10 STEPS TO BETTER LIVING - By LINDA KLEIDA
1. START A JOURNAL
Starting a journal is a wonderful way to involve your creative side, to explore your ideas and to put to work your new aims and see the progress. Make this journal positive so that you can read it and uplift yourself. Observe how you express yourself. Writing is a way of looking at yourself through an outside view - what have you noticed about yourself as you read past journal entries? Let your mind be free to open up to new levels as you write. Writing can be a very freeing experience.
2. GIVE YOURSELF TIME FOR REFLECTION EACH DAY
Do you give yourself time to listen to your thoughts? Each day, take at least 15 minutes to be in a quiet space. Feel your thoughts, close your eyes and see any images that come into your mind. Enjoy this time to reflect upon the day, create new ideas, observe or to simply relax. It is vital that you give yourself space and time to nurture YOU.
3. HEALTHY EATING
It may sound difficult, but with a few adjustments, you can be on your way to eating better.
For a week, record all of your food and drink intake, along with the time it was consumed. This will represent a typical weekly diet in your lifestyle. When the week is over, look through your diet sheet and pick up any patterns or habits that you may have.
A few changes can be done if you feel that you want to improve your diet.
Here are some tips:
-A good breakfast is essential -especially when most of us haven't much time for a good lunch.
-Snacking is a habit that many of us have. Replace unhealthy snacks with either fruit or wholegrain foods. It can be equally delicious and better on our health.
-Drink atleast 8 glasses of water a day - you can add some fruit jiuces to it if you prefer varied taste.
-Replace white bread/pasta/rice with wholegrain or brown bread/pasta/rice. It is much more filling and gives you more energy and nutrients.
-If you want something sweet, fruits are very good and taste great.
-Include a vitamin supplement into your day.
-Add more green vegetables to every meal.
-Not much time for lunch? Try soup and bread, salads, wholegrain cereals, filling sandwich -for a quick and nutrient rich meal.
-Replace white sugar with brown sugar.
-Replace salt with either lemon juice, herbs or spices when cooking.
-Cut down or caffeine drinks -and try pure juices instead.
Our diet has a big effect on how we feel and our energy levels. Eating more healthy can improve our mood and give us that much needed strength to face our hectic daily lifestyles.
4. VISUALISATION
Visualisation is a mental technique used by many for strength and preparation. It is the technique that allows us to create a detailed vision or feeling in our mind and is a very effective method for tapping and reprogramming the subconscious mind.
Your subconscious mind thinks, understands and communicates in images, rather than logical, language based thoughts. This is one of the reasons why visualisations are such a successful way of receiving messages from (and passing messages to) the subconscious.
If there is a situation that makes you feel anxious, nervous, unconfident or stressful, use this technique to visualise the moment and reprogram the feelings to promote success and positive emotions. This could be used for anything from an interview to an exam situation.
It can also be used to visualise what you are aiming at. Enjoy what success feels like and sense the emotions, the ideal situation, adding details to make it real in your mind. This increases motivation and passion for what you want to achieve.
The technique is very simple:
-Find a quiet space where you won't be disturbed.
-Sit or lie in a comfortable position.
-Breathe deeply and relax. Feel your lungs expand and contract as air moves through your body.
-Picture the chosen image or situation in your mind -draw the mental image, make it as real as you like, add the details, picture the people, the environment and he emotions. Feel the experience and the success.
-Enjoy this exercise and take as long as you need to 'see' this success.
-Do it frequently.
Your mind will develop its new patterns to this new image you have formed, so pick it carefully.
5. POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS
This is another method of creating a positive image in your mind. Pick a statement that you would like to use to improve yourself.
Example:
For a person who is always anxious, they would pick:
"I am calm."Always start the affirmation with "I am..." so you confirm this statement to yourself. Make this a positive statement that you are comfortable with and that will improve an aspect that you might not be happy with.
Repeat this statement to yourself everyday when you wake, when you go to sleep and during the day.
This will bring you positive words in your mind.
You will soon feel that statement.
6. POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT
Surround yourself with the things you love, the people who genuinely care about you and the things that inspire you the most. Get rid of all the negative 'clutter' in your life. This will create more space for the new things that you enjoy and the good things you deserve.
7. CORRECT BREATHING
What's Wrong With The Way We Breathe? Our breathing is too shallow and too quick. We are not taking in sufficient oxygen and we are not eliminating sufficient carbon dioxide. As a result, our bodies are oxygen starved, and a toxic build-up occurs.
We need to breathe more slowly and deeply. Quick shallow breathing results in oxygen starvation which leads to reduced vitality, premature ageing, poor immune system and a myriad of other factors. Deep breathing also relaxes the body and mind.
Next time you are working, take five minutes to breathe deeply and relax before continuing.
8. GRATITUDE
Write a list of all the things in your life that you are grateful for. We often take the smallest things for granted. By feeling true gratitude for what we have, you will further realise your worth and your potential. Enjoy what you have and show people how much you care for them.
9. SHOW OTHERS WHAT YOU ARE
Every time you meet people or start to network, don't be afraid to sell yourself positively. Let others know what you do and your good points. It may feel awkward at first, but you will soon see that it is an effective way of opening new doors --whether it is to your career or your personal life. How else will people know, unless you tell them?
10. SMILE!
This is the most simple way of relaxing. Smile, and know that you don't need an excuse to be happy!
Linda Kleida is a poet, writer and a Complementary and Holistic Health therapist who is currently working in London, UK. For more details see her website: http://therapiesforhealth.8k.com
Enjoy Maria
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