Tag: Lifestyle Changes

Easy Ways To Let That Self-Esteem Grow Back

We all have to look after our mental and physical sides as best we can. If we let things go a little, it can have a huge effect on ourselves which can literally last for years. The two go hand in hand, but we’re going to be focusing mainly on the mental side of life for now. More specifically, we’re going to be focusing on self-esteem and overall confidence. 

New Years Resolutions That Are Actually Worth Making

A lot of people complain at those who make new year’s resolutions. And in some ways they have a point, you don’t have to wait until january the first to change your life for the better. Every day is an opportunity to improve and grow, that is certainly true. However there’s something about the promise of a brand new year stretching ahead that can give a whole lot of motivation and really push you to set and reach your goals. So if you do want to improve your life, now is a good time to start making plans since we’re nearing the end of the year. Here are some new year’s resolutions that are generally worthwhile making.

 

Health

One of the things people can go wrong with when setting health goals is being unrealistic or too specific. They might set a target weight that’s too low or a dress size that’s unlikely to work with their body shape. They might aim to look like a certain celebrity or set another goal which simply isn’t achievable. When it comes to health, you should be aiming to live a better lifestyle. Create an eating plan which is focused on plenty of fresh produce, lean protein, low fat dairy and whole grains, but allow yourself the odd day where you can have whatever you fancy so that it’s sustainable long term. Work out what your BMI should be, and plan how much weight you would have to lose (or gain) to get there. With exercise, don’t set yourself the goal of running at 6am every morning if you hate getting up early and hate running. Find a sport, class or activity you enjoy and do this instead. Aim for three days a week, you can build from it if you want but you won’t overwhelm yourself right away. Diet and exercise is a big part of health, but look at the bigger picture too. You should aim to sleep more, drink more water and quit your dangerous vices. Companies like Serenity at Summit Rehab Center can deal with more serious addictions, otherwise speak to your GP regarding your drinking, drugs or smoking addiction. Take care of your mental health too- the body and mind are closely connected so to look after your overall wellbeing you need to be paying attention to the way you feel too. Meditation and relaxation techniques can help with anxiety, otherwise speak to your doctor if an issue like depression or anxiety is affecting your life.

 

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Finances

Being able to keep your finances in order is one of the best skills you can master in your adult life. Whether your budget is big or small, knowing exactly how much you can spend and when to pay your bills so that you’re not getting into trouble or falling behind is important. If you know you’re not the best with money, mak 2018 your year to get it right. If you’re in debt, speak to a debt management company who can negotiate with creditors on your behalf. They can often get you reduced payments and the interest frozen. Use a budgeting app or work out your money on a calendar so you know exactly what needs to be paid and when. Spend some time getting this right so that you’re not falling behind and can feel calm and confident when it comes to your bills. Another thing you could do to improve your financial situation is ask for a promotion, change careers or do some work from home. You could do this by setting up a home business, or

 

Social

We all lead such busy lifestyles. Between working full time, taking care of children and running a house, you will often find that time completely escapes you. However it’s important to find time for loved ones, these are the people that matter so you will want to keep social bonds strong. You could arrange a monthly dinner together at the weekend, in the summer this could be a barbeque or a picnic. The rest of the year you could host dinner parties at home, or take it in turns to go to each other. You could arrange a day out or a mini break with them, whether it’s jetting off somewhere or going camping with a couple of other families. Even making the time for the occasional phone call is important. If you know you’ve been neglecting your loved ones and not attending social things recently, you could aim to sort this out in the new year. Having a support network is around you, so be sure to be there when your loved ones need you and in return you know they will be there for you. You will feel far more secure in life, and if things ever do go wrong you will have people who care about you close to you.

 

Travel

The planet is colossal, and if we only ever stay in one place we miss out on so much. Travel expands your mind, gives you a whole new perspective and it’s fun too. If your budget is smaller you could aim to go on road trips in the country where you live, visit different places where you’re from which you’ve never seen. If you’re able to spend more you could aim to visit new countries and destinations that have always appealed to you. If you go on a cruise, you will stop off at lots of different destinations along the way. Or you could go on a river cruise through cities, there are tonnes of these in Europe. You could go backpacking, or just aim to go on a couple of vacations. Either way, you’ll never regret travelling and seeing more of the world is a worthwhile resolution to make. It benefits both adults and kids and is something you can do if you’re a family or by yourself.

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What resolutions will you be making for 2018? Have you got any ideas yet?

 

Trying to Get Pregnant? Do These Things

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If you’re trying to get pregnant, apart from doing lots of the obvious, there are a number of things, which although they’re fairly simple, might just help you to accomplish your mission and get that positive result a little quicker. They may also help you have a happier, healthy birth too….

Get Checked Out

Both you and your spouse, when you decide that the time is right to start trying for a baby, would do well to head off to your doctor, or even better a fertility specialist, to have yourselves checked out. This is particularly important if you have existing medical issues because knowing how they could affect the process will help you to do things the right way and maximize your chances. It’ll also give you a good opportunity to ask a professional any questions you might have about pregnancy and fertility in general.

Monitor Your Cycle

Did you know there’s a brief window each month when you are way more fertile? Surprisingly, a lot of women don’t realize that this is the case, and that means that they don’t focus their efforts on trying for a baby during their most fertile period, resulting in another month of disappointment.

If you want to get pregnant fast, then it makes sense to monitor your cycle, so that you know exactly when you’re ovulating and should get to work trying to make that baby! Remember, you’ll be super fertile for 36 hours after you start ovulating, so make the most of that time!

Start Taking Supplements

Taking supplements, specifically folic acid, but a multivitamin couldn’t hurt, is a must for any woman who wants to get pregnant in the near future because it can actually increase your body’s chance of conceiving. Not only that but if you do get pregnant, it will help to protect your unborn baby from birth defects.

Eat a Healthy Diet

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If you’re a junk food queen or you tend to avoid eating too many vegetables. Now is the time to make some positive changes to your diet. The healthier you eat now, the better equipped your body will be to deal with a pregnancy, and the more likely things will happen to you. So, start stocking your cupboards with lean meats, fruits, veggies, legumes and whole grains, and keep the junk to a minimum. It’ll make a huge difference.

Relax

If there’s one thing that will stop an otherwise healthy woman from getting pregnant when she really wants to more than anything else, it’s stressing about the situation. If you stress when you don’t get pregnant, and you stress about your life, in general, more than necessary, you are only going to hurt your chances. Why?When you’re stressed your body releases cortisol, which fights off progesterone, preventing any eggs that do get fertilized from progressing into a pregnancy. So, take it easy, try some relaxing acupuncture for fertility or learn to meditate. It will not only increase your chances, but it’ll help you stay happy while you try to conceive.

Give Up Smoking

If you’re a smoker, you know that it’s bad for you and you know that it will be extremely bad for any baby that comes along, but if you’re thinking you can wait to give up until you actually get pregnant, it’s time to think again. Why? Because smoking is not only an unhealthy habit, but it really hurts your chances of getting pregnant. Many of the toxins found in cigarettes; the ones that cause cancer and heart disease, can also have a negative impact on fertility, in some cases damaging the fallopian tubes and decreasing the mobility of sperm to such an extent that you might have to try for years before having any success. Luckily, if you give up smoking, things can improve pretty fast, so do it now. There are lots of organizations and health professionals who will help you quit, so don’t be scared. Also, don’t beat yourself up if you fall off the wagon occasionally – quitting isn’t easy, but if you do your very best to try, it will help you to get pregnant more quickly.

Lose Weight

We all know that being more than a few pounds overweight is really bad for us, but many of us don’t realize that being overweight can make it pretty difficult to conceive. There are a few reasons why this is the case, but the main one os that being overweight is more likely to lead to female menstrual problems because of the excess level of estrogen released into the body by fat cells. This can make tracking your cycle and getting pregnant much more difficult. When you’re overweight, the cervix often tends to be deeper-set, and that can make it more difficult for sperm to get where they need to be for conception to take place.

Although, if you need to, you should definitely make a real effort to lose weight, you shouldn’t start starving yourself or exercising excessively because that can cause problems i the fertility department all of its own. What you’re looking to do is strike a balance.

Sleep More

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If you aren’t getting your full quota of sleep each night, then you’re more likely to have irregularities with your periods, which again could make it more difficult for you to get pregnant. Not only that, but the pineal gland can be detrimentally affected by a lack of sleep and since it is responsible for producing several hormones that are involved in fertility, this can be quite damaging to your chances. Then, there’s the fact that if you’re fatigued, you’re less likely to want to have lots of sex, which is kind of vital for making a baby.

Getting pregnant is one of those things where it’s so easy for some people and seems to take forever for others, but as long as you’re both healthy, if you relax, take your time and tray as many of the things above as possible, chances are it will happen for you sooner or later (hopefully sooner).

Empty Nest Syndrome: 5 Ways To Live Your Life When The Kids Have Gone

Goodbye for now (source)

It’s the moment many parents dread: the day when the kids leave home and start a new life of their own elsewhere. They have flown the nest, and the poor parents are left behind to pick up the pieces. Either that or they finally breathe a sigh of relief and look forward to having the house to themselves again.

If you are suffering from empty nest syndrome, there is helpful advice online on how to deal with the grieving process. You may also benefit from speaking to a counsellor if you are particularly struggling with the loneliness you feel now that the kids have gone. Of course, life isn’t over for you, and you are more than just a parent. Rather than dwell in sorrow for too long, take the time to start living your life for yourself again.

Here are five ways to live your life after the kids have flown the nest.

1. Go back to work

You may have given up work to have children, so consider getting back into the career you started years ago. Alternatively, think about something where you can use your parenting skills, such as a career in nursing. Going back to school can be scary if you have been out of education, but courses such as the master’s in nursing education can be done online and at home.

2. Reconnect with your partner

Having kids takes its toll on any relationship, so now is the time to fall back in love with your partner all over again. You probably sat at home and stressed about the kids together when they were still at home, and you are likely to do this now they’ve left. Stop it! Spend time with your partner doing the things you both enjoy doing, and create new experiences together that are all about the two of you, and nothing to do with the children.

3. Meet new people

Whether you go it alone, or bring your partner with you, find ways to meet other people. Sites such as Meetup.com will direct you to groups and places where you can make new friends of any age. Not only that, but you can take part in some fantastic new hobbies that will distract you from any empty nest feelings you are suffering from.

4. Do something with the house

What you do with your house is up to you, but you may want to empty your kid’s room and use it for something new. You might want to convert it into a study, guest bedroom, or a den, as possible examples. Redecorate it as you want, and you may find the change of decor helps you to deal with your happy but grief-stricken memories of time at home with the kids. You will never forget your children, but constant reminders are bound to trigger your tear ducts for a while.

5. Look after yourself

You won’t feel good about yourself if you are stuck in empty nest syndrome. Sitting at home on the couch all day, with a box of chocolates in one hand and a handkerchief in the other, is not going to do much to help your mood. Instead, focus on a healthy lifestyle, such as joining a gym or a dance class to get your body into shape. Not only will you benefit your body, but the ‘feel good’ chemicals released during exercise will be good for your mind, as well.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Wait Until The New Year to Break Those Bad Habits

If there’s one phrase guaranteed to make eyes roll the world over it’s New Year’s Resolution. This ancient custom has been with us since the days of ancient Rome and while we’ll never know for sure, it’s a good bet that those ancient Romans sucked at keeping them as much as we do. And they didn’t have nearly as many temptations as we face in the modern age. Let’s face it, we all have habits we’d prefer to kick and it can be all too easy to mollify ourselves into indulging our bad habits as we embrace fall and face the coming prospect of winter. After all, ‘tis the season to be jolly (and for jolly read gluttonous). As the skies darken and our hibernation instinct kicks in it’s tempting to spend every available moment huddled under a duvet quietly stuffing our faces, vaguely assuring ourselves that we’ll kick our bad habits utterly and completely (and this time we really mean it). There is, of course, one problem with that logic…

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If it’s difficult now, it’ll be even worse in January

Sure, it’s getting darker, colder and drearier outside. The thing is, come January, it’ll be really dark, cold and dreary outside. As hard as it is to stay motivated to develop healthy habits in the fall, it’s much, much harder at the height of winter. Instead of deferring your self-improvement for a few months, this is a better time than ever to work towards a happier healthier you.

Now is the time to get in shape

It’s around this time of year when many of us begin to experience the onset of Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. While this can lead to a sharp decline in motivation and energy, the natural endorphin spike that exercise provides is a great antidote to this affliction. Start your day with a trip to the gym or even a brisk jog and you’ll start to feel brighter and more positive as you go about your day.

Now is the time to admit you may have a problem

The upcoming festive period brings certain temptations with it, and these are often accompanied by a spike in alcohol related crime and illness. If you (or those close to you) are worried about your current alcohol consumption then you may need support over the coming months or risk lapsing into problem drinking. If you admit that you may have a problem now, you stand a much better chance of staying strong when the temptation is at its greatest. Check out https://broadwaytreatmentcenter.com/treatment/detox-program/ for examples of treatment that may be beneficial to you. Even if you don’t feel that formal help is appropriate to you, now is the perfect time to open up to someone you love. There’s no reason why you should face your troubles alone.

Now is the time to treat your body to some real nutrition

Of course your brain’s telling you to load up on fatty, sugary, salty convenience foods, but these will only feed the cycle of lethargy and unhappiness. Treat your body to fresh, natural whole foods which are scientifically proven to beat the winter blues and give your metabolism the boost that will help mitigate the wobbly effects of the inevitable indulgence of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

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