care of with exercise and physical activity which has been shown to have a direct impact on the health of the mind. However, exercise alone isn’t enough for a healthy mind and clarity of conscience, shedding of desire and feeling free are essential aspects of good mental health.

Micro: Guided Meditation
There are numerous techniques of meditation and you don't need to be a Tibetan monk to enjoy the benefits of a relaxed mind. While it's true that the optimal environment for meditation is one of self-imposed solitude somewhere you won’t be interrupted for a long time, for most of us, this just isn’t possible.

The requirements of daily life just don't allow for that kind of freedom but freedom, you can have. For the past 50 years or so, many meditation specialists including doctors, psychologists, and wellbeing gurus have perfected meditation techniques for just about every type of person and chief among them is the practice of guided meditation.

The beauty of guided meditation is that it can be done almost anywhere and tends to last between 5 minutes to 1 hour, or even longer if you wish to do so. The technique involves either listening to a narrator or focusing on something such as a candle flame and usually includes gentle music or sounds of nature to relax the mind. 

Breathing techniques are instructed by the narrator that help to put your mind in a trance-like, yet conscious state and this allows you to focus on yourself rather than the world around you. In the least, guided meditation will help you to temporarily reduce stress but has been shown to help with self-awareness, creativity, and anger management.

Macro: Organize Your Life
Resting the mind and focusing on what needs to be done either by guided meditation or other means can help with the self-care aspect of organization. Organization isn't only related to being organized, such as with scheduling, arrangement, or time management, but also prioritizing the things in your life that need to be addressed and how that should be done.

Studies have shown that the act of organization has many mental health and self-care benefits including improved sleep, reduced stress, and making better decisions when it comes to exercise, food, and general health. Unless prevented by a catastrophic external factor such as drug or alcohol abuse, physical or sexual abuse, or chronic depression, organization is easy and costs nothing.

First of all, you might want to make a list of anything that is preventing you from either caring for yourself or preventing you from moving forward with your goals. These could be financial, medical, or environmental but you should then address these issues with possible solutions.

Once any issues have been identified with solutions, you can begin the process of prioritizing them one by one in order of urgency and feasibility. It might be better to remove any smaller obstacles in your life that you can do immediately rather than focus on something larger that could take some time. Work towards the larger goals through a series of smaller ones.

Situational: Financial Freedom
One of the biggest impacts of Covid-19 is the massively detrimental effect it has had on the income of many families all over the world. Lockdown restrictions have meant that businesses have had to close, some have been shuttered and others completely abandoned which has led to many employees uncertain about their financial future.

Financial worries are among the most common with 73% of Americans citing money issues as the primary cause of stress in their lives. But the issue of money doesn’t need to overtake your life and there are many options and methods you can use to take back control of your money.

In these trying times, especially if you have been laid off or temporarily out of work, then you will need to address what you can and cannot afford. This is one of the most difficult things you can do if you are used to a certain level of living, but it is absolutely necessary.

Make a list of everything you currently pay for that doesn’t include gas, water, electricity, or food, and then ask yourself if you can live without it. You will find that the answer is yes to almost everything. You don’t need Netflix, you don’t need a magazine subscription and you don’t need to have your hair styled every week. The point is that sometimes, some things aren’t all that important next to genuine self care.

The Secret Code For Gaining True Mastery Over Your Cravings

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Hi lovelies,

If you’re like most people, you can point to many times in your life when you have experienced cravings. For some people, it’s a rare occurrence or something that happens during major life events, like pregnancy. For others, it’s a daily struggle. Your body tells you that it desperately wants things. And you feel like there’s nothing you can do to stop it. 

Every year, thousands of people go to American Addiction Centers to deal with their cravings. And the problem is getting worse. We’re becoming more hooked on the goodies that society doles out over time, not less. 

So what’s going wrong. Fundamentally, the challenges we all face on a personal level come from our societal setup. Getting people hooked on certain types of foods and activities provides massive financial rewards. Social network entrepreneurs are collectively worth hundreds of billions. And their pile of wealth keeps on growing because we simply can’t get off our phones. 

The same is true for fast-food restaurants. We don’t eat at them because we’re hungry. We go to them because we want something that makes us feel good. Brands know exactly how to light up our brain’s pleasure centers and give us what we want. 

So how can you beat cravings? Is there a way to fight back? 

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Examine Your Focus
The first thing to do when battling cravings is to examine your focus. Why are you thinking about them right now instead of at some other time in the day? 

Usually, you’ll find that cravings start emerging when you have time for yourself. They rarely crop up half-way through giving a presentation or having sex. Instead, they appear when you’re alone with your thoughts, wondering how you can make your day better. 

If you know the problem is your focus, then you can change it. You can adjust where you direct your attention so that the cravings disappear. Desperate for fast food? Start reading a book or go for a brisk walk in the cold. 

Find A Healthier Feel-Good Outlet
As humans, we all need pleasure. It’s just a question of where we get it from. Securing it from healthy sources can be a great thing in our lives and enrich them immensely. Getting it from something destructive, on the other hand, can harm us enormously.

Think carefully about what actually makes you feel good. Does it have to be something unhealthy? Or could you get the same feeling from something positive in your life? 

For instance, on the subject of food, do you have to go to the fast-food outlet? Or could you experience a similar level of pleasure making something at home? 

Or could you replace your need to feel good via illicit substances with another, healthy activity, like yoga or exercise? 

It is often just a question of training your brain to associate new activities with pleasure. When it does, you’ll start “craving” them and forget all about your destructive habits. 

Whenever you face cravings, you always need to have a plan in place so that you can stay in control. 

The Levels of Self-Care

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Hi lovelies,

We have all heard of self-care, but sometimes we only think of the superficial things like taking a bubble bath. Self-care is a much deeper practice that involves listening to your body and mind and supporting yourself in every way possible. Here are some of the levels of self-care to help you look and feel your best always.

Micro Self-Care
Micro self-care refers to the little things that we normally think about when we hear self-care. On a daily basis, we need to be listening to our bodies and minds to know what we need and how to get that support.

This can be in the form of a bubble bath, but it also goes much further beyond that. Exercises, getting enough sleep, and eating healthy are all ways to practice micro self-care each day. It may also come in the form of meditation or journaling.

Macro Self-Care
Macro self-care refers to larger self-care items that you may not see as being a part of self-care. This can be things like sorting out your finances to reach a level of independence and being debt-free. This is not something you can do in a single sitting, or even in one day.

It can also be things related to your health. Going regularly to see a doctor, take care of any health needs, go to your dentist visits, and get your teeth straightened all fall into this category as well. It can also be about completing a project you have been putting off to relieve that stress from your life.

Sometimes we have a tendency to not take on challenges because they are scary and staying where we are is easier. This is not the way to be fulfilled and happy though. Sometimes we need to jump into the unknown by going back to school, starting a new job, or learning a new skill. Having the courage to follow your dreams is a form of self-care, and taking those first steps is the hardest part.

Situational Self-Care
We all know that there are different times in our lives when we have different needs. Especially during hard times, we need to be in tune with what our needs are and make sure they are being met. If you are going through an especially stressful time, then you are going to need to find ways to deal with that stress.

The different ways you meet the challenges in your life will vary depending on the situation. The most important thing is to be flexible and remember that those needs are going to change. Just because something has worked before, that doesn’t mean that it is always going to work. Really take the time to get to know your own body and what it needs.

You may also find that you need to experiment a little bit to find out what helps when you are struggling. Most likely it is going to be a combination of different things. Always remember to talk to a therapist when you are struggling to have the proper support through difficult times.

Knowing How to Become More In-Tune With Yourself

Hi lovelies,

Searching for ways to achieve a healthier mind and become more in-tune with yourself is a superb step forward for many women, but it can be difficult to identify the best ways to do this, especially considering how unique everyone is. Despite this, there are ways that you can explore to help you connect with yourself and find balance in your life, you just need to know where to look and what to try. 

Connect With Nature 
Humans and nature have always had a relationship. The natural world has given us food, drink, and stunning views that continue to impress no matter how many times we have seen them. There are many different ways to connect with nature, and everyone has something that they prefer. Whether it’s going for a daily walk and just listening to the natural sounds all around you or taking substantial hikes up the highest mountains you can find, there is something for everybody. You can walk for as long or as little as you like, and you are sure to find something different every time you go out as you get the chance to clear your head. 

Meditate 
Meditation is a technique that has been used for generations, but it has ever-so-slowly found its way into the conversation in the modern world. Nowadays, many people explore the benefits of meditation, and it is not as difficult as many previously perceived. With apps like Headspace and Calm, you are guided through the early stages of meditation to help you get used to the process, and this gently nudges you in the right direction, allowing you to become comfortable sitting and letting your mind free itself. While it can be frustrating at first, you’ll eventually get the hang of it, and perhaps realize what keeps you out of tune. 

Accept Your Femininity 
It can be difficult to be a woman, but it always has been. Even with an increased focus on equality and opportunities, some women still feel like they should be ashamed of who they are for whatever reason. Accepting and embracing your femininity is one of the most crucial steps to becoming more in tune with yourself. Everyone has their own definitions of how this is possible, but you can consider things like the benefits of yoni steaming, being unapologetic for natural female functions, and not being afraid to be who you are at any time. Some people may not like it, but accepting what and who you are makes the world a better place. 

Give Yourself Time 
If you feel like you never stop moving forward, you can easily shift slightly off the track and find yourself struggling to maintain control. This is perfectly natural. It happens to just about everyone, and it is no cause for concern. However, if you do not take action to realign yourself with your path, there’s a risk of derailing altogether. If you need to give yourself time to evaluate your life and wants, then allow yourself to do so. You might find that you need and want something entirely different from what you thought. 

Find What Makes You Happy 
Similarly, giving yourself time could allow you to find out what makes you happiest. This might be being happy in your career or personal life, and it is a significant step towards becoming more in tune with who you are. Knowing how to discover this happiness takes skill and perseverance, so don't be afraid to try something new, but don’t get discouraged if you find out it isn’t for you. There are so many opportunities out there that you’re sure to find something. 

Write Down Your Experiences
If you have your thoughts swimming around endlessly in your head, you will never be able to focus on what you really want. This is because these thoughts are impossible to pin down, and you can never get genuine clarity on what they are. To overcome this, try journaling to write down your experiences and make your thoughts and feelings more real. This will enable you to look at your experiences with a new perspective and could help you understand your life differently. From here, you can adjust your thinking and take the first steps towards becoming more in-tune with yourself.v

In Tune 
Becoming more in-tune with yourself will immediately have benefits on your happiness and how you perceive the world around you. Rather than worry that you are incapable of finding your place, or dread that you are not good enough, you’ll find the perspective you need to help you feel confident and capable of anything. 

Signs That You Need To Change Your Self-Care Routine

Hi lovelies,

A healthy lifestyle entails more than working out regularly and having a balanced diet. Although these factors play a significant role in the well-being of an individual, living a healthy lifestyle isn’t only about being in perfect health and shape. 

Your overall well-being is also determined by your mental strength and how you can cope with anxiety or stress. If you are continually finding yourself caving in when in a difficult situation, it could mean that you are not giving yourself enough attention.

Below are a few signs that you need to change your self-care routine. 

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You Have a Hard Time Falling Asleep
If you find that you are facing difficulty falling asleep, it may be a result of anxiety and stress. Some people also experience anxiety attacks, which occur if the mind needs to relieve stress or experience some change. 

If you experience such symptoms, it might be time to change your self-care routine. Ignoring them can lead to long-term issues in your health. 

Impaired Cognitive Abilities
Minor mental slips like forgetting your house keys in the car or skipping a chore once in a while are normal. However, if you find that they are frequently occurring, it may be time to take action. This might be a signal from your mind that you are struggling and you need to relax. 

When you start to miss out on significant deadlines or events, it may mean that your body and mind are in severe burnout. Take time off and let your mind recuperate. Doing this will affect your life and behavior in a positive way. 

Occasional Mood Swings and Behavioral Changes
If you lack a dedicated self-care routine, your life may start to disentangle and fall apart. You may begin to lose interest in the things you once loved and were passionate about. Such detachment is a sign of burnout. 

If you notice that you have decreased interest in socializing and you have an increased level of negative thoughts, it may be time to assess the amount of “me time” that you have been assigning yourself and make the necessary adjustments. 

You Are Struggling To Do the Everyday Tasks
Struggling to do your daily life activities such as driving, basic communication, or carrying your groceries to your house could mean that your body needs attention. Visit your doctor for a check-up and have them determine whether your health needs some improvement. 

Your inability to do simple activities might be a result of deteriorating eyesight or hearing aid issues. Your doctor will help determine such instances and direct you to the right specialist for correction. 

Physical Manifestations of Stress
General symptoms such as shortness of breath, stomach upsets, and fainting could signify excessive stress. The way such symptoms are expressed is unique to each individual, but there is a significant correlation between physical and mental fatigue. 

If you continuously find yourself experiencing such symptoms, it is essential to pay attention. It could be a way of your body expressing that something is wrong. Consult with a doctor for diagnosis and implement regular self-care in your routine. 

Your self-care routine is crucial to the success of your daily activities. Pay attention to the above factors to determine whether you need to make adjustments in your routine and make the necessary changes.

Renewing The Sustainbility of Your Healthy Lifestyle Choices

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Hi lovelies,

As 2021 rolled around, many of us decided to redouble our efforts to make sure we were living healthily, at least implementing a few resolutions we could keep up with day after day. That said, this year has been quite tough for many of us already, and so sometimes we may find ourselves faltering in our prior ambitions.

Sometimes, we need to renew just how sustainable our actions are, to reflect on what’s been going right and what may have gone wrong. This can help us stay adaptable, which is the most important principle to keep when trying to live a healthier and more engaged lifestyle.

But what does sustainability mean in this context? Well, it means that you’re still able to keep up with these lifestyle changes without having to feel like your discipline is overly constricting you, or that you may fail in the future, or that these changes aren’t having an effect. Many people think healthy living is simply a forced decision instead of a marathon split up into little sections, only taken a day at a time.

But what sustainable efforts can we use to ‘stay on the wagon,’ as it were? Let’s consider:

Renew Your Program & Guide
It could be that following a guide and renewing a routine helps you avoid some of the intense mental busywork it takes to make decisions anew each day, helping you get your feet wet in a certain practice without having to figure every single thing out yourself.

For instance, keto is known as a fantastic diet for losing weight and transferring your body to use ketones as its fuel source. However, it can often be quite hard to implement, which is why a step by step keto diet plan, curated by a professional nutritionist, can help you stay oriented and purposeful. Having a routine to guide you can really help with your discipline.

Keep It Social
While it’s hard to meetup with one another at this time, especially to attend support groups, we can find that online. Expressing yourself through social media, logging your activities, and joining forums (even if it’s solely Reddit) to discuss certain lifestyle changes can be fantastic. Perhaps you just want to talk about running with like minded people, or even want tips for skincare. If you can think of it, there’s an online community out there doing their best to try and help you, and to provide moral support. Who knows? You may also provide that value to someone else in the same boat. This is how we keep our motivation burning.

Reflect & Write
Sometimes, a plan really isn’t for you. That’s fine. Taking some time to review your progress at the end of each week or month can be a great way of getting your ducks in a row and figuring out what changes you may wish to make. Perhaps you’ve noticed a certain ingredient that you thought would be the pinnacle of your diet just hasn’t been integrated realitistically in your daily recipes, and that has left you feeling a little deflated. That’s fine - did you really need that recipe anyway?  Asking yourself these questions can help you understand yourself and your journey more deeply.

With this advice, we hope you can stay adaptable and really consider if certain lifestyle changes or efforts are for you.

Why You Should Practice Meditation

Hi lovelies,

While most people feel they need to go to a class to meditate, that is not true. The beautiful thing about meditation is that you can practice it almost anywhere. Anywhere that is calm, comfortable, and collective is a place where you can meditate. Find yourself space where you can effectively clear your thoughts and use that as a place to practice daily. 

Also, do not believe that meditation has to be done in silence. If taking a walk or listening to music helps you be mindful and calm, then do that. As long as it can clear your mind and let you reap the practice benefits, so be it. 

Meditation is a massive part of being mindful as it enhances your:

Vitality
Having a heightened sense of vitality comes with exuberant mental vigor. A person of great spirit is someone who practices being strong mentally and physically through practices like meditation. Research shows that the benefits of meditation include increased energy, mood, and sleep—all three of which aid clearer thinking for a stronger mentality and vitality. Not only will meditation strengthen the inner you, but it will help with improving mental clarity and sharpness.

Intention
Consistency is key. Getting yourself to commit to a practice, a lifestyle, and a new you is challenging; let’s not dismiss that. But what makes it easier to overcome the challenge is to be consistent. During times of questioning and non-believing, push through it. You will come out better on the other side and thank yourself a million times over for being intent and committed. Wellness is about consistency. Showing up every day is a sense of achievement.

Control
Being in control of your life is a beautiful thing. You are the controller of your time, feelings, actions, and so much more. We are all-powerful, and being grateful for ourselves and our power is important to master. To master yourself, you must control yourself. In the new paradigm, the sense of control in life belongs to awareness.

Learning how to do so plays a crucial role in meditation. Channeling your inner happiness, awareness, and thoughts is a way to discover who you truly are and what you need to manage to be what you want to be. 

You can learn to control and leverage your stress, anxiety, and life responses through breathwork, which is a huge part of meditation. Breath is a life force. It works by recalibrating your body’s natural alignment.

Controlling your breath is a great tool for controlling the mind. Therefore, if you can master breathwork, you can control yourself.

Presence
To achieve your highest sense of mindfulness, you must be present. Focusing on your present self and your surroundings instead of the past and the future will allow you to be aware of your thoughts and actions in a non-judgemental manner. Being present and mindful is the core benefit of meditation and enables you to communicate how you think and feel to both yourself and others.

The mind and the body are inseparably one. Thus, a distressed mental state can easily be converted into the biochemicals that create disease. The two go hand in hand through a mind-body connection. This is often why people with good mental health teach their bodies to age well. 

By living fully in the present moment, you will allow yourself to live in the essence of timelessness. Your awareness will become transcendent and from that, you will feel a great sensation of fullness. 

You may be wondering how exactly to meditate. It’s a very simple practice, and all you need is yourself and a quiet place to do so. Meditation will allow you to live a more thoughtful life and get a fresh, unexpected perspective, whether you’re a beginner or experienced. The best mind-body techniques to insert into living your beautiful life blueprint include:

Set achievable goals - Start small. 1 to 2 minutes a day is enough to practice and get a feel for meditation. The best advice for meditation is to set achievable goals. Whether you are a meditation newbie or indeed someone who’s tried meditation and given up, start small and realistic. Do it for 1 minute. Starting small is the answer to success. It reinforces the idea that you can do it. Just showing up for yourself is already a success! As you feel more comfortable and mindful, your practice will naturally get longer. Around 15 minutes per day is a good goal to aim for once you’ve mastered your meditation technique. Create a vibe. Whether it be music, scent, or space. Then, make it something you look forward to.

Meditate first thing each morning – Allow yourself a fresh unexpected perspective. A daily practice of quiet allows us to become more present, more creative, and more open. Setting this intention will allow you to go about your day with a sense of gratitude, happiness, and mindfulness. 

Check-in with how you are feeling - listen to your body and your mind to see what perspective you want to focus on and work on. Each new practice will bring new emotions, and working daily is a great way to grow.

Count your breaths - when you can, count your breaths and see how your stomach rises and falls throughout each breath. You may not be able to keep this up throughout the entire practice as you may have things you want to think about, focus on, and channel, and that’s okay. But, when you get the chance, focus on your breathwork. 

Come back when you wander - try and stay with whatever arises in your mind and stay on track throughout your practice, so you feel satisfied after. When and if you find your mind trailing off onto other thoughts, come back to your original focus so that you can wrap up on a positive path. The mind is our most precious resource through which we experience every single moment of life. Don’t beat yourself up if your mind wanders. Taking the time to sit and be still is looking after your mind, and there is no downside to that.

Develop a loving attitude - practicing meditation every day will soon become a part of your life you will not want to live without. Learn to love it, to learn yourself, and most importantly, smile when you’re done. It will make you feel incredibly composed and grateful.

Maintaining Your Physical Health Will Mean Nothing if You Do Not Consider These Five Things

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Hi lovelies,

Your body is a reflection of your decisions, surroundings, and thoughts. It would be best if you decided to take care of your body physically, mentally, and emotionally. You need to engage in appropriate exercise and activities that fit your purpose and BMI category. 

 People will have different reasons to work on their physical health: for pride, general well-being, appearance, or athleticism. Choose the right regime for you and take up the challenge. The measure of physical fitness is in the general feel of your body. 

Here are some of the determining factors that you need to consider during your physical health journey:

Body Mass Index (BMI)
The body mass index is a measure of your height against your weight. It is an accurate calculation of determining your weight range: overweight, obesity, underweight, or average. Once you identify your BMI, you will know which types of exercises you need to do to maintain or improve your body's performance. 

Apart from BMI, waist circumference is also an indicator of the body's fitness progress. Before your program, your trainer will document these measurements that the trainer will compare to throughout your program to determine how far you are progressing. It will also be an excellent, motivating factor that you can use to push yourself to the finish line. 

Flexibility 
Flexibility is determined using the sit and reach test. This test defines the flexibility of your lower back and hips. It measures how far you can reach while sitting down with your legs slightly apart. To improve your flexibility, you need to work on stretching routines that alleviate the stiffness around the back and the hips. 

Appearance
Though it may not be your primary purpose of working out, beauty and appearance make the top two reasons in most physical fitness programs. Besides toning the body, these programs ensure that you have a new fabulous look, which brings confidence. 

Some of these programs do not completely tone your body; you need to do CoolSculpting to have a refined look. Coolsculpting ensures that your body gets rid of unnecessary shrank fat in your body that will otherwise be a nuisance to your perfect look. 

Physical Fitness Is a Lifetime Commitment
Physical fitness is not a show for the season ticket holder. It is a lifetime commitment that you need to commit yourself fully. It would be best to have a complete turnaround in the food choice decisions you make and the company you keep.

Aerobic Fitness
Aerobic fitness generally tests your heart rate according to your age and gender. You need to match up to the aerobic standards to measure up to the fitness standards. You can take the heart rate test by timing your jogs and runs. Regular documentation of these results will indicate your progress in your physical fitness journey. 

Keeping your physical fitness in check all year through requires total commitment to the course. Regardless of your reason to take the fitness program, you need to adhere to the mentioned points to ensure a fruitful plan. Focus on your goals, and the results will follow!

Self-Care Tips for Year Ahead

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Hi lovelies,

This year, like last year, is set to be a topsy-turvy time of uncertainty and stress. All the more reason to get serious about your self care routine. Without an adequate self care routine you will find yourself uninspired and self critical. You might even become sad or depressed. However, if you use some of the tips below regularly, you will feel more harmonized, more energetic, and your life will go from strength to strength. 

Schedule Downtime 
One of the key ways to make sure you get enough self-care time in your life is to plan it in. You seriously have to do this if you want to stay in harmony with yourself and your life. It's very important. Some people think they can get by looking after themselves on the go, but all too often his results in more stress not less. 

When you schedule in downtime you accomplish two things. You guarantee that you get the downtime you expect and need, but you also motivate yourself in that direction. When you have some downtime scheduled you know that you have to meditate, engage in a mindful activity, or zone out for a while. 

Shift Your Mindset 
It isn't called a 'mind-set' for no reason. It's so easy to slip into a frame of mind that works in a particular way. Maybe you have some stresses in your life and you think about their cause and solution quite a lot, other times you might just find yourself in work mode most of the time without any chance for quality self-care time. The solution to this is to shift your mindset.

So how can you do this, it probably sounds easier than it is in practice. Actually, changing your mindset is not that difficult, especially if you're aware that that is what you're doing. Firstly, become aware of your habits and routines. Are you following the same patterns in your life a lot? Do something you wouldn't normally do, a walk in an unfamiliar place, or a run instead of a trip to the gym. Notice new thoughts and ideas emerging. 

Journaling 
Journaling is probably the oldest self-care practice in the book. Many people are put off for this reason, or because they think of it as something they did as a child that isn't really for adults. This is totally not the case. Journaling is one of the best ways to organize your thoughts and notice patterns in your life that are helpful for changing habits and routines. 

If you don't follow your thinking over a period, there's no way to know what thoughts and patterns you've had before. Chances are you will co tinge to live out the same stresses over and over instead of breaking the cycle. Use journaling to break the cycle of your stressful mind patterns and discover more about yourself this year.

Self-Care Nights 
If you're lucky you will have plenty of time to schedule self care into your life and make the most of the time you set aside. However, not everyone has lots of time to play with. Some people have busy jobs and families that prevent them from properly looking after themselves even when the time is set aside for it. 

If this sounds like you, you might need a self-care night. This is one night a week that you keep to yourself no matter what's going on in your life. It's important to let your friends, partner, and family know about your self care night so they don't interrupt you. Use this time to pamper yourself, relax, or meditate. Whatever energizes you is what you should do on self care nights. 

Physical Activity
It's well known that there are separate systems at work in the body and mind. There is the mental side of things, the emotional side; then there is the physical side. One thing affects the other so if you have a stressed out head you might notice your weight increasing. Conversely, if you look after your body your thoughts and ideas will improve dramatically. 

For self care this year look after your mental and emotional life by getting in plenty of physical exercise. Running is good, so is jogging and walking fast. You can get a fitbit or step counter to help you log the steps you make every day. If you monitor your steps you will get an idea of what it takes to maintain your optimal wellness balance.  

Effective Self-Care 
What does self care mean to you? If you're like most people it's about connecting with yourself and the activities that really make you feel good about yourself, and alive. This is different for everyone, but your self care wellness activities should be well understood by you. The better you understand your own wellness the easier it will be to access quickly when you need it. This means less wasted wellness time in your schedule. 

Self care is about rewarding yourself for the stresses and strains of life and reminding yourself about the joys and pleasures of being alive. Identify those things that make you feel like you want to live on forever just doing or being a particular way. It might be a long bath with salts and candles, or the perfect meditation. It might be reading an excellent book, walking in nature, or making art. The world is yours. 

Nature Walks 
You might not realize  the importance of nature, especially if you live in a big hazy city, but once you get into the countryside and smell the freshness of the air and see the beautiful green vistas, it really nourishes the soul. Walking in nature is one of the best things you can do for your overall well being, when you return you will feel inspired and look younger. 

If you struggle to get into nature, even for an afternoon, there is still hope. If you live in the inner city with noise and traffic outside. Close your Myrtle Beach Window and introduce plant life to your home. You can buy plants that are excellent for purifying the air which helps to invigorate the senses and reduce headaches. Don't miss out on nature in the city, bring the outdoors indoors.