6 Steps to Start Living a Simpler and Happier Life

The simpler life requires you to figure out precisely what your idea of heaven is and then design your life as close to it as possible while you're still on this planet. 

As a single parent you need to do this. 

Begin with these 6 Steps to Start Living a Simpler and Happier Life.

 1. Relax your standards.

     If you are struggling to meet self-imposed standards   because you find the effort  satisfying, then, by all means   struggle on. But if meeting your standards leave you with too little energy to enjoy other things, it's time to relax them.

      2. Take Time to Figure What You Find Most Satisfying

     Set aside the time to think about what it is that gives you the most pleasure and satisfaction, and start doing it.

      3. Create Time for the Things You Care About.

     The purpose of taking the time to think about what it is you care about is to make time for those things in your life.

      4. Learn to Enjoy What’s in Front of You.

      Try to see everything that’s beautiful in front of you and live in that moment. There's a skill involved in looking at what’s in front you and finding a gift in it.To some extent I’m talking    about a half full rather than a half  empty approach to life.This type of vision really cuts away all kinds of clutter.

       5. Learn to be Flexible.

      Many of us develop patterns of behavior – habits – that takes on a life of their own. In fact, there is a real value in change, that is, in shaking things up every now and then and surprising everyone, including yourself.

      6.  Prioritize

     The entire notion of prioritizing how you spend your time implies that you actually  have some control over your life. It is that kind of taking control and experiencing satisfaction    that I am trying to foster.

Clearly we all have things we must do that we wish we didn't have to do. But as I said earlier, you will be surprised to discover just how much choice you have about where your energies go.

Remember you really do have the capacity to make choices. And that’s the key to a simpler life.

Your Comments? Leave Them Below.

3 Best Ever Rules for Dealing with Worry

To a degree, everyone worries, some people worry in nearly every situation. Whether things are good or bad, they worry that this situation would surely get worse. 

Worry can be a terrible burden. Understand that worrying is a drain on your energy and enthusiasm and if uncontrolled, it can be a terrible burden to your existence. 

How you handle worry can determine whether you are going to live a happy, normal life or one filled with neurosis and negativism.

Worry is a Matter of  Choice
The good news is that any situation which can be used to generate worry can also be used to generate hope. Psychologists have found that worrying is simply a matter of choice and is unrelated to the events in our lives. 

In fact, some people experience worry more than 10 times as often as others, and, not surprisingly, they reduce their likelihood of happiness by 64%.

Here are the 3 Best Ever Rules for Dealing with Worry:

1. Concentrate your energy on today. Effort that can be used to solve today's problems is wasted when you worry about tomorrow; and to make matters worse, most things that people worry about never materialize. James A. Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, once said," I have had many troubles in my life, but the worse of them never came." 

Chances are that if today's problems are handled in an efficient manner, they will not only make you more confident to handle tomorrow's problems, but also may have a minimizing effect on those problems.

Determine if you have immediate cause for worrying. Ask yourself, "Can the things I am worried about materialize?" What will happen if they do? Do they represent real dangers? Can something be done about it today? If nothing, then force yourself to attend to matters at hand.

2. Assuming that you have cause for worrying: what is the worst that can happen? Lose your health? Your job? Is your family, prestige, or self-esteem in danger? It is of particular importance to the final step that you identify the worst that can happen. 

If this identification process indicates no real dangers facing you, then concentrate on the real problems of today, rather than the imaginary ones of tomorrow.

3. After considering the worst that can happen, then now is the time to do something about your worries by contemplating methods of handling them. 

When real danger faces you, more good can be accomplished by outlining alternative courses of action rather than worrying about the dangers, and when no alternative exists then face the problem squarely.

When you get caught up in your worries and anxieties, take these three steps: live for today; consider the worst that can happen; and then do something about it. You will find yourself living a happier life.

Are you a worrier? Did you find this article to be helpful? Leave your comments below.

12 Most Effective Ways for Handling Stress

We all experience it at one time or another; this condition is called stress.  It is perhaps the number one cause of most health problems today including ulcers, coronary heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, lung problems, accidental injuries, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide. 

Anti-anxiety drugs and ulcer medications are among the best selling prescription drugs in the United States.

Nevertheless, stress is the process of living. The process of living is the process of having stress imposed on you and reacting to it without allowing it to cause any of the above health problems. 

Now let’s explore the 12 steps for managing stress in your life in a healthy and effective manner.

1. Talk about the problems you are experiencing with friends, loved ones, or a professional. Keeping everything bottled up will only create more problems later on.

2. Exercise. Exercise relieves tension and produces a calming effect.

3. Take a bath. A warm bath can be very relaxing and soothing.

4. Music can be calming. Listen to some soft jazz or instrumental music. Ocean or nature sounds also are a good way to release stress.

5. Healthy meals  can limit your stress.  Try to eat three meals a day (no heavy meals), and although there are health benefits in drinking coffee, keep it to no more than three or four cups a day. 

6. Sleep deprivation can cause stress. Six to seven hours sleep can often make all the difference.

7. Coping with stress can be challenging.  Every day you seem to be pulled in every direction, trying to accommodate others.  So, take care of yourself. You are the thread which holds your family together. If you are stressed, you won’t be much good to anyone.

8. Give yourself a break every now and then.  Buy a new outfit; go to a movie; do something you’ve always wanted to do.  Ask someone dependable to take care of your children for a few hours. Alone time is just as important to you as it is for everyone else. Think of yourself as a gas tank; eventually you will run out of fuel.

9. Laughter is a wonderful release. Releasing tension through laughter is one the best cure-all method for dealing with stress-related issues.

10. Avoid stressful situations whenever possible.  If you are a working single parent, it’s probably not the job but the people who are causing you the most stress. Take everything in stride.

11. If you can’t finish a task, don’t worry about it.  If dinner doesn't turn out as you expected, improvise or pick up something.

12. Life is too short; and stress can reduce it further. Nothing is more important than your health or state of mind. 

How well are you handling stress? Do you think these steps can be helpful? Leave your comments below.  

How to Exercise Your Mind and Body

Although, as a busy single parent, you  carve out time to read with your children. However, you must find time for your own reading. The old adage, you are what you read, still rings true. 

When your reading materials are success-oriented and optimistic, your achievement level will be high. 

Read Regularly
If your reading materials are pessimistic or depicts people as victims of circumstance, your achievement level will be low. It seems that achievement oriented literature will help you to think in terms of goals and success. It can be most supportive of you in your pursuit of inner strength and self-reliance. 
 
Keep the book you never get to read either in your car, your briefcase, or your purse. If you are waiting in a long line some where, or if you are caught waiting for a tardy child, it will become an opportunity to read.

And, finally, think about a book that you absolutely loved when you were in college and reread it. Great literature is every bit as great the second time around.

Exercise Daily
Nearly six out of ten people experience no daily exercise. However, like any other activity, it takes both choice and commitment. Walking, jogging, biking, or working out regularly on a home exercise machine such as a stationary bike can have a positive impact on your physical and emotional health, but you have to choose to do it and commit to doing it. 

Do it even if you think you don't have time for it. It's good for the mind, good for the soul, and it doesn't have to cost you a cent. Also consider walking with a friend. It's a perfect way to do two things at once: exercise and create an opportunity for good conversation. In addition to a regular exercise routine, get extra exercise by walking up a flight of stairs rather than using an elevator.

Positive Benefits
Back to the simple home exercise machine. It works fine. Forget the fancy looking exercise machines you see advertised on television and forget joining the local health club. You don't need either before you start exercising. In reality, the foundation of any good exercise program needs to be no more complicated than taking a walk or a jog for free and adding a few other activities such as sit-ups, push-ups, or jumping on an exercise bike if you just want to work on certain parts of the body and to give yourself some variety. This is all that is required for you to have a positive effect on your health.

To get the maximum enjoyment from life, you need to pursue the care and feeding of both your mind and your body. Think about health as a broad goal for both your mind and your body.

Your Comments?

For Personal Development and Productivity - Start by Managing Your Time

Procrastinations, interruptions, and distractions are the three culprits that work against your efforts at personal development and productivity.

1. Procrastinations often arise because psychologically you don't want to do the task and consequently you keep putting it off. 

You either perceive the task as being too difficult, too aggravating, too provoking or all three and try to avoid doing it. 

However, avoidance is not the solution and the longer you put it off, the more anxious you will become. 

The solution is psychological in nature. You need to relax, visualize the most positive and constructive outcome you can, and then focus on the steps necessary to make the outcome a reality. Take the steps and then be pleasantly surprised at what happens.

2. Interruptions can be phone calls, someone wanting a face-to-face meeting with you, or any unanticipated event. 

Interruptions, however, can be prevented. If you're working at home consider structuring your day and vow to stick to your structure. 

Break your day down into time/task segments. For example, if according to your body clock, you are typically alert and do your best mentally challenging work early in the morning, schedule the first hour of the morning to do your research and writing if you work requires that. 

Then, schedule your organizing and filing at the end of the day. The hours in the late mornings and mid afternoons can be allocated for meetings, phone calls, appointments and lunch breaks.

3. Distractions are the result of an undisciplined mind. 

Distractions principally happen as a matter of choice. You can choose to be distracted by watching porn as some of our government workers were recently seen doing. You can choose to dwell on the argument you had with your spouse. Or, you can choose to be distracted by the computer games instead of focusing on your tasks.

While procrastinations are also a matter of choice, distractions are even more so. Procrastinations might indeed be associated with having to deal with an unsavory experience such as have to fire someone, reveal some other type of bad news to someone, or just doing something you just don't want to do but has to be done. 

Distractions on the other hand tend to result from an idle mind - a mind without a focus. Choosing to focus and act on constructive tasks with a strong desire to do so until you complete them eliminates distractions.

Your personal development as well as your productivity depends upon you clearly identifying these three culprits and taking the steps to eliminate them.

How have you been managing or eliminating these three culprits? Leave your comments below.

Stess can be a Killer. Here are 3 Ways to Superbly Manage it

Stress is to be expected and embraced.

Stress is normal. Everyone feels stress related to work, relationships, choices, decisions, your future and more. 

Stress affects everyone everyday and for the most part, stress offers the push we need to respond to a pressing situation.

Because it offers the aforementioned push, stress can be positive. You need a certain amount of stress to perform best at work. 

The key to stress management is to determine the right amount of stress that will give you energy, ambition, and enthusiasm, versus the wrong amount which can harm your health and well being. 

Positive stress is a motivator, challenging you to act in creative and resourceful ways. Here are the 3 Ways to Superbly Manage It. 
 
1. Manage stress for personal benefit.
Acknowledge that stress is good and make stress your friend. Based upon the body's natural fight or flight response, that burst of energy will enhance your performance at the right moment. A professional sports player is never totally relaxed before a big game. Use stress wisely to push yourself that little bit harder when it counts.

2. Know that there is no life without stress.
Stress is a part of life in both small and large amounts. It comes with all of life's daily hassles and irritations such as traffic jams, long lines in the stores, dealing with a demanding boss, and arguing with a spouse or disciplining your child. 

Stress also comes with crises and life changing events such as illness, marriage problems, financial difficulties, divorce or death. All these events force you to adjust, whether you are prepared or not.

3. Don't hesitate to get help when needed. 
If stress is not managed properly, the constant and cumulative impact of stressors, both small and large, adds up to a big impact. Don't hesitate to consider counseling. 

It's not a sign of weakness to get help, rather it's a sign of a desire for personal growth and an increased capacity to cope with life's circumstances.

Leave your thoughts and comments below. And share this article.

10 More Time Management Tips for the Busy Single Parent

When you manage something, you direct or control the use of it. Although you cannot direct time,
you can certainly control your use of it. All of us have the same amount of time, but how we use it, has a significant effect on the success we experience in life.

Time management does not involve any secret principles. Rather it involves setting priorities, organizing your life according to those priorities, making a commitment to keeping them, and enjoying the journey along the way with less stress and more accomplishments.

Here are the 10  more simple and easy time management tips.

1. Do it immediately. If a task can be completed in less than a minute, do it on the spot. So instead of putting the glasses and dishes in the sink and walking away, Wash them right away. Get it over with.

2. Organize your documents. Learn how to organize your documents and photos on your home or work computer. Consider the many free photo organizing applications and the organizing features in your word processing applications and use one or more of them.

3. Purge your email of all unnecessary messages. Get serious about it.

4. Organize your bookmarks. Determine the categories that are important to you and set them up.

5. Count to ten when you feel snowed under by clutter and general disorder, Just putting things back in their rightful place including the trash can. And always have a bag ready for thrift store donations.

6. Organize and file your junk email. Establish at least two new email accounts. Use one for all the retail and internet, promotions you want to receive, and for your shopping. The other email account should be for your relatives, friends, and urgent emails. Visited these accounts three times a week and dispatch everything you don’t want to save into the recycle bin.

7. Cook more rice than you need for your today’s meal. Use leftovers for spanish rice, fried rice, red beans and rice, or other good rice recipes.

8. Organize your bookshelves. You may find a favorite book that you just totally forgot to read or that you can benefit from rereading. Others you may just decide to donate.

9. Recycle instantly. Keep waste baskets in strategic spots around your home, and deposit junk mail, and unwanted catalogs in them. Buy a shredder and remember to shred anything with sensitive information.

10. And, finally, start your day smart. Begin your day with a healthy and delicious breakfast. Consider oatmeal, fruit, and raisin toast, an omelet, grits, and wheat toast, a raisin toast sandwich of your choice of jam and cream cheese and a piece of fruit. Or if you prefer something even lighter, how about raising toast, and cottage cheese with fruit. Reduce or eliminate the amount of meat you eat for breakfast. You’ll be more alert and have more energy.


If you like this, Share It. If you have any comments, leave them below.

3 Ways to Break Bad Habits and Establish Good Ones

To take control of your life, recognize that habits are response patterns to situations. If you are a smoker, you reach for a cigarette when the coffee is served, but not during the soup.

You don't smoke or even want to in church, in the theater, in a courtroom, or in other places where no one usually smokes. Given the right circumstances or if you are experiencing stress, you will seek satisfaction by lighting up.

In order to break a habit, then, you must recognize that you must deal with the source of satisfaction - that is, you must want to change your ways and give up the real or imagined benefits; you must be aware of what you are doing, and, you must take in account the situation that had become associated with the habit.

A number of methods for habit breaking have been proposed by therapists working from different points of views. Here are 3 of them and those that I believe are the most effective:

1. One method for habit breaking is through negative practice. This is deliberately repeating a habit over and over again until you are totally bored with it. This method can be used when you seem to be unaware of when or why you are doing something. This procedure calls attention to the situation involved, which makes them recognizable so that preventive action can be taken. 

2. Another method that can be used is the tapering off method. This is a long-term process and works only if you are seriously interested in breaking the habit. If the habit is related to a life-threatening disease such as cancer or heart disease your motivation to break the habit can be significantly strong enough so that nothing else may be needed.

3. Still another method is to quit cold turkey.  You may experience significant stress with this approach or you may perhaps experience some joy out of being able to make such a complete break.

This is not a method, but a decision that you make and are willing to stick with despite the potential discomfort that you will experience.

Finally, in my judgment the best way to break any habit is to follow the 5 main components of the habit reversal method:
1. Recognize that the habit is a strong or persistent urge that is not rooted in deeper psychological problems.
2. Keep precise record of urges and count the number of times that you actually succumb to them.
3. Develop an awareness of the chain of events that leads to or results in the unwanted behavior.
4. Learn relaxation method as a means of combating the urges.
5. And, substitute a response that incompatible with the unwanted behaviors.

If you really desire to quit any habit and take control of your life, this 5 easy step process really works.


What do you think? Leave your comments below.

4 Ways to Take Control Your Life and Break Bad Habits

To take control of your life, recognize that habits are response patterns to situations. If you are a smoker, you reach for a cigarette when the coffee is served, but not during the soup. You don't smoke or even want to in church, in the theater, in a courtroom, or in other places where no one usually smokes. However, given the right circumstances you will light up.

In order to break a habit, then, you must recognize that you must deal with the source of satisfaction - that is, you must want to change your ways and give up the real or imagined benefits; you must be aware of what you are doing, and, you must take in account the situation that had become associated with the habit.

A number of methods for habit breaking have been proposed by therapists working from different points of views. Here I will review some of them and recommend the one that I believe is the most effective.

1. One method for habit breaking is through negative practice. This is deliberately repeating a habit over and over again until you are totally bored with it. This method can be used when you seem to be unaware of when or why you are doing something. This procedure calls attention to the situation involved, which makes them recognizable so that preventive action can be taken. 

2. Another method that can be used is the tapering off method. This is a long-term process and works only if you are seriously interested in breaking the habit. If the habit is related to a life-threatening disease such as cancer or heart disease your motivation to break the habit can be significantly strong enough so that nothing else may be needed.

3. Another method is to quit cold turkey.  You may experience significant stress with this approach or you may perhaps experience some joy out of being able to make such a complete break. This is not a method, but a decision that you make and are willing to stick with despite the potential discomfort that you will experience.

4. Finally, in my judgment the best way to break any habit is to follow the five main components of the habit reversal method:

a. Recognize that the habit is a strong or persistent urge that is not rooted in deeper psychological problems.
b. Keep precise record of urges and count the number of times that you actually succumb to them.
c. Develop an awareness of the chain of events that leads to or results in the unwanted behavior.
d. Learn relaxation method as a means of combating the urges.
e. And, substitute a response that incompatible with the unwanted behaviors.

If you really desire to quit any habit and take control of your life this five easy step process really works.

The Most Important Ways to Exercise your Mind and Body

Although, as a busy single parent, you  carve out time to read with your children. However, you must find time for your own reading. The old adage, you are what you read, still rings true. When your reading materials are success-oriented and optimistic, your achievement level will be high. 

If your reading materials are pessimistic or depicts people as victims of circumstance, your achievement level will be low. It seems that achievement oriented literature will help you to think in terms of goals and success. It can be most supportive of you in your pursuit of inner strength and self-reliance.  
 
Keep the book you never get to read either in your car, your briefcase, or your purse. If you are waiting in a long line some where, or if you are caught waiting for a tardy child, it will become an opportunity to read.

And, finally, think about a book that you absolutely loved when you were in college and reread it. Great literature is every bit as great the second time around.

For the body consider this. Nearly six out of ten people experience no daily exercise. However, like any other activity, it takes both choice and commitment. Walking, jogging, biking, or working out regularly on a home exercise machine such as a stationary bike can have a positive impact on your physical and emotional health, but you have to choose to do it and commit to doing it. 

Do it even if you think you don't have time for it. It's good for the mind, good for the soul, and it doesn't have to cost you a cent. Also consider walking with a friend. It's a perfect way to do two things at once: exercise and create an opportunity for good conversation. In addition to a regular exercise routine, get extra exercise by walking up a flight of stairs rather than using an elevator.

Back to the simple home exercise machine. It works fine. Forget the fancy looking exercise machines you see advertised on television and forget joining the local health club. You don't need either before you start exercising. In reality, the foundation of any good exercise program needs to be no more complicated than taking a walk or a jog for free and adding a few other activities such as sit-ups, push-ups, or jumping on an exercise bike if you just want to work on certain parts of the body and to give yourself some variety. This is all that is required for you to have a positive effect on your health.

To get the maximum enjoyment from life, you need to pursue the care and feeding of both your mind and your body. Think about health as a broad goal for both your mind and your body.

Your Comments?

Single Parent Strategies For Dealing With Stress

Feeling very stressed about finances and bad relationships are common in these times. And, while managing your children's behaviors can be stressful in and of itself, to combine it with these matters can push you over the edge. The following strategies can help lead you to a greater sense of peace, and to handle your parental role more effectively.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when you begin to feel the stress of being uptight with your children.

1. Is it so important that the children always do things my way?
2. Can I let the children have it their own way sometimes?
3. Do I really take enough time to try to understand what the children are saying to me?
4. Do I really know what the children want and need from me?
5 .Is what I say or tell them to do really clear to them?
6. How often do I stop and listen - letting the children tell me what they think and feel - simply because they need to talk to me?
7. After I've lost control, how do I really feel about myself?
8. Can I really "make it up" to them?
9. Am I really taking my problems out on them?
10. How would I feel if someone said or did the same thing to me?

Some Stress and Tension Relievers

1. Count to 10, put the child in a safe area (crib, playpen, childproof room) and go to another room or outside for a few minutes.
2. Go into another room, close the door, then take 10 minutes to read, meditate, or do whatever relaxes you best.
3. Lie on the floor with your feet up on a chair; place a cool wash cloth on your face; and think of the most peaceful scene you can imagine. Stay there for 5 minutes.
4. Tell your children exactly what is making you tense. Be really specific about what behavior needs to be changed in order to reduce your stress level.
5. After you've put the children down for a nap, forget what you "should" be doing. Take some time for yourself to relax - sleep, read, listen to music, take a bath - whatever makes you feel fresh again.
6. Designate a corner, chair or some quiet spot as a "time-out" place where you can go when you feel like losing your temper. Designate a separate one for your children. It gives both of you a few minutes to calm down, and it tells the other person that you are getting tense.
7. Save a special, quiet plaything to be used only at certain times. It will be a treat for your children, and will provide some quiet time for you.

When things are going well, pass out rewards.

1. Compliment and reward the children for the good things, such as being quiet, not fighting, not whining, cleaning up.
2. Let the children know when their behavior is making you happy.
3. Hug the children and say "I love you."
4. Say "thanks" for small favors.
5. Treat the children and yourself to something special for doing so well.

Comments?

How all Single Parents can Manage Time for Personal Growth and Productivity

As a single parent who solely has to meet the needs of your children the three culprits: procrastinations, interruptions, and distractions has to be identified and managed otherwise they will destroy your personal development and productivity efforts.

Procrastinations often arise because psychologically you don't want to do the task and consequently you keep putting it off. 

You either perceive the task as being too difficult, too aggravating, too provoking or all three and try to avoid doing it. However, avoidance is not the solution and the longer you put it off, the more anxious you will become. 

The solution is psychological in nature. You need to relax, visualize the most positive and constructive outcome you can, and then focus on the steps necessary to make the outcome a reality. Take the steps and then be pleasantly surprised at what happens.

Interruptions can be phone calls, someone wanting to visit, or any unanticipated event. Interruptions, however, can be prevented. If you're working at home consider structuring your day and vow to stick to your structure.

Break your day down into time/task segments. For example, if according to your body clock, you are typically alert and do your best mentally challenging work in the morning do it even if you work outside your home.Then when your children come home from school you have the energy and composure to make sure that they adhere to the structure that you have set.

Allow time in the evening to have dinner with your children, helping them with their homework, and listening to their concerns. Afterwards engage in an activity that is personally satisfying and relaxing. Let your children know that you will be setting this time aside for yourself.

Distractions are the result of an undisciplined mind. Distractions principally happen as a matter of choice. You can choose to dwell on the argument you had with a friend or an acquaintance or you can choose to be distracted by unexpected events  instead of focusing on your tasks. The choice is yours.

While procrastinations are also a matter of choice, distractions are even more so. Procrastinations might indeed be associated with having to deal with an unsavory experience such as having to discontinue a relationship, reveal some other type of bad news to someone, or just doing something you just don't want to do but has to be done. 

Distractions on the other hand tend to result from an idle mind - a mind without a focus. Choosing to focus and act on constructive tasks with a strong desire to do so until you complete them eliminates distractions.

Your personal development as well as your productivity depends upon you clearly identifying these three culprits and taking the steps to eliminate them. 

What are your thoughts?

Leave your comments below. 

10 Tips For Staying Mentally Healthy for All Single Parents

Enjoying mental health means having a sense of well-being, being able to function during everyday life and feeling confident to rise to a challenge when the opportunity arises. 

Just like your physical health, there are actions you can take to increase your mental health. Now, boost your well-being and stay mentally healthy by following these 10 Tips for Staying Mentally Healthy:

1. Connect with others. 
Develop and maintain strong relationships with people around you who will support and enrich your life. The quality of your personal relationships has a great effect on your well-being. Putting time and effort into building strong relationships can bring great rewards.

2.   Take time to have fun. 

Set aside time for activities, hobbies and projects you enjoy. Let yourself be spontaneous and creative when the urge takes you. Do a crossword puzzle; take a walk in your local park; read a book; draw pictures with your kids; play with your pets - do whatever you like.

3.  Participate and share interests. 
Join a club or group of people who share your interests. Being part of a group of people with a common interest provides a sense of belonging and is good for your mental health. Join a  a dance class; a theater group; or a book club.

4. Contribute to your community. 
Volunteer your time for a cause or issue that you care about and get your children involved. Help out a neighbor, work in a community garden, or do something nice for a trend. There are many great ways to contribute that can help you feel good about yourself and your place in the world. An effort to improve the lives of others is sure to improve your life too.

5.  Take Care of Yourself
Be active and eat well - these help maintain a healthy body. Physical and mental health are closely linked; it's easier to feel good about life if your body feels good. You don't have to go to the gym to exercise - gardening, vacuuming, and dancing all count. Combine physical activity with a balanced diet to nourish your body and mind and keep you feeling good, inside and out.

6. Challenge yourself. 
Learn a new skill or take on a challenge to meet a goal. You could take on something different at work; commit to a fitness goal or learn to cook a new recipe. Learning improves your mental fitness, while striving to meet your own goals builds skills and confidence and gives you a sense of progress and achievement.

7. Deal with stress. 
Be aware of what triggers your stress and how you react. You may be able to avoid some of the triggers and learn to prepare for or manage others. Stress is a part of life and affects people in different ways. It only becomes a problem when it makes you feel uncomfortable or distressed. A balanced lifestyle can help you manage stress better. If you have trouble winding down, you may find that relaxation breathing or meditation can help.

8.    Rest and refresh. 
Get adequate sleep. Go to bed at a regular time each day and practice good habits to get better sleep. Sleep restores both your mind and body. However, feelings of fatigue can still set in if you feel constantly rushed and overwhelmed when you are awake. Allow yourself some unfocused time each day to refresh. For example, let your mind wander or just daydream for a while. It's OK to add 'do nothing' to your to-do list!

9. Notice the here and now. 
Take a moment to notice each of your senses each day. Simply be in the moment - feel the sun and wind on your face and notice the air you are breathing. It's easy to be caught up thinking about the past or planning for the future instead of experiencing the present. Practicing mindfulness, by focusing your attention on being in the moment, is a good way to do this. Making a conscious effort to be aware of your inner and outer world is important for your mental health.

10.  Ask for help. 
This can be as simple as speaking to your doctor or your friend about where to find a counselor or community mental health service. The perfect, worry-free life does not exist. Everyone's life journey has bumps and the people around you can help. If you don't get the help you need first off, keep asking until you do.

Was this article helpful? Leave your comments below.

For Single Parent Families - Three Steps for Dealing With the Holiday Blues

Holiday blues can easily become a factor in bad economic times for single parent families and for single parents specifically with no spouse to talk to and no one with whom to share enjoyable activities.

Guilt feelings can also arise if you see others buying gifts for their children and you are unable to do so.

Or maybe you're just not be able to buy what you would like your children to have. However, these feelings, especially the blues, need to be identified for what they are - a negative way of thinking about your current situation instead of reframing the situation to your and your children's advantage.

Instead of allowing your children to complain about what other parents are buying their children, as a single parent, take the children aside and make sure they understand the true values of the Holiday Season which includes Christmas and the embarking on a New Year.

1. A first step is to help the children understand that the Christmas Season is not just for giving, but also for receiving. Giving can be demonstrated by getting in contact with elderly family members and neighbors and making their holidays pleasurable by creating simple Christmas cards and sending it to them, offering to go to the store for them or with them, or asking them if they need help in setting up their Christmas tree or decorating their home.
2. A second step is to activate your social support network. If you haven't talked with your friends, relatives, or neighbors in the last two weeks, do so now. Find out what they are doing for the Holidays. Maybe they're going to some parties that you can get invited to.
3. And, the third step is to take some time and identify several low-cost or no-cost fun activities that both you and your children can engage in. In every major city there are several museums and almost every one of them have several free days during the year. Chances are there will be some free days during the Christmas Season. Also consider the local park districts. They are already supported by your taxes and many have activities for both adults and children such as volleyball, basketball, roller skating, and ice skating.

In summary, reframe your thinking about the Holiday Season. View it as a time for both giving and receiving.

Give the little things, a card, a helping hand, a phone call, and receive the thanks and appreciation from those you have given to.

Look for the simple activities that you can enjoy both at home and away with your children. And plan for the coming year. Decide how different you want it to be and begin to make it so.



Share your simple activities that you enjoy at home with your children during the Holidays,
Leave your comments below.

Do You Have High Blood Pressure? Here Are 15 Natural Ways to Prevent or Reduce It

Image via Wikipedia

As the wise saying goes, the best doctors in the world are Doctor Diet, Doctor Quiet, and Doctor Merryman. Doctor Diet is the focus of this article -- specifically, Doctor Diet in reference to preventing or reducing high blood pressure.

Being a vegetarian for forty-six years and realizing the health benefits from such a life style has helped to make me keenly aware of this serious problem many Americans are experiencing.

In fact, in this country approximately 50 million Americans are currently afflicted with it. Also, it is important to note that one out of every three Americans have a condition that leads to high blood pressure or hypertension and is not aware of it.

You need to get your blood pressure checked regularly and take specific action to prevent hypertension from becoming a factor in your life.

Here are 15 Natural Ways to Prevent or Reduce High Blood Pressure:
1. Eliminate refined, sugary, fried, and fatty foods.
2. Eat foods that are rich in fiber such as vegetables and whole grains.
3. Compute your Body Mass Index by multiplying the weight in pounds by 703; and then divide by your height in inches; then again by your height in inches. You want to stay between 18.5 and 24.9.
4. Take a daily multiple multivitamin to make sure that you're getting the basics.
5. Potassium is crucial. It is found in many fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, and supplements.
6. Emphasize foods with Vitamin C. The less vitamin C in the blood, the higher the blood pressure in hypertensive patients.
7. Boost your bioflavonoids by consuming more fruits, vegetables, and supplement. Bioflavonoids enhance the effect of vitamin C.
8. Hypertensive patients are usually low in calcium. Drink milk and take calcium supplements. Eat more broccoli, spinach, and tofu.
9. When choosing supplements, make sure you include vitamin E. It magnifies Vitamin Cs' blood pressure lowering effect.
10. Include whole oats in your diet more often. Oats lower hypertension.
11. In choosing your spices, go for basil, black pepper, cinnamon, chili powder, cloves, curry, fennel, horseradish, Marjoram, nutmeg, oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme. Some of these antioxidants may directly lower blood pressure and all can substitute for salt.
12. Go to your health food store and get grape seed extract.
13. Get a restful sleep every night. It doesn't matter whether it's four hours, six hours, or eight hours. Just make sure that you are relaxed and mentally at ease.
14. Keep your weight down. A 10% reduction in total body weight will sometimes lower blood pressure.
15. Flat out eliminate all forms of tobacco.

While owning a good health care plan is both important and necessary, choosing Doctor Diet and natural ways to prevent or reduce high blood pressure is equally as important. Choose a good health care plan and choose the natural ways.


Leave your comments.