5 Key Reasons You Should Start Meditating Today

Meditating has become increasingly popular in recent years and for good reason! This relaxing practice helps you to get in touch with your inner self and find your focus to help you develop a sense of balance in your life. 

 

Read on to see the key reasons you should try meditation today.

 

1)    It helps you to relax

 

One of the most obvious benefits of meditating is relaxation. Meditation forces you to quiet your mind, forget your stress, and truly be present in the moment. This helps to encourage relaxation.

 

The less you focus on what’s going to happen in the future, what happened in the past, and/or your stress and the more you focus on your meditation practices, the calmer you’ll feel. 

 

Meditation has been used for centuries to reduce stress and stimulate relaxation. It works so well as a relaxer that it has even been known to slow heart rates.

 

2)    It helps improve and encourage self-reflection and awareness

 

Being self-aware is a crucial quality to success, humility, and being an overall good person. Meditation encourages you to reflect inwardly and focus on your inner-self. This encourages you to reflect on your actions and yourself as a person. 

 

This act will help to improve your self-awareness, which is a highly sought-after trait. Self-awareness allows you to correct any errors you make or fix character flaws you may have. It helps you to be a better employee, boss, friend, and an all-around better person.

 

3)    Meditation can improve your focus

 

Meditation can improve your focus because it forces you to practice it each and every time you meditate. True meditation requires great focus and control; it forces you to spend a designated amount of time in the absolute present in self-reflection and true focus.

 

Improving your focus can also help to improve your productivity, which will make you a better employee. You’ll be able to focus on your work better, completing it more accurately and more quickly. 

 

4)    It can help you find your balance

 

The more you meditate, the better balance you can achieve in your life. This time dedicated to self-reflection allows you to reach a level of understanding and awareness that helps you to be a better and more understanding person.

 

This balance helps you to be a better person because it enables you to be more aware of a problem or flaw in your character that you need to address. Meditation can help you reach a balance of self-awareness, self-respect, humility, confidence, and peace/relaxation.

 

5)    It can help you be mindful of those around you

 

Because meditation can help you improve your self-awareness and observance, it can also help you be more aware of those around you and their feelings. You'll start to notice when your friends feel uncomfortable or are in pain.

 

You'll become better at reading the general mood and energy of the room. You'll be better able to adjust yourself to match that level and better accommodate those around you.

 

Meditation has become increasingly popular in recent years. More and more people are catching on to its healing properties. It can help you to relax, refocus your mind, get in touch with your inner-self, and find your balance. 

 

The more you meditate, the more in tune with yourself and your body you will feel. This will help you to better understand yourself and others around you. It will boost your awareness and help you to be more aware of those around you. Most importantly, it will help you more quickly realize when something is off or wrong.

How Sleep can Prevent Chronic Illnesses

We’ve all suffered through days of headache, fatigue and irritability after a bad night’s sleep for whatever reason. Sure, you can make up for it with a power nap or by sleeping it off the following night. But when insufficient sleep becomes the norm and you’re not getting anywhere from 7 - 9 hours of quality sleep each night, then problems start developing. 

 

Physical, emotional and mental long-term, chronic illnesses start to take hold because of your unhealthy sleeping patterns. One of the most surprising diseases linked to insufficient sleep is obesity. Research has shown that those who habitually sleep 6 hours or less have, on average, a higher BMI (body mass index) than those who get sufficient sleep. It’s also connected with lack of exercise – because you’re too tired to move - and overeating.

 

The science behind this is that during sleep, our bodies secrete a number of hormones associated with appetite control, metabolism and glucose conversion. When our bodies don’t get enough sleep, an imbalance of these hormones - and others - occurs. 

 

Two hormones crucial for suppressing and stimulating appetite, leptin and ghrelin respectively, are released either not enough or too much which may be the reason behind those cravings for sweet, sugary snacks to satisfy the need for a quick energy boost.

 

But the reality is, these types of snacks only give you a boost for several minutes, then quickly crash your blood sugar levels and you’re left even more deflated and fatigued than before.

 

Another example of a hormone directly affected by insufficient sleep is insulin which is the hormone responsible for the way glucose is transformed into energy, and weight gain. When insulin levels are not controlled as they should be, our bodies process glucose more slowly, resulting in a higher risk of type-2 diabetes.

 

Cortisol (the stress hormone) is also another hormone that is released in excess when you suffer from poor sleep. This results in mood swings and anxiety. High levels of stress also result in elevated blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as an increased risk of inflammation. 

 

This directly affects your immune system, leaving you susceptible to all kinds of illnesses, from the typical cold or flu to microbial infections to chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and strokes.

 

Moreover, mental disorders are brought on by poor sleep. Depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, such as memory loss and dementia, are all symptoms of insufficient sleep. Studies have shown that those who get less than 6 hours of sleep reported less sociability and confidence, and increased levels of anger, hopelessness and despair. It’s also been reported to have a negative effect on judgment and alertness.

 

While most of these symptoms can eliminated once sleep patterns return to normal, the problem is in the fact that most people suffering from poor sleep fail to report it to their doctors which makes it go unnoticed and untreated for longer.

 

The good news is you can turn things around for the better even if you’ve suffered from poor sleep for years. Make a point of creating a peaceful, sleep-inducing environment at least half an hour before going to bed and make it a nightly habit. 

 

Soon enough, you’ll start going to bed when you’re tired and you’ll be able to wake up fresh and relaxed without the need of an incessant alarm clock going off for an hour before you’re finally able to get up. While it may take you several weeks, it’ll be worth it once you start feeling the positive effects a good night’s sleep can have on your health.

5 Ways To Add More Balance To Your Life

We need balance in order to live a happy and healthy life; everything in this world comes down to finding the proper balance. Whether it’s in work life and home life, eating healthy and eating what makes you happy, doing stuff for others without neglecting yourself, etc., everything works better and goes more smoothly when you’ve got a balance. 

 

Achieving said balance isn’t the easiest thing, but we’ve come up with five ways to introduce more balance into your life and get things going in the right direction. 

 

1)    Prioritize

 

Prioritizing and scheduling can be a great practice to start introducing more of a sense of balance to your life. We all have busy lives and long to-do lists; the only way we’ll ever get everything done and find balance in our lives is by prioritizing what needs to be done when and scheduling our days. 

 

The tricky part to this is deciding just what is important; in some cases, your work may take priority, but in others family or friends may take priority over your work on your to-do list. Only you can decide what’s important and what should be prioritized in your schedule when.

 

2)    Set Goals

 

Setting both long-term and short-term goals can prove to be incredibly helpful in achieving a balance in your life. It helps you keep your sights on what you want and what’s important, avoiding too much straying from your path. The short-term goals help you to track your progress as you work to achieve your long-term goals, and help you stay on track. 

 

3)    Be specific in your schedule and review it

 

If, in order to achieve more balance, your goals were to, say, spend more time watching cooking shows, you’re more likely to complete it by saying “watch The Barefoot Contessa and Iron Chef every Tuesday and Thursday evening at 5,” then if you say “watch cooking shows at least twice a week.” Don’t set yourself up for failure. 

 

Once you’ve completed your schedule and are sure that you’re specific in the goals you want to achieve and the steps necessary to get there, you should review your schedule. This is an incredibly important step allowing you to reflect on your goals and priorities to ensure everything is as you need it.

 

4)    Find an accountability buddy

 

An accountabilibuddy is someone that holds you accountable for the goals you’ve made, the priorities you’ve set, and the things you’ve said you’ve wanted to do and accomplish. It’s easier to find balance and stick to your goals and schedule when you have someone to be accountable to that’s is also accountable to you. 

 

Your relationship with your accountabilibuddy should be interactive and mutual. If you’re not pulling your weight or your carrying more than your load, you could be hurting yourself more than you’re helping.

 

5)    Always keep the process in mind

 

Life isn’t just about what you achieve and what you get, it’s about the journey, the process. In order to achieve a proper balance, you need to always keep in mind that it’s more the process than the potential achievement. 

 

For example, you can make your goal to win a Nobel prize in literature, or you can make it to be paid to write for your career. The latter is a more achievable goal that focuses on the process and journey more than the achievement or prize at the end.

 

Everyone needs balance in order to live a happy and healthy life. Finding the proper balance in your life can be difficult, but it’s not impossible and it’s well worth the effort. We hope this article has helped to point you on the right path towards a healthy balance in your life.

4 Ways to Live a Healthier Life

There are multiple things we can do to improve the quality of our life, and most of it is rooted in taking better care of our health. It’s important to note that what constitutes a healthier lifestyle can mean different things to different people. After all, we each have a different foundation from which we are building. However, no matter your foundation, the end goal is generally the same. 

 

This article will touch on each of these areas to provide you with four ways to live a healthier life. 

What Does it Mean to Live a Healthier Life?

A healthy life is one that contributes to your overall health and well-being. Although diet and exercise play a role in your state of health, they are not the sole factors of your health. Multiple factors may constitute what it means to lead a healthy life including but not limited to our emotional, physical, mental and spiritual health. 

Exercise 

If you are not already invested in a regular exercise regimen, it’s time to create a ritual that will enable you to get active as soon as possible. Exercise offers you a wealth of advantages mentally and physically that can significantly improve your quality of life. 

You should target a minimum of 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity activity each week (WebMD). Not a fan of spending time in the gym? There are dozens of ways to boost your exercise game ranging from taking a walk in the park to taking the stairs to taking a dip in the pool. 

Managing Stress

Make it your mission this year to become better at managing your stress levels. Stress can prove harmful to your health if left unchecked for too long and can cause a variety of problems including high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. 

 

Stress can also trigger feelings of anxiety and depression, leaving us vulnerable to mood swings or even self-harm. 

 

There are dozens of actions you can take to manage your stress including but not limited to:

 

·      Exercise

·      Mindful Meditation

·      Learn to say ‘No’ and Set Limits

·      Get social support from family and friends

·      Practice self-care

·      Make time for yourself

·      Enjoy your favorite hobby (i.e., reading, music, travel, watching a movie)

Take Care of Your Mental Health

It is only natural to minimize the importance of your mental health and wellness if you have never experienced an episode of mental illness. However, we should make mental wellness a priority as it impacts so many corners of our lives. Without it, we cannot function optimally at work, at home or be a reliable source for even ourselves. Tips for improving your mental health includes:

·      Fitness

·      Getting sleep

·      Participating in a hobby

·      Getting out and socializing with others

Maintain a Healthy Diet

Falling off the wagon of healthy eating is easy. Just remember to pick yourself up and dust your bottom off and get back on track. The food you eat can play a significant role in your health and how you feel. Your diet should contain foods that provide your body with the best blend of vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber. 

 

Watch your soda, alcohol and sugar intake as these things can be a bit toxic to the body. Boost your intake of water, ensuring that your body is always well-hydrated.

 

These are just four ways to live a healthier life. Your path to health and wellness may look a bit different than those around you, but it does not make the journey any less vital. Remember to practice self-care, avoiding those things and people who may try to compel you to sacrifice your personal needs. 

 

The Dark Side of Self-Improvement

 

Like anything in life there is always going to be the good and the bad. Roses are beautiful and they have a wonderful fragrance. However, many have thorns that can pierce even the thickest of leather gardening/ work gloves. 

 

There are two main points that comprise the dark side of improvement. 

 

First

 

Understand that there is no magic pill for self-improvement. Self-improvement is a process which takes time, effort, and planning. It can’t be as simple as taking the red or the blue. 

 

We are creatures that have evolved from an early man and woman that had to fight to survive. Therefore, we learn best from pain. When you were a child, first learning how to ride the bike, your parent likely did all she could to prepare you for that first ride. She showed you how to balance the bike, pedal, and control its direction. However, despite her best attempts at keeping you balanced, you probably fell a few times before you got the hang of balance. 

 

Pain doesn’t have to be bad, nor dysfunctional, as long as we learn from it- and as long as it’s not willfully inflicted on us by others. 

 

As you move through your plan for self-improvement, expect to fall down so that you can get back up stronger. 

 

Disappointment

 

Every year we make resolutions, only for most of us to give up on them before February rolls around. You start with all of the enthusiasm you can possibly have to support your optimistic belief that this will finally be the year you accomplish… 

 

Only, in the end, you end up with disappointment as your enthusiasm fades, or you fail to end up where you wanted to be. 

 

Understand that while the concept of self-improvement can turn into something of a rabbit hole for us, it can be a powerful tool. 

 

One of the fundamental aspects of our humanity is that we feel a need for improvement. It’s possible that this comes from some archaic evolutionary survival tool for ancient men and women. While it is a useful tool, it can become toxic for those of us who see this need for improvement as a flaw. 

 

Going back to the bike analogy: That child, be they you or someone else, approached that bike ready to learn how to ride without training wheels. He was excited. However, the first time he fell off, he probably felt a twinge of discouragement. 

 

It’s important to remember that he didn’t approach that bike with the physical practical knowledge of how to balance it. He likely knew how to operate it mechanically thanks to the safety of his training wheels. But just because he could still improve on his ability to ride without training wheels doesn’t mean he was fundamentally flawed. It just means that he had room to grow, and something to learn. He had a way to improve. 

 

Growth

 

Also, bear in mind, that like the child learning how to ride a bike with training wheels, the point of growth in self-improvement doesn’t occur when the goal is reached. It occurs when we learn. 

 

A child who is learning to ride her bike without training wheels is probably going to fall. For older generations, this entailed some form of knee skinning. Regardless, the entire experience is a teachable, and learning moment passed down from one generation to the next. For those who teach themselves such things, the experience is added to. 

 

We tend to see our goals just beyond our reach. When we stumble while reaching it’s important to remember that the stumble, or trip-up is a learning moment. Not a failure. The dark side and toxicity come when we throw in the towel when we stumble rather than getting back up. 

 

Avoid Self-Judgment

 

As a side note, remember that you are always going to be your strongest critic. This doesn’t mean that you should judge yourself. The process of self-improvement requires honest assessment, not self-judgement, and there is a big difference (Handel, S. (2011, May 28). The 10 Commandments of Self Improvement: A Basic Introduction to the Core Principles of Self-Help)

 

Why Exercise Is The Magic Bullet For Boosting Your Metabolism

 

There’s a lot of talk about enchanted pills, smoothies, and diets that can amp up your metabolism but believe it or not; exercise is the magic bullet for boosting your metabolism. Think of your metabolism as a powerhouse that converts your food into energy and propels from one minute to the next without missing a beat. 

 

Factors that Affect Your Metabolism

 

Multiple factors may affect how well your metabolism operates. Let’s take a moment to examine a few of the things that may get in the way of our bodies functioning at optimal levels. 

Age

 

Studies show that with age, our metabolism begins to decline. This change often leads to extra pounds that are difficult to shed. We lose anywhere from three to five percent of our muscle mass, and we are less active. These two things combined make it easier for the pounds to begin accumulating, especially around the waistline area. Blame it on a slower metabolism. To counteract the effects of aging, we should burn 30 to 50 percent of our calories through exercise activity. 

Gender

 

Females tend to have a lower metabolism than men due to a variety of factors including oestrogen levels and a lower resting metabolic rate which helps to determine our overall total daily energy release and plays a vital role in the regulation of our energy balance. 

Hormones

 

Hormones can wreak havoc on your metabolism. Too much cortisol can lead to weight gain and increase our risk of heart disease and diabetes. Working out before consuming a meal can help to drop those cortisol levels and improve your metabolic functions. 

 

Testosterone levels also decrease and can trigger a bit of weight gain and leave us feeling fatigued. Daily workout regimens can help to keep your testosterone levels at healthy and stable levels and allow for a healthy metabolism. 

 

Estrogen is another hormone that triggers metabolism malfunction. An imbalance in this hormone can cause your weight to increase rapidly, giving testimony to metabolism that may not be operating in a way that is most beneficial to you. 

 

Finally, thyroid hormone imbalances can disrupt the overall effectiveness of your metabolism. Thyroid hormone helps to control metabolic processes in the body that are necessary for growth, development, and metabolism. 

 

Hyperthyroidism or a thyroid that is in a hypermetabolic state can cause your metabolism to go into overdrive, leading to weight loss, excessive use of your resting energy. On the other hand, an underperforming thyroid caused by hypometabolism can create a reduced resting energy expenditure, and cause weight gain. 

Exercise and Your Metabolism

 

Figuring out all the ways to regain control of your metabolism can be overwhelming but there is one thing you can do to move the needle, and that is to exercise. Working out helps your muscles to use a fair amount of energy and burn calories. The great thing about exercise is that even after the workout is over your muscles can continue to burn fat and helps to keep your metabolism functioning at optimal levels. 

Which Exercise is Best for Your Metabolism?

 

Is there one single exercise that works best for a healthy metabolism? The short answer is ‘no,’ but there are a couple of activities that when paired together can do wonders help get to put your metabolism into overdrive. 

Lift Weights to Burn Fat

 

Lifting weights is a fantastic approach to helping you not only build muscles but burn fat as well. Muscles use more calories at rest than fat cells. Don’t worry about becoming a gym rat. You only need two days a week to perform two sets of repetitions (12-15) working on those major muscle groups (back, arms, legs, and abs).

Aerobic Activity

 

Aerobic activity is another must-have ingredient for boosting your metabolism. Interval training is particularly useful and yields positive results. Walking, swimming, kickboxing, jogging, or even Zumba are excellent options for enhancing your metabolism. 

 

In summary, there may be a few options you cannot control when it comes to your metabolism, but exercise is the magic bullet. Your mind, body, and spirit will thank you. 

 

Top Natural Home Remedies

 

You don’t always want to go to the doctor when your illness isn’t bad or have to take harsh medicines to treat them when it seems unnecessary. For many, the answer to this problem is natural home remedies. These remedies are typically easily concocted in the home to cure common, everyday illnesses and ailments.

 

We’ve researched the absolute best home remedies that are actually effective in treating certain illnesses. If your ailment is not on this list, it doesn’t mean there isn’t a natural remedy for it. Research may show you creative and effective options for a wide variety of other ailments. 

 

Natural Home Remedy for Anxiety

 

If you suffer from anxiety, there is a home remedy that’s getting a lot of attention for its effectiveness. If you make a turmeric lemonade using filtered or sparkling water, honey, fresh lemon juice, and freshly grated or powdered turmeric, it not only tastes delicious but will also help with your anxiety.

 

Turmeric has proven to be highly effective in treating both depression and anxiety naturally. Its antidepressant and anti-anxiety properties allow it to reduce your stress hormones and increase the happy hormones like serotonin.

 

Natural Home Remedy for the Common Cold

 

A simple combination of local raw honey, cinnamon, and a pinch of either pink or gray sea salt taken two times a day for a period of three days should shorten and ease your cold symptoms. This combination can also help to cure other illnesses as well, such as bladder infections. 

 

 A 2015 study found that just a tablespoon of cinnamon each day could help to prevent or even eliminate colds in humans. Honey also contains healing and antimicrobial properties that help to shorten colds and other illnesses. Together, the combination leads to a cure the common cold doesn’t stand a chance against.

 

Natural Home Remedy to Help Digestion

 

A concoction referred to as “apple cider vinegar detox tea” is said to be magical in promoting healthy digestion. This concoction isn’t really tea at all; it’s a mixture of apple cider vinegar, fresh lemon juice, warm water, honey, a generous dash of cayenne pepper, and some cinnamon. 

 

Apple cider vinegar has long been known to help reduce gas and help your body to better break down its food. The acidity in apple cider vinegar helps to raise the acid levels in the stomach, easing digestive issues.

 

Natural Home Remedy to Treat Eczema

 

You can make your own, all-natural eczema cream in your own kitchen. All it takes to make this effective topical treatment is coconut oil, shea butter, vitamin E oil, organic oats, and lavender oil. It’s safe to use on adults and children alike but be sure to dilute the essential oils you use when the treatment is intended for children.

 

Similar to the idea behind oatmeal baths as a soothing treatment for chicken pox, the oats in this homemade eczema cream contain zinc which helps to speed up skin healing and repair. The oils contained in this cream also help with healing dry and cracked skin. 

 

Natural Home Remedy to Treat Insomnia

 

Many of those that favor natural remedies swear up and down that drinking homemade banana cinnamon tea one hour before going to bed will work better to cure insomnia than a sleeping pill. You make this tea by submerging a peeled banana in a small pot of boiling water. You add a pinch of cinnamon and then strain. 

 

Potassium and magnesium are well-known natural muscle relaxants, both of which are found in bananas. The cinnamon works to regulate the blood sugar in your body so that you can fast the whole night through.

 

You don’t always want to go to the doctor when you’re sick or have to rely on harsh medicines and antibiotics if it’s not that big of a deal. That’s where natural remedies come in. All of the remedies we mentioned above are entirely natural, effective, and easy to make on your own in your own home.

 

If we didn’t mention your ailment in this list, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a natural remedy that will work for it. We were limited on our space and included only the top five all-natural at-home remedies that are actually effective. More research may lead you to interesting, creative, and effective at-home remedies for all sorts of ailments.