Do Not Underestimate the Importance of 5 Minutes

Does your life seem out of control? Do you always feel like you are running from one activity to the next without taking a break? 

 

Never underestimate the importance of 5 minutes. No matter how busy a day we have, we all have 5 minutes to spare in our day and it can do so much to change our perspective on the pressures of our life in the here and now. 

 

What can be accomplished in 5 minutes and how does it help our journey of self-discovery?

 

• Take 5 minutes each day to clear out some clutter in your life. Maybe a work area, a pantry or a garage. Allow yourself to enjoy the moment when you have completed it! Clutter free lives help us to think more clearly and to focus on our work. Research shows that people with a tidy work area achieve more productivity than those with a cluttered area. 

• Take 5 minutes to go for a walk and find something beautiful in your world you haven’t seen before. It will open up a way to count the other blessings in your life that often stay hidden from view as we are often too busy to enjoy them. 

• Take 5 minutes to do some exercise and marvel at how much fitter you feel today than you did yesterday. If you don’t have time to exercise for long periods during the day, 6 lots of 5 minutes add up to a 30-minute workout every day. 

• Take 5 minutes to pray, meditate or have some periods in your day, where you reflect on yourself and your spiritual health and well-being. If you believe in God, ensure you protect this time in the business of your day as spiritual well-being is an important part of a holistic approach to life.

• Take 5 minutes to fix a proper meal for your family and not find yourself too busy so you buy take away every night. Your body needs good nutrition. Ensure you have plenty of vegetables and fruit as well as lean protein and good carbohydrates and oil in your diet to maintain your body in good health. Enjoy the difference it makes to your energy levels.

• Go to bed 5 minutes earlier each night so you re-create sleep and wake cycles help maintain your focus and alertness. 

 

Never underestimate the power of 5 minutes in your life! 

How to Deal with Behaviors that Irritate You in Others

We all know what it is like to have people in our lives who irritate us and we prefer to avoid them. Maybe we can’t understand why we feel the way we do about them, and we are upset with ourselves for always reacting as we do to them. How can we understand our responses to them and how can we understand where the feelings come from that create these reactions in us? 

 

Each of us have developed a set of values that determine how we think and feel about life, including right and wrong behaviors and attitudes. When we see other’s doing things or saying things that are outside our parameters of acceptable behavior we tend to react and respond, usually in a negative way.

 

Learning to accept that what is wrong to us, may not be wrong to others, is an important part of personal development. We may not agree with their choices, but we must allow people to be themselves, which means having values and ideas that may differ from our own perception of what is right and wrong. 

 

The triggers for reactions to behavior we don’t like, often originate in our child hood experiences. If we have been told to eat with our mouth closed, it’s understandable that for us, that behavior is a manner that we consider important for ourselves and our families to try to achieve. When we experience people who have never been taught that behavior who have no personal rules for eating, we can become frustrated with them. Often our values and behaviors become the measure for everyone else’s behavior. 

 

People who live together in the same house, sometimes experience relationship issues when one of the partners expects certain behaviors but the other doesn’t see them as important. Instead of reacting to the other person’s concept of the world and behaviors we need to learn how to accept and even appreciate the differences. 

 

As we do this, we give the gift of unconditional acceptance to the other person, whilst helping to reduce the frustration and anger of our own attitudes to the situation. Of course, there are unacceptable behaviors that no one should accept (domestic violence for example) but most things that irritate us about others are really the product of our own personal thoughts and not based on anything of importance except to ourselves. 

 

We cannot always control our reactions to others’ behaviors that create frustration in us, but we can learn to control the way we see and respond to them. 

Time Out for Renewal and Self Development – 2

 

We have explored the need for time out and renewal as a means of self-development and the importance of prioritizing it in our lives at least once a year. Most people are keen to take the time but struggle with how to achieve it. Here are some suggestions. 

• Discuss with your partner the need for time out. Decide to either take the time out together or individually. If children are involved, enlist the help of grandparents, siblings or friends. Suggest to friends you each take time looking after each other’s children so you can go on a retreat. 

• If taking time out together with a partner ensure you schedule alone time during your retreat as well as time together. Personal reflection is essential to renewal and self-development. 

• Try to allocate some of your annual leave to have at least a day of time out, even whilst you are on vacation. There is no better place to enjoy time out and renewal than when visiting beautiful locations. 

Once you have scheduled time out, it is essential to plan how to take the most benefit from it. Preparing for the journey is as important as being on it, here are some suggested ways to prepare for your time out experience.

• Choose a location that will help you relax. Whether this close to home or some place you will need to travel too, the key is to relax and refresh. 

• Don’t take anything with you that will act as a distraction. If you take your cell phone with you, try to borrow one that does not allow you to be tempted to check email or spend time on the Internet. 

• Do take a personal tape recorder or a journal to enable you to record your reflections and goals as you create them.

• If religion or philosophy is important to you, take a religious book or self-help manual if you would like to use them as meditation and prayer aids. 

 

When you arrive at your time out location and begin the process of self-reflection, here are some guidelines to help focus your thoughts.

 

• Evaluate what causes you to feel sad and happy as you review your life. These will help you focus on those things that need addressing in your life.

• Celebrate the things you have achieved, and goals you have accomplished. 

• Create action plans for those things you feel sad or dissatisfied with.

Time Out for Renewal and Self-Development – 1

In talking to friends this past weekend, it was obvious that many mothers are suffering from burn out and other stress related issues. They commonly say they wish they could be happier and not so snappy with their children and were trying to work out how to keep their children happier and entertained. 

 

Certainly, looking after the children’s needs are important to all parents and consumes a lot of time, but looking after self needs is equally important. Time out is a period of solitude where the focus is on self-development and self-reflection. It can be an extremely beneficial and self-affirming activity. 

 

Do you give yourself permission to take an extended amount of time away from your children, your work or anything in your life causing you stress and burn out? If you don’t, you are not alone. Most people don’t take time out, but look at the benefits of making this a priority at least once a year. 

• Taking extended time out gives the chance to take a step back and decide how to move forward in your life. When you are in the middle of life and all its responsibilities, it’s easy to focus on survival and not on achievement. Take time out each year to make some life goals. They can focus on your family, but having some goals for your parenting, will help you look back on the year and realize what achievements you have achieved in the previous year and what you want to achieve in the coming year.

• Time out is not a selfish activity, but a time to be critical and honest about yourself and your life. Its focus is to improve your relationships and to help your family and friends. Personal Time Out gives you the opportunity to look at your life and your responsibilities, evaluate what you are doing right and how you can improve those things you feel are not going as planned.

Taking a few hours or a few days out of your busy schedule is not running away from your responsibilities, it is rather an opportunity to find your energy and focus again so you can keep “running towards them” and embrace your life and its responsibilities with a new enthusiasm. Decide to make having an annual personal time out a priority in your life and gain assistance from your family to achieve it. 

Choosing the Best Eye Cream for Yourself

In a market where there are many choices for those looking for eye creams, making the right choice is vital, as the wrong choice could lead to damaging the skin, or a product which does not benefit the eye. Bags around the eyes, fine lines, puffiness and dark circles are all signs of ageing which eye creams should be targeting, and will be your first reference point in choosing the right eye product.

 

It is important to know that there are unscrupulous companies who would release a product which is a moisturizer, and market it as an eye cream, without considering the effect on the consumer. The features of an eye cream and those of a moisturizer mean they are two different products, and if you want a moisturizer there are plenty available, but an eye cream has to work as an eye cream, not just look like the real thing.

 

When taking the cost into consideration, ensure you have a budget in mind, and then seeing if the product matches it should be a consideration, as you should need an important reason to choose a product which is more expensive than others which are more competitive.

 

To avoid being the victim of a scam, you should look into the compounds found within the eye cream, as there will usually be studies associating these with eye treatment. Ensuring the product you’re looking at has the right concentration of ingredients to be effective is also important, as the more opportunistic producers will use minimal amounts of some ingredients to reduce their production costs, and then emphasize this in their advertising.

 

Newly-developed products with innovative ingredients will naturally have less published research about them, and in this instance searching for reviews of these creams can give you clues as to what they do to the skin around the eyes. Larger numbers of positive reviews from consumers should give you an indication a product is worth trying, whilst negative reviews from users could suggest you ought to look for another product.

 

However, a product is advertised, or however flashy the packaging, make sure that you judge the cream on the results and how it deals with the signs of ageing, which is why you are buying the cream in the first place. After all, a colored bottle or an impressive promotion doesn't improve the results of the product.

How to Get Beautiful Hair Naturally

Most men and women consider their hair to be very important to how they are perceived, and spend time looking after their hair. The industry providing products for this has seen a large increase in the number of products designed to help people look after their hair. Although there is a general impression that it is mainly women that spend time and money on their hair, research has shown that men as well as women take an interest in how to care for their hair.

 

With a large range of products available to suit every type of hair, there is a product to suit almost every consumer. However, even products that can be found in the everyday kitchen can be used for a more organic approach to hair care. Here are details of a few of products that can help provide the best hair, listed according to hair type.

 

People who have greasy hair have to consider using products specifically designed for hair care, with the use of a lemon grass or mint shampoo being used thrice a week being particularly beneficial. More frequent use will prevent the hair from returning to its usual Ph balance, and can cause problems and deterioration of the hair. A solution made from lemon juice can be applied after washing which will work against the excessive production of sebum with the astringent properties of lemon juice.

 

If you suffer with dry hair, it is important to ensure your hair is hydrated, and a conditioner designed to provide moisture for dry hair is essential every time your hair is washed. A simple way to add moisture to your hair is to apply hot water to a towel, until it is wet, but not dripping, and then placing it on your head. It’s like a sauna just for your hair instead of the body.

 

Those who have problems with dandruff would be well advised to use a lotion combining mint leaves and vinegar. Not only does this help prevent dandruff from becoming a problem, but will also leave your hair looking both sleek and shiny. The examples mentioned here are just a few of the problems and solutions that can occur with your hair, but a little bit of research can help you find even more useful tips for your hair. 

How Water Makes You Irresistible

Have you ever thought about how important water is in your life? From the refreshing shower, to an invigorating swim in the sea, or the inviting waters of a lake, water is vital. The cooling raindrops on your face on a humid day, to letting the rain wash over your face and lips, smelling the scent released from the flowers and trees by the rain. The rain brings out our spirituality. After a strenuous run, is there anything better than a glass of fresh water?

 

10 Ways That Water Keeps You Gorgeous

 

• No other drink quenches your thirst like water.
• Water keeps your cells supple.

• The electrolytes in your body are balanced by water, energizing your body.
• Drinking water reduces your appetite.
• Staying hydrated keeps your brain active, and encourages a good mood.
• Your muscles recover better after a workout with a supply of water.
• An effect of drinking water is to keep your skin healthy.
• Water helps you lose fat by increasing your metabolism.
• Drinking water will help flush toxins produced by your body.
• Water keeps you healthy, and being healthy keeps you attractive!

 

3 Tips for Water Consumption

 

Tip 1: When thirsty, drink twice as much as quenches the thirst.

Tip 2: To avoid dehydration, drink regularly during the day.

Tip 3: Around eight glasses of water is recommended, or one glass per 20 pounds you weigh. For example: 7.5 cups would be recommended for a person weighing 150 pounds. Being active, or living in a dry climate will add to the amount of water you need.

 

Disclaimer: These are recommendations for people choosing a healthy lifestyle. Refer to your doctor before implementing a change in diet or exercise regime.

 

Water Facts

 

95% of your brain is water, and it will use up to 40% of the water you consume. Your blood contains 82% water, and your lungs are 90% water. Even a 2% drop in the supply of water to the body can cause dehydration, problems in identifying small text and issues such as short-term memory problems and difficulty in completing simple mathematics.

 

Although you can count caffeine-free tea and fruit juice in your fluid intake, alcohol or coffee are diuretics and promotes water loss. Sugar in the juice can also dehydrate the body, where fresh water doesn’t.

 

Daily Mantra

 

“Every drink of fresh water replenishes and revitalizes my life force.”

Recuperating After Botox Treatment

After Botox treatment, the recovery process is usually relatively straightforward. Since anesthesia isn’t used during the injection of Botox, there is no need to hold back a patient once the procedure is complete. There are minimal side effects, and when risks arise, preventative solutions are available. You will improve your chances of getting the results you want if you know how to recover properly from the treatment. 

 

1. Applying ice to the area around the injection for around 10 minutes after the procedure will help reduce and swelling or bruising from happening.

 

2. Have your concealer on hand if you have to go to work or to a social event, and apply to the area if you experience any redness around the treated skin.

 

3. Try not to apply pressure or massage the flesh around the injection, as this will spread the Botox which cause muscles not intended for treatment to be paralyzed. Gently wash your face, and if possible, sleep facing upwards.

 

4. Heavy activity after the treatment should be avoided for the first day after treatment, as the substance can move and affect an unintended part of your face unless you allow some recovery time.

 

5. Once you have received the treatment, ensure your head stays elevated for a few hours afterwards to prevent the substance from moving to different parts of the face.

 

6. Your doctor can give you a pamphlet and provide a demonstration of facial exercises which will help you test the dexterity of the facial muscles after the procedure.

 

7. You may also want to ask what products not to apply to your face after treatment, to try and avoid side effects and infection.

 

8. Keep in mind that the full recovery from the treatment can take up to ten days, so not having your desired results after 24 hours is not unusual, as Botox can affect different people in different ways.

 

9. Ensure you arrange an appointment after recovery with your doctor, as they will want to check that the dosage used has achieved the results you were looking for.

 

Should you or an acquaintance want to know more about Botox and your options, refer to a cosmetic surgeon who is board certified specializing in Botox treatments. They can supply the resources and information to help you decide which treatment to go after, and to get the results you want.

Why You Should Not Have a Facelift

If you needed any convincing that going for cosmetic surgery won’t always be an improvement, look at pictures of stars such as Joan Rivers. However, this isn’t always enough to prevent people from being tempted by the cosmetic improvements, and people are always sure that they would only have treatments that are necessary to stay young and beautiful.

 

If you needed any more reasons not to opt for a facelift, there are a number of reasons to go for surgery-free alternatives.

 

Other options are now highly effective alternatives to surgery.

 

Restoring a youthful visage shouldn’t be an overwhelming reason for a facelift, as technological developments have given us treatments which can provide similar results without a surgical visit. Why go under the knife?

 

The alternatives such as Thermage and Ultherapy are effective in skin tightening, and encouraging collagen growth, this can lift the skin in a way similar to a facelift. Both techniques are extremely safe and do not require surgery.

 

Although not individually enough to keep you from the surgeon, consider these other two reasons.

 

Surgery-free treatments are socially acceptable in most circles. 

 

News that a famous celebrity has chosen to undergo a facelift is no longer big news, but undergoing surgery for cosmetic purposes still has a stigma in many parts of the world. What may be the norm for the celebrities is not necessarily what is acceptable in all of society today.

 

It is one of human nature’s most instinctive responses to inspect and judge the results of cosmetic surgery once someone has had surgery. It is natural that many people will look and stare at those who have gone under the knife, and consider whether surgery was right for them.

 

The alternative treatments such as Thermage and Ultherapy don’t leave the marks that plastic surgery can, and will tighten and lift your skin so people notice the natural beauty, not the surgery.

 

People will ask about similar treatments, rather than gossiping about your surgery between themselves.

 

Non-surgical alternatives have less risks to your health and beauty. 

 

Many women can benefit from a facelift, but there are many cases annually of surgery errors which can cause scarring and deformation. Though not largely discussed, it is an unavoidable reality of cosmetic surgery.

 

With the possible consequences of surgery, perhaps sagging and wrinkles is not all bad, or even better, non-surgical alternatives could be the answer.