By Mr. Self Development

I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t want to significantly improve their life.  The good news is: Every moment is an opportunity to become better than we’ve been in the past.  This is a brief article on how to improve your life starting today.  I challenge you to take action on each of these items; they will change your life if you do.

1. Become an Eclectic Reader

An eclectic reader is a reader who reads information from a variety of sources.  Reading daily from a variety of authors with different backgrounds and beliefs is an excellent way to expand your mind and change your life. It’s not necessary that you agree with “everything” the authors say; you can learn something from anyone.  Reading from a multiplicity of sources gives you the ability to take-on new concepts, thoughts, and principles that stretch your mind to greater dimensions and new perspectives, allowing you to receive ideas which have “never” been conceived before.

You shouldn’t just listen to people who you “agree” with; listen to individuals with unorthodox concepts and view points that you may oppose.   There’s a quote that goes, “If everybody’s thinking the same, then somebody’s not thinking.”  Don’t get caught up in “group thinking,” where your thoughts only mimic that of the greater population.  Use reading as a tool to give you deeper insights so you can form more accurate conclusions.

How many books or articles are you reading a day?  As many of you may know, reading is something that I love to do. I’m reading all the time; the information that I read comes from such a unique variety of authors that it would be very unlikely for someone to “in-take” this same combination of information.  This rare combination of information provides me with new concepts which have never been thought of before.

2. Meditate and/ or Schedule Quiet Time

When I say meditate, I’m talking about taking 5-10 minutes, maybe more, to silence your mind, using this time as a form of relaxation and renewal.

You may choose to utilize this time as a way of quietly focusing your mind on the images that you want to experience.  You may choose to utilize this time as a way of opening your mind to new ideas that will improve your life or solve certain problems that you’re encountering.

Your mind is always so busy; take a few minutes everyday to give it a much needed refresher.  “Time-out” is always better than “burn-out.”  Schedule “time-out” daily, if you do, you will be healthier, happier and you will have many more creative ideas to improve your circumstances and your life.

3. Start Working Out, or Increase Your Workouts

Are you giving your best efforts to your workouts?  I could personally do more, I work out six days a week, but I know I’m capable of seven.  Are you giving your best?

Working out improves your life’s expectancy, overall health, the way you look, and the way you feel about yourself.  Why would anyone not do it?

If you’re not working out, get started today; try to do at least 4-5 days a week, even if it’s only for a few minutes, learn to cultivate the joy of working out.  Don’t go around saying “I hate working out,” because you will begin to hate it.  Affirm that you “love to work out,” and you will begin to love it.

4. Spend Quality Time With The People Who Mean The Most To You

Friends and family are truly an avenue which can create lots of joy in your life.  Take time to really experience and appreciate the joy of being around the people who mean the most to you.  I’m talking about daily pre-scheduled quality time, no cell phones, no computers, no distractions, no thoughts of being anywhere else, or doing anything other than experiencing and appreciating the people who mean the most to you.

Learn from them, teach them, laugh with them, discuss deep issues, and just “shoot the breeze.”

What’s your story?  Who can you spend more time with?  And don’t say your “poker buddies.”  Maybe it’s your kid, maybe it’s your wife or husband, maybe it’s your nieces and nephews.  Let people know how much you admire and appreciate them by giving them the price-less gift of your time.

5. Enhance Your Diet

The saying is true, “You are what you eat.”   The only source your body has to re-create itself is the food that you give it, so don’t give it junk.

Do you realize that diseases can be caused as a result of poor movement of food through your body? Are you getting 100% of the fiber your body needs?  Are you drinking enough water?  Do you have a written diet plan?

Are you receiving a large portion of your calories from fruits and vegetables?  I challenge you to do so, if you aren’t.

In concluding, make sure that you observe and implement these ideas today. You have the power to improve your life forever, starting right now.

About the author: this guest post was written by Mr. Self Development. Please support Mr. Self Development by subscribing to his blog at mrselfdevelopment.com; Mr. Self Development is a motivational author who offers a practical guide to success and wealth.

By Mary Ward

Our mood can affect everything in our daily life. When we’re in a bad mood or depressed, we don’t feel like ourselves and we have a hard time concentrating or just making it through the day. When we’re happy, we feel on top of the world and ready to take on anything. The food we eat can have a great impact on our mood, and if you want to look and feel good then you need to be sure to include some of the foods that will naturally lift your spirits. Here we look at several foods that are sure to raise our spirits and make us feel happier overall.

7 Top Feel-Good Foods

1. Milk: those foods that are rich in calcium will naturally help to boost our spirits. Those that suffer from depression are told to take a calcium and Vitamin D supplement, and the good news is that 1-2 glasses of milk a day can be a natural mood booster that can help a person to feel happier and more productive.
2. Spinach: dark leafy greens are good for your health and a home remedy for so many ailments. So it’s really no wonder that spinach, rich in iron, is a definite if you are looking for food to make you feel happier. You can get the nutrients that you need out of this dark leafy green and lift your spirits all at the same time.
3. Salmon: here we see the recurrence of Omega-3 fatty acids and just how much good they can do for our overall health. This time, we see that regular consumption of salmon, about 2-3 times a week, can help to make us feel happier and of course maintain good health.
4. Whole Grain Pasta or Bread: we look to foods rich in carbohydrates as a sort of “comfort food”, but in this case they are good for us, too. If you switch out the refined and white pasta and breads with whole grain versions, you will not only be happier but you will also be doing yourself a great favor for your overall health.
5. Sunflower Seeds: it is recommended that one should add seeds to their diet as a source of protein and fiber, but here we see just what it can do for mood. Sunflower seeds are rich in selenium, and this is one nutrient that is believed to make us instantly feel better and much happier, almost upon consumption.
6. Tofu: many people turn to tofu as it’s such a healthy meat substitute that offers high levels of protein with a lower fat and cholesterol content. This is a great idea, but it can also be looked to as a great mood lifter for the content that it brings and should be a definite in any “get happy” diet.
7. Fortified Cereals: ensuring that you get enough folic acid into your diet is a good idea for your overall picture of health. It can also contribute greatly to being a happier person, and so we see that fortified cereals are a must to achieve this.

It’s hard enough in this fast-paced world to maintain good mood and limit stress; it’s even harder if you have your diet working against you.  With simple changes like those 7 mentioned here, your diet can be one of your best weapons not only for maintaining a healthy weight, but also for maintaining that all-important positive mood!

Do you have any thoughts on the foods listed above, or do you have your own suggestions for foods that make you feel happier? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Author bio: Mary Ward writes about various healthcare career topics, including how to obtain an online masters in healthcare.

By Justin

If you want tips on how to become more productive, how to increase your motivation or even just how to become more confident, there are more than enough resources out there. Many of us feel that all of these little steps ‘improve’ who we are and take us to the next level and in some ways I guess that’s true. On the other hand, I don’t like to think of this advice as changing us as people, but more like exposing who we really are.

Some people get obsessed with self growth and get hooked on looking for the next ’secret’ and ‘tactic’ they can use to take their life, or just their personality, to the next level. Today I want to cover a personal growth key you may be totally neglecting, and one that probably has more effect on you than any other. What is that key, you ask? That’s easy: your health. As with productivity, motivation, confidence or any other aspects of life you feel are necessary to work on, there’s tons of information out there about your health. So much so in fact, that I’m sure you were already thinking that before my last statement. However, most of the health advice you read is about:

• Living longer
• Looking younger
• Becoming more attractive

and so on. What you might not realise, is that your health, or more specifically what you do and what you eat, can have a huge effect on things like:

• Your concentration levels
• Your mood
• Your focus
• Your energy

and lots more. In turn, these things naturally increase your confidence, your social skills, your productivity and many other things. Don’t forget that while working on your health can make you appear younger and improve your life span, it can also improve your quality of life and other areas you struggle to improve upon. With this covered, I want to show some of what I believe are the most important health tips out there that may dramatically improve your personal growth.

Drink More Water

I’m sure you’ve heard drinking more water is good for you more times than you care to remember, but like most things that are repeated in the health department, there’s a good reason for it. Around 70% of our bodies are made of water and research suggests that the majority of Americans are dehydrated on a daily basis. This dehydration can cause headaches, tiredness, and other issues that might crop up in daily life. A good guide to drinking enough water is to take in around 8 – 8oz glasses throughout the day. I like to give this figure a ‘kick start’ by ritually drinking 2 pints (one litre in total) every morning when I wake up. It helps your liver process body toxins and even just after a week of doing this, you’ll feel great.

Get An Allergy Test

It’s very possible that even whilst you think you’re eating healthily, you could be putting foods into your body that it simple doesn’t want you to eat. I had an allergy test recently because of another condition and although the results came back that I was fine, I’m glad I had it done. These tests are relatively inexpensive and your GP can have one performed if you feel that it is necessary and so can a nutritionist. If you don’t want to go down that route, there’s also a kit that you can buy online which is self-administered (I have tried this and it’s quick and easy) which costs around $70.

Exercise Regularly

For many people, even just the thought of exercising gives them negative emotions. Or, even if they can muster up the ability to go a few times, their motivation eventually dies down. I used to be in the same position, but these days I love nothing more than my gym days. In fact, if there we no such thing as ‘overtraining,’ then I would probably be there on a daily basis. What changed for me? Well, it’s all about your motivation. If you’re not motivated to go to the gym and exercise, why should you bother? Never forget that your health is probably the most important asset you have. There will be a time when no amount of money or material possessions can make up for your fading form if you never took care of it. Write down a list of all the benefits you could receive from going to the gym such as:

• Looking more attractive to the opposite sex
• Using excess energy you may have
• Letting out negative emotions such as anger and stress
• Being able to sleep better at night (the gym effort will make you more tired)
• Prolong your life expectancy
• Feel great in everyday life and that you’re working towards something great

These are just some from the top of my head, but I’m sure you can think of some that are personal to you and can keep you in shape. If you read this list everyday you’re looking to skip a gym session, then it will likely spur you into action.

Meditate

This is very simple, but I feel the results are profound. With meditation, I have been able to practically eliminate most daily stress in my life and improve my concentration levels throughout the day. I find it best to do this for around 20 minutes in the morning and it improves the rest of my day. I certainly feel a sense of lack when I forget to implement this habit.

There are many forms of meditation, but I prefer the most basic. Simply sit somewhere comfortable (you may want to sit in the Lotus position) and focus on your breathing. Notice your chest rise when you breath in and fall when you breath out and give all attention to your breathing. You’ll soon find that it’s very hard to concentrate on your breath and other thoughts will come in. That’s fine, that’s normal. Try doing this for 5 minutes one day, then 10 the next, then 15 and so on until you can perform around 20 minutes easily each day. The more you do this, the easier it will get and the bigger the effect it will have on your life.

So, are you still going to let this personal growth key remain absent in your life?

Author bio: this article was written by Justin who is training to become a personal fitness instructor and has built a resource teaching people How to Get a Six Pack.

By Stephen Cox

Breathing is the one thing we all do the moment we emerge into the world and it’ll be the last thing we all do right before we leave. Breathing as we all know is a constant necessity for continued physical existence. We must all breathe a number of times a minute and when you take a moment to consider the beauty of breathing a number of important facts become readily apparent and can act as a grounding force to bring you back from being caught up in day-to-day trivialities.

For instance, when I contemplate breathing the very first thing that strikes me is how very interdependent the whole process is. The breath is actually the main method of waste disposal used by our bodies. We expel what to our bodies are toxins and take in what we need to live. The toxins we expel are used by other organic life forms such as plants and they in turn expel the oxygen we need to live. The deeply interconnected and lovingly symbiotic relationship is there for each of us to see and fully experience each and every moment.

Anytime you’re feeling disconnected from things, you may like to contemplate the simple act of breathing and use it to literally ground yourself. Much of the time we breathe without conscious effort or direction. Breathing is the only system in the human body that is able to be controlled consciously or unconsciously. This is a very important fact.

Feedback Loops

“Smiling is very important. If we are not able to smile, then the world will not have peace. It is not by going out for a demonstration against nuclear missiles that we can bring about peace. It is with our capacity of smiling, breathing, and being peace that we can make peace.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Our bodies have a number of feedback loops that we can take advantage of. Smiling is the source of one very effective feedback loop. We smile when we feel good. Often we see someone else smiling, feel good and so smile in return. The important point is that this loop works backwards as well as forwards. Often we may have little control over how we are feeling due to the overwhelming nature of external events and circumstances.

However, we all have more then enough control over our physicality. If I was to ask you to make a fist or pull a funny face most people have no problem completing such tasks 100% of the time. So when you’re not feeling so good try this experiment – put a huge smile on your face and hold it there for sixty seconds. At first it may feel completely fake and perhaps much more like a grimace than a smile. But well before the sixty seconds are up something interesting will begin to occur. You’ll start to feel better. By taking on the physicality of happiness the feedback loop works in reverse and you’ll start to actually feel happy. As that feeling grows the smile becomes more natural and the feedback loop continues.

Breathing can be used in exactly the same way. Much of the time, the way we breathe reflects how we are feeling. If you’re stressed, angry or nervous your breath may become short, shallow or fast. If you want to change how you’re feeling change your breathing by taking conscious control of it. Breathe deep down into the belly. Breathe through your nose and make each inhalation and exhalation a slow steady process. Within moments you’ll begin to calm, feel more relaxed and confident. It is little wonder that the breath is the focus of so many types of meditation.

Final Thoughts on Breathing

The process of breathing is at the very core of our experience of being alive. It changes moment to moment but yet in a way is constant. There is difference in the sameness and sameness in the difference. An amazingly wondrous experience is available to us each and every moment. Simply stop for just a moment each day and experience the joy of breathing. Experience the sensation of your very existence.

What do you think? Please share any thoughts or suggestions related to breathing you have in the comments below.

About the author: this article was written by Stephen Cox. Stephen writes daily at Balanced Existence where he shares the knowledge and insights gained from his personal journey of holistic health and wellbeing.

By Aaron Gaul

Stress is bad, right? Or is it good? Well, if you talk to the experts, they’ll say both are true. You need some stress to just get out of bed in the morning. And when you drive to work in your car, you need stress to stay alert and respond to what is in front of you. So stress has its place.  But what if a high level of stress goes on and on? The doctors tell us that ongoing stress becomes Chronic Stress. Chronic Stress is bad news. It shuts down your immune system so you are susceptible to illness, and it robs you of a good night’s sleep.

Fortunately there is a solution. The key is to learn how to inhibit the Stress Response and enter into the Rest Response. If you want to change your stressful-ways, you need to develop and use new stress relief skills. Learn the techniques to direct your mind and body away from stress and into a restful state. Notice I said, “Learn.” That is because stress is automatic; it comes with the human operating system. However, rest and relaxation need to be learned and practiced — they do not come naturally.

So What is Stress?

Stress is your body’s response to the fear perceived by your mind. There are many fears and stresses we as humans have in common — pain and humiliation, to name a couple. There are also many stressors that are particular to each individual. For example, I think spiders are kind of cool; I like to see them crawl on my arm. I know a lot of people who freak out about this and run away screaming. Big stressor for them! You should become aware of what your own particular stressors are.

When your mind recognizes a stressful situation (spiders or 700 point drop in the Stock Market), it immediately alerts your nervous system and endocrine system. From there, every cell in your body gets on the stress express. Everything nonessential in your body shuts down: immune system, cell regeneration, creative thinking processes, etc. Your heart speeds up, breathing becomes rapid, and blood is diverted from your internal organs. You are ready to fight or flee. All this is good if a deer just jumped in front of your car, or you have to dive for the telephone to call your stockbroker.

When Stress Goes Wrong

When stress continues from one crisis to the next, or happens frequently, then your body does not have a chance to fully recover from the stress. If stress continues for a day, or a number of days, then you can expect serious health problems will follow.

During times of chronic stress, stress hormones are released in your bloodstream. Serotonin in your brain (that is your happy brain hormone) is inhibited by excess cortisol, so you feel depressed more of the time. Chronic Stress adversely affects just about every cell in your body. It can even unravel the strands of your DNA. (Don’t ask, you don’t want to know.) Getting to the point, about 90% of all illnesses today are caused by stress. Not a pretty picture. But don’t let me scare you. All of this can be managed with a good set of Stress Relief Skills.

The Need for Stress Relief

So what do we know so far? We need stress to make it through the day. Chronic stress makes us sick. And rest does not come naturally; you have to learn it. So where is the balance between stress and rest? To maintain balance in your workday, you should regularly cycle between moderate stress and rest. After major stressful encounters your body and mind need to reenter a deeply relaxing state. This cycle between stress and rest may happen every few hours or even several times in one hour during your workday.

Stress followed by rest is the key. Fortunately you do not need to take a long nap or go play a round of golf every time you get stressed. Stress relief really only takes a few minutes and needs to become a habit. Once rest is a habit, you will be able to recover from stress in a few minutes, and you will not enter into Chronic Stress.

Stress Relief Skills

Briefly, here are three Stress Relief Skills you should learn and practice.

1. Relax your muscles: say the word “soft” in your mind, picture things that are soft, and in your mind feel the quality of softness. Place that soft image and feeling in all the tense places of your body: your forehead, neck and shoulders, lower back, hips, legs and feet. Use your imagination to search everywhere in your body that is tense and replace the tension with the feeling and image of “softness.” This will cause your muscles to relax and let go. With practice you can easily relax your whole body in 20 seconds while sitting at your desk.

2. Pay special attention to relaxing all the muscles you use for breathing. As you breathe, your rib cage should expand front, back, and side to side. A deep natural breath should move your whole torso and easily fill your lungs. Breathe naturally and not too deep. Allow your breath to slow down, keep your throat open, and make a slow smooth transition between each inhalation and exhalation. Do this breathing practice for at least two minutes. Done properly, this type of breathing will shift your Autonomic Nervous System to a relaxation response and increase your Heart Rate Variability — that is a good thing.

3. Give your mind a rest. When your mind is not thinking about the past or future, or not thinking at all, then you will avoid the stress response. Relax your eyes, look straight in front of you and slightly down, and do not move your eyes. In this way notice your entire field of vision, left to right, and top to bottom. Do not focus on any object, rather be conscious of your entire field of vision. You should feel a little “zoned out.” This practice will slow your mind and even allow it to stop briefly. Your mind needs to rest just as your muscles do.

Once you have learned these skills individually, you can practice them all together at once. This makes the process deeply restful and practical, as it should take only a few minutes — less than five. You should practice these skills several times a day and be sure to use them after every stressful experience.

About the author: Aaron Gaul is a Stress Relief Coach. He has studied in India and has a four-year degree from Antioch University in Spiritual Psychology. You can visit his website at www.StressReliefSkills.com

By Stephen Cox

When I was 20 I caught the Epstein Barr virus which eventually resulted in debilitating chronic fatigue. At the height of my war with chronic fatigue it was like my life was over. I slept 17 hours a day and barely left my room during the rest of the time. It took a long time and a lot off effort and fantastic support for me to finally become well again.

I only tell you this because I want you to know that I have extensive personal experience with the phenomena of fatigue in terms of experimenting and listening to my body. My practical experience has taught me what makes fatigue worse and what helps overcome fatigue. Today I’m going to share with you what I’ve learned so that you can avoid certain key energy zappers and, I hope, improve the quality of your life.

1. Processed Foods

If you’re eating processed foods you’re contributing to the toxicity of your body. Consider why we have certain physiological detoxification processes maintained by organs such as the liver. When our physiology was formed there were none of the man-made additives and chemicals in food that our ancestral humans consumed.

Up until about one hundred years ago the liver only had to deal with organic substances. Today, if you’re eating processed foods your liver is being overwhelmed by synthetic and organic chemicals it must process. According to the book Food Allergies and Food Intolerance, if you’re eating what passes for the average diet and drinking unfiltered tap water you are exposing yourself to at least 200 synthetic chemicals and chemical cocktails every single day.

All the extra work your liver and kidneys are doing requires a lot of energy.

2. Caffeine

If you’re anything like most people in the western world you consume some form of caffeine. Caffeine is something we reach for when we feel we need more “energy”. Unfortunately caffeine does NOT give you energy. What caffeine does do is stimulate your nervous system. Stimulation is a very different animal to energy.

By using caffeine as a stimulant you’re actually wearing your body out. When you consume caffeine your body releases a hormone called Cortisol. What you should know about Cortisol is that it is a stress hormone. Think fight or flight.

It is the Cortisol in your blood that keeps you awake and pepped up after consuming caffeine. Cortisol suppresses white blood cells, natural killer cells, and other features of the body’s immune system as well as increasing blood pressure. If you’re already stressed and you’re consuming things like caffeine you’re probably well on your way to adrenal fatigue.

3. Sugar

Here sugar includes refined and processed simple carbohydrates. That means white bread, white rice, pasta, and so forth. This sort of food spikes your blood sugar as effectively as sugar itself does. As always after a big spike in blood sugar levels comes a big crash.

When the body’s blood sugar level crashes below a healthy equilibrium you feel tired and fatigued. You’ll also feel highly unmotivated, become irritated and snap at your loved ones, all because you ate something high in sugar or a highly refined carbohydrate. For your reference the different names sugar parades under include lactose, sucrose, glucose, maltodextrose, maltose, dextrose, fructose, corn syrup, honey and maple syrup.

We all know (at least I hope so!) that refined sugar is bad for us. What you may not be aware of is that sugar is actually an anti-nutrient. What that means is when you consume refined sugar and carbohydrates there are no vitamins and minerals in that food. So in order to digest and process these things your body is required to draw from its own vitamin and mineral stores. That is never going to be good for your energy levels, nor your long-term health and wellbeing.

4. Toxic People

We’ve covered a lot of ground that has focused on the things we consume that are energy zappers. So I thought we’d finish with something a little different. Toxic people are people who are always negative, down on themselves and easily disturbed by any minor event that doesn’t go their way. You know who they are. They’re the complainers. The people who always criticize but never back that up with helpful solutions, the ultimate pessimists.

If you’re around such people for very long you’ll start to entrain to their energy level. You’ll enter into their headspace and essentially get dragged down, both emotionally and in terms of energy. To counteract this you will want to limit the amount of time you spend in the company of this type of person.

Sometimes, such as in a work environment, it is impossible to be free of toxic people. So in that case you will want to guard against spending your valuable energy complaining about these people to others and even to yourself. Once you leave work make sure you don’t bring it home with you.

Conclusion

Please give us your thoughts on the energy zappers presented here by leaving a comment. Also feel free to tell us about other top energy zappers that you have experienced, and what you were able to do about it.

About the author: this article was written by Stephen Cox. Stephen writes daily at Balanced Existence where he shares the knowledge and insights gained from his personal journey of holistic health and wellbeing.