Do you ever have a night, where it seems no matter how tired you are, you cannot sleep? You toss, turn, and worry about how early you need to rise, which gets you freaking out about not getting sleep? This happens to me often and it can really be a doozy when you need to be focused and alert the next day. In my research of different techniques I can practice (that do not include medicine) to help me get to sleep, I came across a this Life Hack called the 4-7-8 Breathing Technique.
This technique is designed to help you relax your mind and body at a rapid pace, just 60 seconds, to get your body calm enough for sleep. If we cannot let go of the anxiety, stress, problems, worries and such, it makes falling asleep difficult. What I love about this technique is that it is simple enough for anyone to understand and try. The downside is that it will take quite a bit of practice to master it for falling asleep in 60 seconds. However, even if it takes longer than 60 seconds, it is a great relaxation and mind clearing exercise.
Below is a video to help you learn how to try 4-7-8 breathing. I would recommend trying this in bed if you are trying to sleep. But, it is a great meditation and relaxation exercise at well! I will certainly be learning how to master this technique! - Bodynista
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When you think about what you are blasted with on a daily basis, is it positive or negative? Media, people, work, kids, the dog and cat? It can seem like all we are ever faced with are the bad things destroying our world, co-workers or boss who are impossible to deal with, kids that are ungrateful, and pets are destroying the house! STOP! Take a deep breath! Yes, we are faced with a shit ton of negativity on a daily basis, no doubt. But how we absorb and interpret that makes all the difference in our own lives. There is a tremendous amount of power in Mindset. You DO create your own destiny. If you feel you are destined to fail, don't expect to succeed. If you feel you are destined to win, don't get upset if you fail; it could take a few fails to win. Overcoming negativity is no easy feat. First, you have to be aware of your negativity. I know some folks who are such downers and they have no self awareness about it. Below are some things you can do to start practicing a more positive mindset. Everyone can use some positive vibes; nobody is perfect:) After incorporating these tactics for a while, it will no longer be practice, but instead, it will be habit. 1. Meditate or do yoga. Meditation is simply sitting still and focusing internally on one thing. Your breathing, a positive thought, something you desire, anything. Meditation forces you to quiet your mind from all the chaos going on in there. Yoga is also very relaxing; it's like meditation with a twist. You use your muscles while focusing on your breathing. BOTH relieve stress and are a great segway to more positive thinking. 2. Smile. I tend to be stingy with my smile. It's not because I don't want to smile, but I am just uncomfortable walking around with a smile permanently planted on my face. HOWEVER, this is something I am working on changing. The more you smile, the happier you feel. And yes, that leads to positive thinking. 3. Surround yourself with positive people. We all know someone who has nothing to talk about except complaints: work, people, family, the dog..... I physically cannot handle it. I shut down, stop listening to you, and won't even respond to you. Your lucky if I remain in your company. Negative people - stay away from them. Negatively is more contagious than a virus. 4. Change the tone of your thoughts from negative to positive. This is a tough one. Negative thoughts tend to be futuristic thoughts. For example, you have a great idea for something today, but you play out some kind of failure in your mind. Instantly, you begin to feel the negativity, which will affect what you do with that thought today. One way to combat this is to live in the present and stop living in the future. We don't know how things will play out; there too many variables beyond our control. Instead of telling your self "I shouldn't" or "I can't", try "I want", "I will", "I'll try. 5. Don’t play the victim.
You create your life—take responsibility. You are never really stuck, even though it can feel like it. You have the power to make a change. If you really want it, the abilities will present themselves. 6. Help someone. Take the focus away from you and do something nice for another person. Donate your time, money and/or talents. 7. Remember that no one is perfect and let yourself move forward. It is so easy to dwell on our mistakes, take pity on ourselves or relish in the "what if's" and "I should haves". Instead, acknowledge your thought(s), make peace with yourself and move on. It's OK to mess up, OK to make mistakes, OK to be wrong. So, move on. 8. Sing. I love to sing, but I am positive nobody loves to hear me sing! It is a great feeling to connect to music and just belt it out at the top of your lungs! 9. List five things that you are grateful for right now. Being grateful helps you appreciate what you already have. If you cannot truly and genuinely appreciate what you have today, how will you be able to appreciate what you may have tomorrow? For example, that job you cannot stand to walk into everyday - appreciate that you have an income and a way to provide. That very same job may be providing you a critical skill for the better job tomorrow. 10. Read positive quotes. Find some positive quotes that really speak to you and put them in places where you will see them daily: desk, computer, mirror, fridge. Here is a great quote I recently read: "Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become your character. Watch your character, it becomes your destiny." As we graduate to becoming adults, we also graduate to becoming more stressed. Work is demanding, people are demanding, kids are demanding, rush hour traffic can tip you over the edge. We are faced with STRESS constantly. While we are massively accumulating this added stress, what are we doing to alleviate it? Some of us simply choose to escape life through vices, such as alcohol. Some of workout to help deal with stress. And there are other, more dangerous ways of coping as well. If you are feeling stressed, anxious, or otherwise not relaxed, try some Yoga. Yoga is a great way to redirect you thoughts and mind to a place of inner focus instead of on budgets, plans, after school games, and what you are going to prepare for dinner. Yoga can definitely compliment other activities you employ to reduce stress. For example, I choose to workout to help with stress, but doing Yoga on non-workout days is a better benefit. Below are 10 Yoga moves that are simple enough for beginners but effective enough for anyone in coping with stress. Face it, life will only get more stressful in the days to come. Learning how to alleviate it could be a life saving tactic! For each pose below, hold the yoga position for 5 deep breaths. Have you ever wondered how to be happy? You meet someone who seems to have it all together and they are bursting with life. Then you wonder "is it fake, who is really THAT happy"? If you are like me, you have often thought long and hard about life: where you were, where you're at now, and where you want to be. And often, you feel "stuck" and you just don't know how to move. Sometimes we think more money, a promotion, or toxic relationships are the key to happiness. We have all experienced some part of that - did it make you happy? For me: NOOOOOO! In fact, my current state of happiness is a real work in progress. Activities which are pleasurable, engaging and meaningful are scientifically proven to make us happy. Pleasure + Engagement + Meaning = Recipe for Happiness! 1. Pleasure: An activity that fills your soul with positive emotions: playing football with friends, going to a concert with your family, or even being intimate with loved ones. 2. Engagement: ‘Zoning Out’ – Everything around you comes to a standstill because you are so immersed and focused on a specific activity. 3. Meaning: Using your energy to create a service of value which is greater than yourself. You feel that you are a part of something grand. Something so valuable, that will continue to grow and prosper after you die. The recipe for happiness is simple. It’s about realizing what matters in your own life, identifying the values you hold dear to yourself while focusing on something that could create love and harmony to the world.
- Bodynista If you are like me, your overall mood is very senstive to the weather. I get the greatest joy from a long sunny summer day and warm weather in general. Clouds, rain, cold and short days make me irritable and restless. But, I had always generalized this to me being a Summer Baby. It turns out, if you are not yet aware, the Winter Blues is a real deal problem and has a "proper" name: Seasonal Affective Disorder. I have seen statistics that state more suicides, divorces, and break ups happen in the winter time. Conencidence? Don't think so. I highly doubt that Thanksgiving feasts, Family time, and Holiday Shopping are driving people that far over the edge - but I am sure some of you would beg to differ! Now that we know the Winter Blues is something that affects many people, let me ask, does this affect you? If so, here 8 easy things you can do to help you get through another long Winter....... (until you can move to paradise!) 1. Make your environment brighter. When your body is craving more daylight, sitting next to an artificial light—also called a light box—for 30 minutes per day can be as effective as antidepressant medication. Opening blinds and curtains, trimming back tree branches, and sitting closer to windows can also help provide an extra dose of sunshine. 2. Eat smarter. Certain foods, like chocolate, can help to enhance your mood and relieve anxiety. Other foods, like candy and carbohydrates provide temporary feelings of euphoria, but could ultimately increase feelings of anxiety and depression. 3. Simulate dawn. People with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a form of depression that usually begins in late fall or early winter and fades as the weather improves, may feel depressed, irritable, lethargic, and have trouble waking up in the morning—especially when it’s still dark out. Studies show that a dawn simulator, a device that causes the lights in your bedroom to gradually brighten over a set period of time, can serve as an antidepressant and make it easier to get out of bed. 4. Exercise. A 2005 study from Harvard University suggests walking fast for about 35 minutes a day five times a week or 60 minutes a day three times a week improved symptoms of mild to moderate depression. Exercising under bright lights may be even better for seasonal depression: A preliminary study found that exercise under bright light improved general mental health, social functioning, depressive symptoms, and vitality, while exercise in ordinary light improved vitality only. Try these mood boosting workouts. 5. Turn on the tunes. In a 2013 study, researchers showed that listening to upbeat or cheery music significantly improved participant’s mood in both the short and long term. 6. Plan a vacation. Longing for sunnier days at the beach? Research shows that the simple act of planning a vacation causes a significant increase in overall happiness. 7. Help others. Ladling out soup at the local shelter or volunteering your time can improve mental health and life satisfaction. 8. Get outside. Talking yourself into taking a walk when the temperatures plummet isn’t easy, but the benefits are big: Spending time outside (even when it's chilly!) can improve focus, reduce symptoms of SAD, and lower stress levels. Do you face the burden of meeting tight deadlines, making crucial decisions, or managing the complexities of household demands? Our stress, such as my current situation, may also include the stress of being under- or unemployed. All adults have lives that are filled with some form of stress, even if we don't truly acknowledge this fact.
Chronic stress takes its toll in part on our body's ability to resist infection, maintain vital functions, and even ability to avoid injury. When you're stressed out and tired, you are more likely to become ill, your arteries take a beating, and you're more likely to have an accident. Your sleep will suffer, you won't digest your food as well, and even the genetic material in the cells of your body may start to become altered in a bad way. Mentally, not only do you become more irritable, depressed, and anxious, but your memory will become worse and you'll make poorer decisions. You'll also be less fun to be with, causing you to become more isolated, lonely, and depressed. Clearly stress is not a good thing. Even people who claim to love the high-pressured lifestyle will admit that there are times when they just want to get away from it all, if only for a short time. In a 2009 Canadian Research study reported that "active" leisure pursuits and taking vacations helped to buffer job stress among a sample of almost 900 lawyers. The benefits of vacations extend to family relationships. . Shared family memories and time spent together isolated from ordinary everyday activities (school, work, and so on) help to promote positive ties. Though family vacations can have their own share of stress, the benefits outweigh the risks. A successful vacation should break into the stress cycle. We should emerge from a successful vacation feeling ready to take on the world again and with perspective on our problems. On a successful vacation we get to relax with our families and friends, and get a break from our usual routines. That's if the vacation is "successful." Tips for a Successful Vacation 1. Plan Ahead. For example, if you are a family that does a lot of sight seeing and attractions, know where you want to go, when you want to go, how you will get there, and what it will cost. 2. Know the Rules and Regulations. Wherever you are going and however you choose to get there, make sure you are familiar with the do's and don'ts. This includes baggage on the plane, passports on the cruise, cell phone usage while driving and more. 3. Don't Feel Guilty Because Your on Vacation. You can afford a vacation but your neighbor, co-worker, or best friend can't. The point of a vacation is to rid yourself from as much guilt as possible. If you are so distressed about taking a trip, maybe there's something else holding you back. There is nothing wrong with bringing back meaningful tokens to people close to you who would love to go but can't. 4. Don' t Feel Bad if You Check Email on Vacation. Nobody looks forward to coming back to hundreds of emails after vacation. Sometimes, the thought of that alone prevents people for taking vacation time off from work. There is nothing wrong with setting aside a small part of time daily to catch up on emails, BUT DO NOT DO IT ALL DAY LONG. This is vacation, not work. 5. Make Your Vacation a True Adventure. What you and I consider to be Adventure will be different and that is totally OK, as long as you take time to dig into some adventure. For me, adventure is walking the beach shoreline with my daughter finding seashells. STAY-CATIONS If you are under or unemployed and not able to take a vacation, consider a stay-cation. This can be whatever you want it to be. Whether is a whole week, a weekend or the entire Summer, your children will enjoy the quality time they are spending with you! Summer long Stay-cation ideas: - Bike trails - FREE summer movies at the theaters - FREE evening movies in the park - Different city splash parks - Recreation Center swimming pool - Extended visits to family - Crafts Simple and FREE is my idea of adventure. As a single mom, it becomes creative scheduling to find time to do many of these things, but we do. I am learning new things about my child everyday just because we are spending quality time together. Do yourself, health, family, and employer a favor - TAKE SOME TIME OFF! Everyone will appreciate you being less stressed and more positive. Will you be doing a vacation or stay-cation or both?? Are you looking to get away in the next 3o days? Did you know that you can take advantage of un-booked inventory at beautiful resorts for a fraction of the cost to the public? Generally, you can expect 7 nights at a resort for around $500! Contact me if you are interested in finding your cheap getaway! When I think back to how or when I started a healthier lifestyle, I can remember it was not easy. But now I cannot see myself doing it any other way. I know a lot of people who just decide one day they are going to start eating different and start doing lots of exercise, and today is the last day they will eat bad - so they bulk up on shit food. I can safely say that those people have NOT been successful. They may have stuck with it for a week or even a month, but then they go back to the life they are familiar with. The common mistake is that people are not really ready to make a change. If you are REALLY READY to make a change, here are 4 tips I use that will help you be successful along the way. 1. Mindset You need to be in the mental mind frame of making a positive life change, not just a short, seasonal change. You have to understand and accept that it won't be easy but you cannot accept failure. Will you fall off from time to time - YES you will. But falling off means you get up, get right back on and learn from your mistake. Write down exactly what you want out of this lifestyle an envision yourself living it. 2. Plan I have heard "I am going to start this diet next week....." more times than I care to admit. I always ask - whats the diet and what are you going to eat? I ask for 2 reasons: I am curious and I want to see how they are planning to make this a lifestyle change. 99% of the time their plan is this: I am going grocery shopping this week to start next week, but since this is my last "bad" week, I am eating whatever I want. Hey, don't feel shameful telling me that, it's your body, not mine. When you want to start a healthier lifestyle, it takes planning on how you want to do that - not what someone else has defined for you. We are all different. How you choose to change has to work for you. Think ahead of what kind of foods you will want to eat. Find recipes to get you in the mindset. Plan for those cravings - find how to make healthier alternatives. If you can't cook - plan to learn. I don't know how people maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating at restaurants all the time. If you are going to incorporate exercise, plan and schedule your workout days and KNOW what you will be doing. On any given week, I know what I am going to be eating for every meal (I plan and cook ahead) and I know what days I am going to workout and exactly what my workout will be. This stops nonsense from getting in the way. 3. Manageable You want to keep your goals manageable because 1, it is easy to get discouraged, and 2, this lifestyle is going to take more of your time. You cannot expect to go from couch potato eating shit food daily today to eating salads and working out 5 days of week tomorrow. Most of us would fail. Instead, a more manageable change to begin with is something like cutting out soda and working out/moving your body 2-3 days a week. Since you will be planning your meals, you will need some time management skills to prepare them and have your meals ready and with you when you need them. How often do you find yourself at work, unprepared and starving, and you end up with a burger and fries at lunch instead of a better choice meal? 4. Small Steps Being healthy is a lifestyle change, meaning it is for LIFE. In other words, you have the rest of you life to keep working on it and perfecting it. How long your life is depends on the choices you make along the way. Your walking to the end goal, not driving or even riding a bike. It is small steps and it is going to take a long time. My journey started 6 years ago and I am still experimenting and discovering. An example of small steps is adding vegetables to every meal while cutting the soda. Once you have that under your belt, make pasta a once a month meal instead of a once a week meal. The possibilities are endless, but the point is to demonstrate that if you go all in quickly, you are setting up for failure. Carbs and sugar are actually proven to be addictive. When you have them out of your system, you will lose the cravings. I know this first hand. I keep my Iaso Resolution Drops near me at all times to help me when I need the extra boost to curb the carb and sugar cravings. If you are wanting to make a life change, I recommend incorporating the Iaso Detox Tea as a daily staple. I use it daily, so I know how beneficial it is. It will gently cleanse your intestines of your bad choices which gives you energy and immediate weight loss gratification. For nutrition, I recommend using the Iaso Nutraburst Liquid Vitamin, which I also use regularly. The amount of nutrients in this formula is equivalent to eating 10 salads. You will feel energized and just great in general. Did you find these tips helpful? Do you have tips you would like to share? Bodynista Do you or someone you care about need to lose weight? Bodynista offers a fantastic line of weight loss, health and nutrition products from Total Life Changes to get you into the body you deserve and help you take your life back. Shop for your new body by visiting our Total Life Changes Store Page.. If you are a parent of young child, you know the love you have for them is beyond anything you could ever imagine. The love is so great that you will find yourself gladly taking on their pain, sorrow, and basically anything that causes them to feel unhappy. Every day in a child's life is working to frame them for adulthood. It can be hurt as a parent when your child doesn't seem to feel as special as you know they are.
When your child begins preschool or kindergarten, they will begin to experience a new sense of self worth that will affect how they perform in and out of school. I feel this is a critical time to make sure your child knows their self worth and that their efforts are valued and appreciated. Watching your child experience low self-esteem can be difficult, because despite how amazing you tell your little one they are, you watch as they lack the confidence that you know they deserve to have. In a situation like this, don't let your words fail you. Your child doesn't need to hear empty nothings in order to feel good, but instead give them powerful praises that prove you not only see your child, but also value and love them. Instead of complimenting your child by labeling them (like "you're so good at soccer!"), try the meaningful phrases below that will improve your child's self-value without inflating their sense of entitlement.
Did you find this article helpful? Bodynista What is NRG? NRG is an all-natural formula from Total Life Changes designed to give you the results you’re looking for without jitters or sudden burnout like other products. Use Iaso™ NRG to increase vigor, burn fat and curb your appetite. It is a very powerful fat burner, especially for women. It works by increasing your metabolic rate to burn more fats. It also suppresses your appetite, so you eat less without feeling hungry. This product will also help you focus better, stay alert and have improved concentration. It has been designed with ingredients to prevent your body from storing fats and calories from the foods that you eat. How Long Does it Take to Feel NRG? You start feeling the effect pretty quickly - about 20 minutes after taking it. You can tell when it starts to kick in because you become more aware of your surroundings and the hazy fog your brain was battling through starts to dissipate. Not only is this great for those who do physical work, but it’s excellent for those needing a mental edge on the competition. Whether you work in corporate America, a college student studying for a major test, or a lawyer working late in the night, this product can help you. How Long Does NRG Last? NRG’S effect will up to 4 -5 hours with one pill. After it wears off you won’t crash and be able to barely function like with some energy supplements. It lets your body gradually resume back to its normal operations smoothly. Do not take a pill close to your bedtime because you may find it difficult to sleep throughout the night. NRG is a very reliable product that is extremely predictable. This allows you to take it on a set schedule so you can be alert when you need to be at the top of your game. You can purchase NRG for $49.95. Do you or someone you care about need to lose weight? Bodynista offers a fantastic line of weight loss products from Total Life Changes to get you into the body you deserve and help you take your life back. Check out testimonials from people who have used Total Life Changes products. Shop for your new body by visiting our Total Life Changes Store Page. What's in NRG? Ingredients
If you have extremely High Blood pressure, it is recommended that you start with Iaso Tea to regulate your blood pressure. Once the blood pressure is level then the NRG can be used. Do you or someone you care about need to lose weight? Bodynista offers a fantastic line of weight loss products from Total Life Changes to get you into the body you deserve and help you take your life back. Check out testimonials from people who have used Total Life Changes products. Shop for your new body by visiting our Total Life Changes Store Page. -
If eating healthy and getting regular exercise hasn't been part of your normal lifestyle for a long time, it is very easy to get discouraged and give it up when your trying to get on that bus. Eating well (most of the time) and getting regular exercise is a part of me because I have been working on this for years. Even I fall off the bandwagon, especially with food. And, if I go on vacation, it is super easy to not workout and makes getting restarted SO MUCH HARDER. But I do it and I am thankful for the grit.
I certainly have my own ways of staying motivated, but I want to share some tips with you to help you stay motivated on your health and wellness journeys. 1. Take a one month challenge One of the best ways to get yourself moving again is to sign up for a challenge! Lots of gyms, studios and boot camps offer one month challenges. Once you’ve completed the challenge, you will be right back in the swing of things! 2. Commit to five minutes If you can’t get yourself excited over spending 30 minutes on the treadmill, make a deal with yourself — commit to 5 minutes. Some movement is better than no movement and in all likelihood, once you hit the 5 minute marker, you’ll keep going. The trick is just getting started. Give yourself 5 minutes, and see where it goes. 3. Remember how good it makes you feel Sometimes, we forget the outcome of our workouts. We get so focused on the effort, we forget the post-workout euphoria. When was the last time you actually regretted doing a workout? Refocus your thoughts. Forget the sore muscles, and remember your how amazing you felt. 4. Schedule it It is to EASY to find reasons not to workout. Schedule it! Write your workout into your day planner or mark it on your calendar. Don’t schedule it for a time when you know something else is likely to pop up. If you don’t normally have time to run to the gym on your lunch break, don’t plan to do it at that time. Make time when you aren’t likely to get sidetracked. If you know you are going to have a busy day, commit to a short HIIT style workout. There is time when you make time. 5. Prepare your gym bag Having your stuff ready to go is a great way to make sure you don’t let yourself off the hook. For those who prefer morning workouts, this ensures that once you wake, you can grab your bag and just go. If you hit the gym after work, keep your packed bag beside your desk. It will act as a reminder and prevent you from backing out. 6. Just start with something easy If it has been a while since you’ve felt any motivation, start with something simple. There is no sense in taking on something complicated and overwhelming. Go for a light jog or a brisk walk around your neighborhood. Once you start with something small, it will be easier to take on the bigger tasks. Before long, you will be once again committed to your healthy habits. 7. Get an exercise buddy This is my best way of staying motivated - finding a workout buddy. Having a friend, family member or co-worker to sweat with will help to keep your motivation high and ensure that you stick with the routine. A buddy will help you push yourself harder and give you a reason to be accountable. 8. Don’t just think gym Being healthy is about so much more than just going to the gym. Find ways to mix things up. Find ways to include the things you love doing! If you love to take nature hikes, do it. Join a sports team at the office. Run on the beach. Being fit can include having fun! 9. Do it for yourself, not anyone else Your fit and healthy lifestyle has to be about making yourself feel better, boosting your confidence and being the best version of yourself possible. It has to be done for you and not for anyone else. Don’t make these changes because you believe you are supposed to look a certain way, don’t do it because you want to be ‘more attractive.’ Do it to make yourself healthy. When you workout, you will know that you’ve done something good for yourself and you can truly take pride in that! 10. Results Seeing some kind of result from your effort will definitely keep you going. This is why it is important to pair healthy eating with your fitness efforts otherwise you will not see the fruit of your labor. BodyNista offers great, all natural supplements from Total Life Changes to help you boost your results. Iaso Detox Tea will clear your body of toxic sludge and help you lose weight at the same time. Slim PM will turn your body into a fat burning machine while you sleep. Techui will help you build muscle faster. NutraBurst will give your body all the vitamins and nutrients you need to stay healthy - it is is equivalent to eating 10 salads. These are just a few, click here to see more. Being fitter and healthier you doesn’t happen without a consistent effort and habits aren’t formed overnight. Once these things are routine again, you won’t even have to think about it! How do you find motivation after time away from working out? BodyNista |
BodynistaKhyrunnessa Rabbani - I am perfectly imperfect! Passionate believer if you love your body and yourself and the rest will fall into place. Categories
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