DK’s Donuts (in Los Angeles) is a dangerous place, but I’m sure you have something similar near you. Take a few seconds to scroll down and check the pictures out. At that point, you have a few choices. Keep reading, go out and get a sweet treat, or close this window out and try to purge the thought of delicious food from your short-term memory. Either way, we’re tempted every day by various things that make us want to break away from what we feel is the right thing to do.
I’m not sure if this has to do with my generation (probably does), the environment I live in, or just who I am, but I have the unfortunate obsession with being efficient. This makes me sound like I’m humbly bragging. It’s not necessarily a good thing–it’s really more of a curse. It doesn’t mean I’m more productive in any sense, not really. I think it has a huge correlation to being constantly connected whether that’s by phone, social media, or computer. We need to frequently refresh our social media to see if anything new has happened. We are glued to the news and anything “breaking” we can break away from. This has a big impact on needing to always be doing something.
Sometimes, you just need to slow down and sip the juice
This title could be perceived as offhanded. However, imagine the tone as one of gentle nudging rather than being snootily rude. I’m not trying to throw in your face that you’re a brat, but just that each of us could–instead of complaining or being bitter–try instead to be grateful. I must confess, this was brought on by watching the very last episode of our beloved Downton Abbey (which I thought was a lovely ending). Reflecting on the life of the servants and such, I realized that, though fictional they are, there are plenty of people like them who are grateful despite a hardworking, have-little life. I found it to be a good lesson.
Instead of sourness and a generally negative attitude, let us try supplementing gratefulness first. The power of gratitude is enormous, be you a Lord or servant (or in these days, someone powerful or someone on the bottom of the ladder). Gratitude can pull someone from depression, from anger, from feeling lost. If being grateful to you is an impassive thing that you’ve never really thought about, try doing so now.
What are you grateful for?
In our hustle and bustle world, it’s easy to get down. It’s not always easy to get out of these feelings, so you get stuck in a negative bubble. Maybe you had a rough day at work, maybe you and your partner aren’t getting along, or maybe you’re just in some kind of funk. You may be working hard and getting nowhere, but staying in that foxhole of negativity is NOT going to help you in any part of your life. Try this meditation to keep your head up and your mind clear of negative distractions.
Sometimes after work, your brain is cramping and the world seems especially bleak. You just want to collapse on your bed and sink into it forever. You find it difficult to relax and unwind. I’ve been there! Many of us have! It’s very important to have a reservoir of tools that can help you de-stress and chill out. Things like yoga, meditation, a hot bath, workouts, and so forth. But what if you want to do next to nothing to get there? I have a solution that I discovered by accident!
Have you ever heard of your Third Eye? I’m no mystic or anything of the sort, but I do believe in certain places of our bodies being able to manipulate our mind and other areas of the body. Such as Reflexology, where putting pressure on certain parts of your feet can help de-stress or alleviate pain in other body parts. It’s a little above the brow, in the middle of your forehead. During a yoga session, I was doing a child’s pose with my forehead to the mat. The instructor told us to move about gently, doing what felt right. So I did. And I discovered a wonderful sensation that instantly calmed me down and lowered my stress. Follow these steps to find a little slice of bliss:
This post was written by Holly Ashby, who works for Will Williams Meditation, a meditation centre who provide classes on meditation in London.
So, it’s that time of year again where the shops stop encouraging you to eat and drink like there is no tomorrow, and are suddenly rolling out all their “January detox” ranges. We are often encouraged on cycles of feast and famine, rather than simply taking joy in both food and exercise and living life happily.
There’s no reason not to get a little healthier as the New Year kicks in. Just remember to do it at your own pace, for your own personal goals rather than other people’s expectations, and in a way that makes you as happy as you are healthy. There’s also no need to set impossible goals – just to exercise a little more, and eat a little healthier after enjoying the holiday excesses.
I told you awhile ago I started a 30-Day Yoga program. Well, I have! And I wanted to share the benefits that I found throughout this program. If you’re wondering, I used “Yoga with Adriene“–a down-to-earth goofy Texan lady who spreads good vibes. It’s a program of variety–one day you’ll work on breathing, the next on sun salutations, the next on Warrior poses. She keeps it fresh, interesting, and offers variations on each pose. If you know me, you know that flexibility is one of my weakest areas. So even though I’ve been doing yoga off and on for years, I’m still not close to an advanced level. My problem is keeping up with it! So how have 30 days of yoga helped me? Let me count the ways…
A lot of things can get in the way of working out: laziness, lack of time, lack of motivation, or injuries, to name a few. However, another reason, a big one that a lot of people don’t realize is organization. Or rather, lack thereof. This one is lurking reason that weaves other reasons together to seem as the real thing. If your life isn’t organized, things like other activities, time, and such are going to get in the way. So, I want to do a quick exercise with you to get ORGANIZED.
To continue on the aspect of being thankful, I wanted to talk about being grateful! My friend, Mary Kate, and I like to play a little “game.” It doesn’t really have a name so I’ll call it “3 Things.” Basically, randomly whenever you feel like it, you email a friend, a partner, a family member, three things you’re grateful for. It can be anything from something deep to something that’s simply an everyday thing. Mary Kate and I sometimes just do random days out of a month, or we might do it for days, weeks, or months at a time! It really helps to stop and think about what you’re grateful for. Here are mine today:
This post is brought to you by our friends at Adjustamatic
If you suffer from arthritis, you’ll understand how it can make even the simplest of everyday tasks like getting in and out of bed a major challenge. The discomfort caused by the condition can also lead to low-quality sleep, which can have a detrimental impact on your overall well-being. If you’re struggling to nod off at night due to painful, stiff joints, this simple guide should help.
