Fear is a part of life, and some fear is helpful. You’re afraid to stick your hand into a fire or to jump off a cliff. If you weren’t afraid of anything, you wouldn’t live long. But most fears are crippling and influence your decisions in negative ways.
Imagine you’re walking through the woods and get a thorn in your arm. You would likely remove it and go about your life with little thought of that mild injury. But imagine if you didn’t deal with it.
Eventually, that thorn would affect many of your decisions:
* It would become infected and sore.
* You would be careful not to bump anything.
* You’d avoid most sports.
* You would protect yourself anytime someone walked to close.
* Eventually, you might even develop a special cover to tape over it.
* Then you must worry about finding clothes that fit over it.
* You couldn’t swim because the tape might come off.
* It would affect your sleeping position, and so on.
Fears are the same way. A fear of talking to strangers affects the decisions you make in your social life and career. We avoid all types of things to ensure we don’t stir up the negative emotions caused by our fears.
The more fears you have, the less freedom you enjoy.
Try these techniques to transcend your fears and claim the level of freedom you deserve:
1. Become more aware. There’s a big world out there with a variety of perspectives. Yours might not be the best perspective. You might believe that a fear of public speaking is totally normal and justified. But is it, What is the worst that could happen if you make a mistake, No one is going to stone you.
* Look at all your fears and make a list of them.
* Decide which are causing your life the most grief. Which fears do you spend the most time working around, Which are the most limiting,
3. Deal with your fears a little at a time. For example, if you’re afraid of public speaking, try giving a speech to your child, nephew, or niece. Then trying giving it to three of them. Build up your tolerance until you can speak to thousands.
* You can also use a psychologist if you’re not making a lot of progress on your own.
5. Use a journal. Writing can often be more helpful than thinking. We take the things we write more seriously than our self-talk. You talk to yourself constantly throughout the day. What will one more thought accomplish, Use a journal to record your thoughts, fears, and your progress.
Imagine a life without any irrational fears. What would you do if you weren’t afraid of failing, You can measure your personal freedom by number of fears you possess. Everyone develops fears as a natural consequence of living. You have a choice. You don’t have to keep your fears. Spend some time each day dealing with your fears and reclaim your life.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t always get enough sleep–which is unhealthy and can also affect my personal level of happiness in a bad way.
Of course, stress and other health-attacking concerns are exactly what put me on the road to getting a lack of sleep in the first place.
And, since I know that I’m profoundly normal in this particular aspect of my life, I have put together the following list of tips from the experts on getting more sleep.
1. Quit drinking caffeine after 7 pm in the evening (or three hours before bedtime.) It sounds obvious for most, I’m sure, but I had to include this one because I’m guilty of sipping coffee in the evening hours on a pretty regular basis.
2. Get your exercise. Getting out and moving is not only a great way to increase your happiness in general, but it can significantly improve the quality and quantity of sleep. You’ll feel more like sleeping when you exercise–and you’ll sleep better.
3. Try EFT tapping. EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique or Emotional Freedom Therapy (depending on who you ask.) The technique involves a series of acupressure, wherein you tap certain points on your body to create specific effects–including improved sleep, among other things.
4. Try not to eat three hours before bedtime, and especially snacks that involve grains or sugars. Why? Because grains and sugars will raise your blood sugar, giving you lower quality sleep. And, doctors say, when the blood sugar drops later, you could wake up and have trouble falling back asleep.
5. Sleep in darkness. Ok, I admit it, I’m guilty of sleeping with the bathroom light on and the TV tuned to Nick at Nite. I could go into the reasons I do this and why it works for me, but that wouldn’t be helping either of us get more sleep. According to researchers, even a small amount of light in your bedroom can disrupt your circadian rhythms, as well as your body’s production of melatonin and serotonin, which help to naturally induce and enhance restorative sleep. So, they recommend, sleep without lights or television (which also stimulates the brain and can reduce your chances of a good night’s sleep.)
So how about you?
Do you find yourself giving up sleep to accommodate your busy schedule? What are your top tips for getting more or better sleep?
“Most people are so busy knocking themselves out trying to do everything they think they should do, they never get around to what they want to do.” –Kathleen Winsor
It’s no secret–today’s women are all about multi-tasking, which, as it turns out, is a big huge myth–in fact, the “multi-tasking myth” is a well-known thing these days. Some would call the idea of multi-tasking complete bullshit.
Whether we’re work-at-home moms, stay-at-home moms, corporate career girls or retail clerks (or any number of acceptable roles we might choose), we’re all doing about 50 things at any given time, am I right?
But as we all know all too well–distractions get in the way of progress! Too often, even the slightest distractions end up being the difference between achieving your goals and missing the mark.
It’s important to remember that it doesn’t make you BAD–just unfocused. And hey, it’s natural for various emotions and events to cause your mind to stray. For example, I just moved out of the home I’ve lived in with my family for the past 11 years and into our dream home–and that’s been keeping me very busy for about a month now. But it’s important to avoid getting sidetracked for too long–for me and for you–because if you (and I) don’t, we’ll never get anything productive done. Well, not everything we need to get done, anyway.
Get Past the Multi-Tasking Myth: How to Really Get Stuff Done
Avoid Distractions to Achieve Your Goals
Take these steps to discipline your senses and give yourself the focus necessary to succeed:
Listen to music. As strange as it sounds, music can boost your ability to avoid distractions. But how does noise help you concentrate?
Studies have shown that classical music enhances visual attention. Subjects apparently focus better with classical music playing than they do in silence.
Listening to music also helps you make the most out of your workout. The music you listen to at the gym is really useful. It helps you focus on working out by taking your attention away from the discomfort.
Focus on one thing at a time. This step is a work in progress because we live in a world where multitasking is the norm. It’s easy to get caught up with doing more than one thing.
Your efforts to accomplish several things at the same time may be breaking your focus.
For the next few weeks, try to keep your tasks simple and one-dimensional. Aim to complete one thing before moving on to the other. Even if you feel underutilized in the process, try to stick to it.
By allowing your mind and senses to focus on only one thing, you’ll be able to give it your undivided attention. Then, you’ll be able to successfully complete the task.
Avoid distracting situations. When you’re surrounded by things or people whose appeal you would rather explore than focusing on what you’re currently doing, you’re setting yourself up for distractions.
A great example is studying in front of the television. In this situation, many of your senses are engaged in what you’re watching on TV, rather than on your studies. Find a quiet place to study, instead.
Let’s say you have a deadline for work. Develop the discipline to tell your friends that partying is out of the question tonight. Learn to say “no” to distractions.
Consider the repercussions. A little conscious thinking is all it takes to maintain focus. Have you ever stopped to consider the repercussions of allowing distractions to take over? Surely you would be less than thrilled if great opportunities passed you by!
Learning how to balance your priorities will benefit you. How useful is that particular distraction going to be to you a few hours, days, or months from now? Probably useless. Focusing on what’s important gives you lasting satisfaction.
Allowing distractions to consume your mind also leaves you open to other issues that can interfere with achieving your goals. It’s possible that your mind can become lazy, impatient, and sometimes angry.
Great things are in store for you once you allow yourself to focus on your goals. Remember that your ultimate satisfaction comes from reaching your goals. If you maintain focus, success is sure to come your way!
“I personally battled with my own body image for years. I used to tell myself, You can’t wear anything sleeveless or strapless. And all of a sudden I was like, What if I just didn’t send such negative messages to my brain and said, wear it and enjoy it? And now I’m more comfortable in clothes than ever.” ~Drew Barrymore
Do you struggle with your body image? If you do, you’re far from alone. In fact, about 91 percent of women are unhappy with their bodies, according to a study published at DoSomething.org, a non-profit that describes itself as “the country’s largest not-for-profit for young people and social change.”
Listen, I can relate. I have been there–and being human, I’m kinda still there sometimes. And according to researchers, only 5 percent of women naturally possess the body type often portrayed by Americans in the media. So what’s a girl to do? How can you learn how to improve your body image?
The fact is that how you feel about your body affects your confidence, overall self-concept and personal value. It is, whether we admit it out loud or not, a HUGE part of how we define ourselves, right?
It can be hard to feel okay about what you look like when you’re constantly bombarded by insanely perfect images on TV, the internet, and magazines that depict people who are too thin or even (gasp!) digitally enhanced to mask flaws. It’s just unrealistic!
But here’s the deal. While we can’t make that pressure go away, we can certainly decide how to respond to it. Stand up and recognize that you will be your most beautiful when you are your true self–not some random copy of the average Hollywood starlet/streetwalker/whateveritisthatmakesyouhateyourbody.
It’s not just you–I know exactly how it feels. My body type has never been and never will be the Hollywood ideal. I am too short and my boobs are too small. Don’t laugh! It’s true. OH! And now, I’m too old (38). But I’m ok with it because I understand that no matter how much I worry and stress over the fact that I don’t look awesome in most skinny jeans or that I have to buy a lot of my clothes in the juniors section (including sometimes bras!)–well then I wouldn’t have noticed all these awesome things about me.
Yeah, I know it sounds vain. But it’s true–there are plenty of awesome things about me. But don’t worry–I’m not going to list them. This post isn’t really about me–it’s about you!
So let’s go there and talk about you. I’d lay money on the fact that there are probably lots of awesome things about YOU too.
So step outside of your head with me for a moment, won’t you? Take a look at yourself from a whole new perspective. What are the beautiful things about you–inside and out?
How to Improve Your Body Image: Start With Perspective
You ARE Beautiful: Let Us Count the Ways
“I think beauty can’t simply be described as physical, but it’s your entire package. In the long run, physical beauty fades, and then what will you be left with? Your true beauty is what shines from within: your confidence, attitude, outlook, intellect, and love. These are the qualities you should nurture; they are what make you unique, and will ultimately enhance your own personal outlook, which is the most important. ” ~Cindy Busby
You already know that it’s important to love yourself for the person that you are. Everyone is made differently, but beautifully, in their own way. Sure, your beauty may be different than that of a fashion model, but you’re still beautiful! Once you accept yourself, you’ll be a happier person.
Focus On Yourself First
When you’re learning to love who you are inside and out, you first need to start with the inside. This simply means that you need to work on changing the way you think about beauty.
No one’s absolutely perfect–and yet each of us is perfectly ourselves–we are the living embodiment of the perfect version of ourselves, right now in this very moment.
There may always be something that you don’t particularly like about yourself, but it doesn’t negate your beauty, and it’s certainly no reason to have an unhappy life over it. Shift your focus onto the things that you do like about yourself–seriously.
Try having a little faith in humanity. If you people watch in a public place, are you constantly pointing out everyone’s flaws? Chances are that you’re not. You probably don’t judge your friends about their imperfections, so why should you be so hard on yourself?
Beautifully You: How to Love Yourself, Inside and Out
Once you’ve worked on your inner feelings, you can then move on to loving yourself on the outside. Unfortunately, in today’s society, people feel ashamed of what they look like to the point of having all sorts of procedures and surgeries. Don’t be fooled! You don’t need this in order to feel good about yourself–in fact, it might make you feel worse.
You can attempt to make changes if you have a problem like acne or weight gain, but there are also things that you can’t change, like having wide hips or freckles. The best thing you can do is embrace yourself for the unique individual that you are. After all, there’s no one else on this planet quite like you–not a single person. Not even a twin, if you’ve got one–you’re still 100 percent yourself, and no one else can claim that.
Beautifully Healthy: Making Changes in a Healthy Way
If you wish to make changes in your appearance, you can certainly do so. You just need to be doing it for the right reasons. You might need to lose weight in order to get back into a healthy weight range. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to change your hair color every now and then either. Variety is the spice of life.
But some people are tempted to go too far and do things like losing too much weight. They convince themselves that even a healthy weight is “fat” and they strive to be underweight. And listen, ladies.
While our skinny sisters definitely have their fans out there, so do those of us who have a few more curves–trust me!
Even though I’ve lost more than 100 pounds, I still have some (pretty bangin’) curves–and while it sometimes frustrates me (especially when it comes to fashion!), I have learned to love it. Like I said–we’ve all got our fans.
It’s important for your health to avoid these types of problems. If you’re stuck in a situation like this, you need to explore the reasons why you feel this way. You also might want to discuss your concerns with a professional.
Pay it Forward: Pass On a Healthy Body Image
One thing you can do for the world is to help pass on a healthy body image to others. The way the media portrays beauty truly is outrageous, and everyone should be doing their part to promote health and beauty in an undistorted form.
If you have children, teach them that they’re beautiful just the way they are. Since children learn by example, ensure that you never put yourself down in front of them. Avoid complaining about your own body because they might overhear and you might inadvertently teach them something you never intended to teach.
A healthy body image is something we can all strive toward. You’ll make yourself and others feel better by complimenting your friends and family. Everyone likes to get a compliment every now and then (and remember that you get back what you put out there!). You just might make someone’s day, and your own in the process.
So what do you think? How do you feel about the way you look today? What can you do to feel better? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section, below!
“Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: ‘I’m with you kid. Let’s go.'” ~Maya Angelou
The days when children spent their free time running around outside, playing tag and hide and go seek have slowly been replaced by gaming systems, computers and television. Most parents would love it if their child asked permission to go outside to play before you ever had a chance to send them out. This is where just a little bit or work, along with help from a company that specializes in providing safe outdoor play areas for children, comes in handy.
Providing your children with a place to play, exercise and have fun will in turn produce a happier, healthier child. This may seem like a difficult task but, in reality, it is only as far as your own computer. Jungle gyms have been around for many years and they continue to provide a fun form of exercise that children never seem to get tired of.
Jungle gyms offer children an opportunity to create a world limited only by their own imaginations and with the proper resources, parents can add onto existing jungle gyms to build an entire playground. Getting children to set down the gaming controller to go outside and play can be as easy as that.
If you have older kids and a jungle gym just doesn’t excite them like it used to, then why not consider installing a basketball net? Basketball equipment in Toronto is readily available and can easily be installed. Turning this process into a family project is a fantastic way of getting your kids excited about the idea before it even becomes a reality and you might just be surprised as to how much easier it will be to get your older kids to go outside for some fresh air and exercise.
As you can imagine, the task of providing fun indoor or outdoor play areas will take some time to build but it will surely be time well spent. There is nothing more important than the health of our children and the outcome rests in our hands. The choices are simple. Take the easy route and let the televisions, computers, and gaming systems determine how our children spend their free time or take the route that will require a little bit of elbow grease that will bring about results that your family will benefit from forever. The choice is yours!.
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It’s no secret–today’s women are all about multi-tasking, which, as it turns out, is a big huge myth–in fact, the “multi-tasking myth” is a well-known thing these days. Some would call the idea of multi-tasking complete bullshit.
“Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: ‘I’m with you kid. Let’s go.'” ~Maya Angelou