Make Time To Follow Your Passions And Interests

Gram’s Wisdom 49 Have interests of your own.

My Gram liked to tell me stories about her life during the depression. A widow at 28 years old with 6 children to feed. She would often tell me how grateful she was for her steady job as a waitress. And even as a child, I understood that meant she was busy and on her feet all day.

Many years later when she would relate other stories of those years, she said one of the best parts of the day was after the smallest children were put to bed. This was, she said, a quiet, settled, time when could sew or do a crossword puzzle. She told me there was always so much to be done on any given day. But we owe it to ourselves to take even 5 minutes to do something enjoyable.

In our society today, it's easy to look at what others do and feel like we're inadequate if we don't devote every waking moment to our career or family. Sadly, while this seems truer for women than for men, men are quickly catching up to being overworked like most women these days.

We're told that we should be constantly hurrying to achieve our goals and that taking time for hobbies and other interests is a luxury that we can ill afford. But honestly, well-rounded people understand that taking time for ourselves is fundamental to our overall well-being.

When we neglect our hobbies and interests, we're not only depriving ourselves of enjoyment, but we’re also missing out on valuable opportunities to unwind and refresh. So, the next time you feel guilty for taking a break to do something you enjoy, remind yourself that you're not being lazy – you're taking care of yourself.

The idea of productivity versus the reality of productivity.

The word "productivity" is often heard today. We are told that we need to be productive to be successful. But what does productivity mean? For some people, being productive means maximizing their time and getting as much done as possible. They believe that if they're not in a constant state of movement they're wasting their time.

Others see productivity as a more relaxed state. They feel that if they're getting things done, the time it takes is unimportant. They may take breaks or allow themselves time to enjoy their hobbies and interests. So, which is the correct way to be productive? There is no right or wrong answer. It truly depends on the individual.

There is no exact one-size-fits-all to productivity. It all depends on what works for you. If you're someone who thrives on challenges and feels motivated by meeting deadlines, then a more traditional approach to productivity may suit you. So, experiment until you find something that works for you and run with it.

But if you prefer a more casual approach, that's okay too. There's no need to compel yourself to be something you're not. The important thing is to use your time in a way that feels best for you and who knows, plenty of people have interests that overlap with their work.

Placing a piece of puzzle into a half finished jigsaw puzzle.

You're not obligated to one passion.

While it’s important to be productive, it’s also important to take time for our hobbies and interests.

It’s okay to have many different interests or passion projects over a lifetime. And, it’s okay to change your interests over time. You shouldn’t feel like you must stick to one interest or one hobby. Instead, you should broaden your interests and try new things.

You should never feel that your interests must be justified to others. Nor do you need to prove your interests are worth your time. Your hobbies and interests are important to you, and that’s what counts. It’s important to do things that you enjoy outside of work or other obligations. 

While you may not want to pursue too many hobbies at once due to financial and time constraints, you don't have to adhere to just one, and you don't have to make a lifetime commitment. It's okay to pursue one interest for a few months or years and then drop it to do something else.

There are many benefits to having more interests.

Every interest or hobby you have offers benefits beyond what most people perceive as valuable. For example, a hobby or interest costs money and does not make money. And for that reason, some people may feel that it's wasteful.

However, if you have the budget for the hobby or the time for the hobby, and that hobby makes you feel good, the benefits it offers to help you build your self-esteem, feel more confident, and learn new things are also important.

It can be easy to feel guilty for spending time with hobbies or other interests, especially if they don’t directly contribute to your work or productivity. However, here are six benefits to hobbies and interests outside of work.

• Hobbies and interests can offer a much-needed break from work and the burn-out it can cause.

• They can help us to relax and recharge, which can make us not only more productive but often more creative when we return to work.

• Pursuing hobbies or other interests can help us to gain new skills and knowledge to our careers.

• Hobbies and interests can assist us to meet new people and form new relationships.

• They can also be a great way to cope with stress, anxiety, or other mental health issues.

• Pursuing hobbies or other interests can also provide a sense of purpose and satisfaction.

In short, there are many benefits to having hobbies or other interests. So next time you’re feeling guilty for spending time on them, remember all the ways they can improve your life.

You don't owe anyone productivity.

One issue that comes up for some people who want to pursue a hobby or an interest that is new to them is that they begin to feel as if they're not productive enough. They question whether they should be mowing the lawn or working on their side hustle rather than going climbing.

But here’s the thing, it’s valuable to remember that you don’t owe anyone productivity all the time. your whole life is not about productivity. Sometimes your life is just about being and doing something you enjoy. There is value in doing things outside of building work relationships, making money, and being consistent.

Redefine productivity in your mind to be anything beneficial for yourself, not just for others, and not just to add dollars to your bank account. Take the time you need to relax and recharge. You don't need to monetize every interest or hobby to make them worthwhile in your eyes or someone else's.

The value of the hobby or interest may be intangible or something you can name. But the primary thing that a hobby or interest needs to be is something you enjoy that fills you with contentment and not something that adds stress to your life.

My final thought.

Clearly, making time for hobbies or interests means you may have to say no to something else and this can make some people feel bad. However, it is vital to remember that everyone is unique and not everyone will feel this way. It’s also important to remember that making time for hobbies or interests can be a loving source of self-care and can help to improve mental health.

For more information, please read this post.

Five Benefits Of Having A Hobby

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Give Yourself A Much-Needed Break

Gram’s Wisdom 24 Don’t continue to replay past mistakes

Gram told me we should never get stuck in our past mistakes. She said it was like walking through a puddle of molasses. “You know you shouldn’t because it will only hold you back.”

Of course, she was also a firm believer in getting on with the things that move you forward and letting go of negativity holding you back.

So, from her, I learned it’s perfectly okay to stop clobbering yourself over mistakes you’ve made in the past. No one deserves your kindness and understanding more than you do. This affects your well-being, as well as the people in your life.

No wallowing allowed

How often, do we allow a mistake or an incorrect decision to adversely impact our lives long after the event occurred? By doing so, we end up being unable to appreciate the present and take advantage of new prospects and experiences.

Dwelling on a mistake for lengthy periods can be harmful to you. After all, our time here is limited, and unlike your favorite movie, no passing moment can be replayed or started over. It’s difficult to enjoy the freshness offered on a new day when your mind is always troubled by regret and negative self-talk.

Did ya’ hear, you are human

In case you haven’t noticed, human beings are programmed to make mistakes. We aren’t given an instruction manual at birth (we would likely lose it anyway) with details for the best way to handle the vast number of decisions and events we experience throughout our life. Therefore, it makes no sense to go through life with the intent of being perfect.

Of course, you should try to make the appropriate decisions and handle situations to the best of your ability, but only with the knowledge that you will not always do so. Any mistake you end up making should not come as a total surprise but should instead serve to remind you that as a fallible human being, just like all other people around you, mistakes will be made.

Being human is wonderful. We are capable of so many emotions, creations, and discoveries. However, we are far from perfect and mistakes are sure to happen. Always bear that in mind.

Errors=examples of what not to do

A great way to avoid beating yourself up over a shortcoming or wrong decision is to not view the situation in a negative light. Instead, try to realize that mistakes are a necessary part of the growth process. Consider this, every single thing you have ever learned how to do with any level of expertise has been achieved through trial and error. This process in no way ends just because you have become an adult. For as long as you live, you will continue to encounter new situations.

It’s silly to think that, as an adult, you will somehow be able to respond to new situations the right way from the beginning. If you ever reach a point in your life where you fail to make a mistake here and there, it’s probably not a good thing. If nothing you do poses a challenge, this means you are at a place of stagnation.

It is important to consider every mistake as an example that allows you to adjust, modify your actions, and do better on the next go around.

Take another look

Most of us do our best to forgive other people after they have messed up. This is particularly true for the people closest to us. Sure, we may be upset and even angry for a while, but we usually don’t hold the issue over the offender’s head forever. 

Ironically, we struggle more to forgive ourselves than to do the same for others. Considering this inconsistency, try to change your vantage point the next time you are avoiding permitting yourself forgiveness. After all, nobody is closer to you than you. Knowing that forgiveness is a necessary part of maintaining external relationships, you must also realize that this requirement is just as true for nurturing your mental environment.

My final thought

Humans do many foolish things. How badly we treat ourselves may just be the worst. We berate ourselves for our mistakes, and we hate to give ourselves the break we deserve. I believe it’s time to extend a little compassion and kindness for past mistakes to that person you live with every moment, yourself.

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Improve Your Mental Health Using These Tips

Traditional mindset v. new beliefs

This is a polarizing topic because of a clash between traditional mindsets and new beliefs.

In one group, we have strong-willed people who believe that life is tough, and everyone should just stop whining about it. They feel that being stoic makes you stronger and more able to endure and succeed, despite the variety of stresses in the world.

In the other camp, some people believe that our hectic and stressful lives will create broken individuals if we don’t take time to care for ourselves.

So, who is right?

Both sides of this argument are right–because people are unique!

There are some men and women who enjoy the tough love and hardcore approach to living life. They are the ones who soldier on, not wishing to appear weak and give little thought to self-care.

Then there are others more sensitive to the continual assault on their senses because the media, work, and family commitments, etc. may cause them to be mentally exhausted.

At times like these, self-care to safeguard one’s mental health is essential to their well-being. Below you’ll find a list of suggestions to follow.

Not all tips will work for everyone, but I promise, you’ll positively find one that works for you. Give them a try to go with what works best for you.

1.  Give aromatherapy a try

Diffusing essential oils such as lavender, frankincense, lemongrass, or my personal favorite, sage, will help to create a soothing scent that will help to calm your mind.

Aromatherapy has been shown to have numerous benefits to one’s health. Since it’s a holistic method, not much has been done to study it in detail but give it a try and see how it makes you feel.

Ultimately, that’s what matters–and if aromatherapy makes you feel happier and calmer, go ahead and use it.

2.  Have a cup of coffee

It has been shown that coffee lifts one’s moods. Its antioxidant properties will help to heal your body from within and the caffeine will ease depression if present.

3.  Unclutter your environment

Time to unleash your inner Marie Kondo. Decluttering has a cleansing feel to it. Some people manage better when they have fewer possessions and more sparse surroundings.

If you feel like there’s too much going on in your life and you feel smothered, you may wish to declutter and live a more minimalistic lifestyle. You might find that less is more, and your moods and quality of life improves enormously.

4.  Mindfulness practice

Mindfulness is about being present in the now instead of constantly worrying about the future or the past. When you’re involved in a task at work or even having a meal, you’re fully present at the moment.

There’s no multi-tasking or looking at your social media apps constantly. Mindfulness helps improve focus and acts as a dopamine detox that your body might be craving.

5.  Disengage from social media

While social media can be fun, it also has a dark side. It creates a craving for dopamine in your brain. The endless notifications and feedback can be addictive and is not healthy in the long run.

Not to mention the constant onslaught of news, negative comments, and venom from other users that only rile you up. Disengaging from social media will do miracles for your mental health.

6.  Begin a yoga practice

This may sound cliché, but it truly works. Yoga’s focus on the mind, body, and soul connection will have you breathing deeply and stretching your body.

This movement is good for you and will increase your flexibility by loosening tight muscles.

7.  Take an Epsom salt bath

This is as uncomplicated as it sounds. Add 2 cups (0.47 liters) to warm running water. Sit and relax in the tub and feel any aches and pains dissolve away.

8.  Begin a journal

Journaling is a form of stress relief. By expressing your thoughts and emotions on paper, it gives your mind freedom. Living in your head can be tiring if you’re replaying the same unresolved events over and over.

By journaling, you’ll experience purging and also clarity. You can use this technique to create lists of things to do, goals to achieve, and so on. Once it’s in your book and out of your head, you can either make a plan for it or let it go.

9.  Take a break from the routine

This is especially true for women who are juggling careers and family commitments. There is always someone demanding something from you and the perpetual act of keeping things in order can cause a nervous breakdown.

It’s good to take a break and have 30 minutes to an hour for yourself. If your spouse can look after the children, you may even want to take the entire day off and spend time on your own.

10.  Spend time on grooming

A common symptom of someone who is mentally drained and stressed out is a lack of attention to their appearance. If you look at yourself in the mirror and you look disheveled and worn out, you’ll feel even worse.

Spend an hour or two grooming yourself. Once your appearance is neat and attractive, you’ll feel a renewed sense of energy and purpose.

11.  Look forward

Too often, people look back on their past and revive old, negative emotions. Regrets, harsh words exchanged, hurt feelings, etc. that happened before should be left in the past.

It’s time to let it go. Try writing down what you’re feeling on a piece of paper… and when you’re done, burn that paper and as it turns to ashes, that will signify you letting the past remain in the past.

It’s pointless to carry the heavy burdens of yesterday into tomorrow. Keep your eyes on the present and look forward to a brighter future.

My final thought

I believe by applying these self-care tips in your life you’ll begin to notice that you feel better in a few days. Wonders will not happen overnight, but you will feel a sense of mental relief and soon you’ll develop a more optimistic outlook on life.

I hope you like this easy-to-do list of self-care tips and will share it with your family and friends.

10 Best Reasons For You To Become Mindful

Mindfulness is a powerful tool that is the perfect tonic to modern day stress and anxiety. But it goes far beyond that and can be instrumental in helping you improve in a vast range of different ways. Read on and we’ll go over 10 of these many benefits to demonstrate just how transformative mindfulness really is…

If you are newly exposed to mindfulness then I believe this article HERE How To Practice Mindfulness: A Beginners Guide, can help you choose a way to easily begin. Just know, that the method you use to achieve that state of mindfulness can be as simple as breathing, taking a walk, or my personal favorite; doing the laundry.

Top Ten Mindfulness Tips

1 It helps reduce stress

Mindfulness teaches us how to be present and how to exist in the moment. This helps us to rise above the stressful thoughts we might be having and even to ‘reprogram’ them in some cases.

2 It improves focus

Mindfulness practice requires intense focus and mental discipline. This is something that many people are lacking these days owing to the constant distractions we get from our technology and our general ability to get any information or entertainment in seconds.

3 It’s free and easy

Health organizations love mindfulness because it’s something anyone can practice. Once you understand the concept and have been taught the basics, this is something you can do anywhere and with no equipment. It can even be taught over the web!

4 It improves athletic performance

Mindfulness is only one step away from being a ‘flow state’. This is a heightened state of awareness and presence that leads to amazing improvements in athletic performance.

5 It helps sleep

Studies show that mindfulness can be used effectively to combat insomnia.

6 It can treat panic attacks

Likewise, mindfulness is one of the main treatments used for panic attacks

7 It combats negative emotions

In general, mindfulness can be used to make dealing with almost any negative emotion considerably easier.

8 It enriches life

Being mindful means being present and that in turn means being aware of all the wonderful things happening around you. Instead of being in your own head, you start actually experiencing the world around you. This can even enhance your relationships.

9 You’ll learn about yourself

Learning to ‘observe’ your own mind and thoughts is an amazing skill that teaches you about how your own brain works. If you have tried meditation as a stress relief and found the thoughts tumbling around in your head even more stressful then try turning it around. Don’t try to quiet your thoughts observe them. This is both fascinating and a very useful skill for growth and development.

10 You’ll learn about others

And when you learn more about yourself, you learn more about the minds of others too. Mindfulness will give you the means to help your friends and family and to better manage your relationships with them.

So by fully engaging all of your senses while disengaging the preconceived notions of your mind, you too can reap the benefits of mindfulness.

If you enjoyed these 10 tips please let your friends know.  

Top Benefits Of Exercise For Your Health

Exercise and health

The benefits of exercise on your overall health encompass a range of physical, mental, and emotional. It is, like sleep and nutrition, what I like to call a foundational piece of your self-care habit. Changing any one of these three habits for the better can make a difference. To change them all for the better will noticeably improve your health and life.

What kind of exercise?

The types of exercise that will do you the greatest good depend on several factors. Your fitness level when you begin, what your health goals are, your fitness goals, your age, and the time you have to devote to it. Don't allow any of these above-mentioned factors to prevent you from taking charge of your health.

There are many kinds of Exercise Routines for what you want to target. From low to high impact. Weight and strength training. Aerobics and resistance training. Training that uses free weights or other types of appliances.

Last but not least is how easy it is to begin. A pair of comfortable trainers, shorts, and a tee-shirt. Your venue can be your own home, the more social atmosphere of the local gym, or the nearest park if you are a runner.

Nonetheless, almost anyone can begin by walking 15 minutes a day and slowly increasing the pace and amount of time over a couple of weeks.

If you are out of shape, ill, or elderly, you should consult with your doctor before beginning any kind of exercise regimen. He or She will want to steer you in the proper direction and help you to reach your health goals.

Benefits of exercise

• Decreased chronic illness risk

• Reduced cancer risk

• Lowered risk of anxiety and depression

• Boosts mood and feelings of happiness

• Helps with weight loss

• Improves flexibility and balance

• Increases muscle tone and bone density

• Promotes brain health and memory

• Boosts your skin health

• Increased energy level

• Linked to improved sleep and sex life

This is the third and last of the posts to do with your health that I call basic self-care. You can find the first post on Sleep HERE and the second post on Nutrition HERE. If you liked this please share or leave a comment.

The Right Nutrition Will Make You Healthier

Nutrition and you

Good nutrition is one of the main self-care habits I mentioned in my last post, that leads to a healthy life. Your health can be improved by eating a balanced diet. You should be eating these servings from the five basic food groups each day. Grains-9 servings, Vegetables-4 servings, Fruit-3 servings, Dairy-3 servings, Protein-2 servings. For easy-to-use Dietary Guidelines check this out.

You might remember this or a similar diet plan from elementary school and for many people, it works just fine. Most of the time. But not for everyone. And, not as well as we begin to age.

Not for me. I am lactose intolerant. Maybe not for you either unless you tweak your diet to fit your needs.

Healthy eating

To begin with, there are some things we can all do to be healthier. Some of these suggestions are easier than others but all can make a difference if applied. 27 Health and Nutrition tips

• Water: Add more water to your daily routine. Begin with a glass a half hour before every meal. It makes you feel fuller so you don't overeat and it revs up your metabolism. Proper hydration is also linked to a reduction in heart attacks, certain cancers, migraines, and fatigue.

• Unhealthy fat: Reduce the amount of unhealthy fat you eat. This includes dark meat chicken and chicken skin, fatty pork, beef, and high-fat dairy foods. Don't forget that it's better to bake or broil rather than fry your foods. Remove the skin from your poultry before cooking. Add more healthy fat from fish and nuts to your diet.

• Sugary drinks: Reduce the amount of added sugar in your diet by saying no to sodas and fruit juices. Both are high in sugar and the fruit juice has no fiber which would mitigate that factor somewhat.

• Junk food: Get rid of junk food. We all love it, but we don't need the empty calories full of salt and/or sugar.

• Keep a food journal: Track the food and drinks you eat in a day. Add notes on how it is prepared and served if you know (broiled fish with lemon butter sauce rather than broiled fish with lemon wedges on the side). This extra information helps you to recognize foods that aren't as good a choice for you and keeps you accountable for adding and eating more of those that are. Keep this journal for a couple of weeks at a time, once or twice each year, to see your progress.

• Read nutrition labels on the foods you buy: Understand what those labels mean to you. Labeling and Nutrition

• Dietary supplements: These can be a useful addition for children and older adults, who may not have the appetite to eat the foods they need, in the quantity that will provide them the necessary vitamins and minerals. But before you decide to take any medications you should discuss supplements with your Doctor.

Consider this

See your doctor if you don't feel as well as you should or if eating the right things don't maintain your health. He/She will send you home with a diet plan suitable for you and other advice as well as medication (when necessary).

Take your Doctor's advice. Eat right, but make sure it's right for you. 

I hope you liked this post. Please share it if you did. It's number two in what I like to call my three basics of self-care. The next one will be the one that gets you moving. Perhaps you missed my last post on Ways Sleep Boosts Your Health find it HERE.