How To Set Realistic Goals

Not to high or to low. We have heard this phrase numerous times. This phrase is useful when describing New Years resolutions and goal setting. It is important that you pick challenging goals not impossible ones or goals that are way to easy. So, we found some real useful information that you can use so you can set realistic goals for yourself and succeed this year.

Key #1 – Write Your Goals Down

Studies and surveys have shown that you are far more likely to achieve your goals if you write it down. I personally like to write my goals down and refer to them daily to keep them at the front of my mind.
Writing down our goals also helps make them real to us. If we just think about a goal, it’s not physically real – and it’s easy for us to change our minds. When we write it down however, the very act of writing helps us commit to the goals – and also gives us something we can visually see and reflect on.

 Key #2 – Set Short Term Milestones

Goals that are far out of reach are easy to procrastinate on and put off. It’s fine to have long term dreams – but in the short run, you should have regular mile stones as well.
For example, if your goal is to write a novel, rather than just saying you’ll write a novel this year and leave it at that, instead commit to a certain number of pages or words a month – these short term milestones will help you stay on track, and will make your long term goal much more manageable.

Key #3 – Be Specific

If your goal is to “lose weight” – how will you know when you’re done? Going along with the above of setting short term mile stones, even if your long term goal is “get in better shape” – you can still be specific such as “be in good enough shape to play football for two hours twice a week.”
The more specific you are, the better motivated you’ll be as you get closer to achieving your goal. With vague goals, it’s very easy to get discouraged, because you may not feel like you’re getting closer to due to having no clear end in sight.
Use specific, tangible words in your goals such as measurements and (if applicable) a date by which they will be accomplished.

Key #4 – Measure Actions as Well As Progress

Sticking with the theme of setting fitness goals, many people I know get frustrated when they set a specific goal such as “lose 20 pounds by summer” – and then fall short of their goal. While it’s good to have aggressive goals, in some situations it may be better to measure your actions instead of your progress.
So for example, instead of setting fitness goals based on pounds lost, you could set goals for the amount of cardio you do every week and whether you keep your calories below a certain threshold.
This is also good for vague goals that may be difficult to measure, such as achieving proficiency playing a sport or playing an instrument. Setting goals based on perhaps 1 or 2 hours of practice a day may be more helpful than simply saying “get better before school starts.”

Key #5 – Start With Just One Goal

A classic mistake that I see over and over, and that I’ve made many times myself, is to be overzealous and try to change too many things at one time. You may decide you want to turn your life around and set out to accomplish a laundry list of goals at once.
Unfortunately, trying to accomplish too many things at once is frequently a recipe for failure. For most people, changing too many aspects of their lives requires an overwhelming amount of willpower, and ends up being unrealistic.
I prefer the approach advocated in Zen To Done – set one goal at a time, and then as you get that goal under control, slowly add more goals into the mix.

Key #6 – Schedule In Time For Your Goals

If you don’t make time for your goals, you’ll never accomplish them – it’s as simple as that. Along those sames lines, generally speaking, the more time you allocate per day to your goal, the faster you’ll achieve it.
Rather than leave it to chance, I recommend scheduling a specific time every day for your goal. I think this is part of the reason why organized sports and personal trainers are so effective for people looking to improve their fitness – the activity has a set block of time on their schedule, and so people attend regularly.
My bias is towards working on goals first thing in the morning – but find the schedule that works for you.

Key #7 – Set Goals You Actually Want To Achieve

 Rumor has it that a philosopher in Europe once posted this message on his telephone answering machine:

“This device is programmed to ask two simple questions:
Who are you and what do you want?
Most people live their entire lives without ever answering either one.”
– from The Magic Lamp: Goal Setting For People Who Hate Setting Goals

This last key took me a long time to learn, and I think really is the most important on the list. Don’t set goals because you think you “should” or because they “sound good.”
Look at your life and the direction you want it to take – set goals that you realistically can achieve, but more important – pick goals you want to achieve.

This is real practical information that you can use to set goals and accomplish them. A big thank you goes to Sid Savara that specializes in personal development.If you would like to contact me with any question or feedback, you can reach me by email.

Thank you for visiting us!
Joseph A. Jones

How To Give With Your Heart

It is Christmas season. This is a time of giving. Not just a time to buy someone cards and a gift, one needs to give with their heart. That can be real difficult to give with your heart and can be quite challenging sometimes. We did some research and found some practical advice so you can give with your heart this holiday season not just with your pocket book.

How to Give Your Heart

Become a volunteer
 It could be anything from helping the homeless, collecting toys for abused children, or mentoring a teen. Remember to start gradually by volunteering one or two hours a week. This will help you learn to listen to others, and many of their stories will tug on your heartstrings. It will also help you contribute to a cause greater than yourself.

Compliment others
 So often, people will focus on negatives. It can be a struggle to look for the good in people. Take the time to compliment at least one person a day. If you are not sure what to say, sit down and write a list of compliments. Think about what would make you feel good. You could compliment someone on a nice outfit, a new haircut that looks great, losing weight, or for an accomplishment. Other people will remember your sincerity. It could also help spark a meaningful conversation.

 

Remember Important Information

Grab a paper and pencil to jot down notes about your friends. Include anything that may be important to remember, such as kids names, hobbies, interests, and favorite food. It's a good idea to keep those notes near your calender so you can remember birthdays and anniversaries. This will help you stay aware of what your friends and family are concentrating on at home. Ask them for an update from time to time. And don't forget to give them a brief update about your life. Remember to focus on positives. Even if you are going through a difficult time, find something positive you can share. If others are going through a hard time, be a good listener.

Remember Important Dates
Keep a list of friends and families birthdays and send them a card in the mail. (Do not send an e-card). If you have a busy schedule, purchase the cards at the beginning of each month and get them ready to go with addresses and stamps. That way, all you will have to focus on, is sending them out. It not only shows that you remembered their birthday, but you can feel good about helping make someone feel special.

Start a Journal

 Every night, write down three things or people you are thankful for, and why. Also write one thing you did to go out of your way to help another person. It's like the old saying, "Count your blessings." The reason this is so important is because it helps you remember what makes life special. It helps fill your heart with love and joy for people in your life who make a positive difference. It will also help you record your journey and reminds you to make an effort to share your life and open your heart.

Read Some Magazines

Although it helps you learn something new, the articles are not for your personal benefit. Remember what interests your friends and familly. When you find an article they may find interesting, clip it and give it to them. Read the article first, so you can explain why you thought they would enjoy it. This will show you are truly interested in making others happy, and they are more likely to return the favor.

Pick Up Litter

Grab a trash bag and pick up litter around your neighborhood. It doesn't sound like this would help your heart, but it does. It helps you feel connected to your community. Your neighbors will be thankful for the good deed, and may even join you. At the very least, it will help you feel better about doing something good, even when no one is looking.

Smile At Everyone
 Smile at the man the car who just cut you off. Smile at the clerk in the grocery store. Smile at the police officer who just gave you a ticket. Opening your heart is about a complete change in your attitude. No matter what is happening in your life, find a reason to smile and share it with others. People are more likely to come up and share their lives when you are happy with yours

Read more: How to Open Up Your Heart | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2303351_open-up-heart.html#ixzz2F3111EO5


A big thanks goes to ehow for the simple and practical ways that we can start to open our heart and give to others. If you would like to contact me with any question or feedback, you can reach me by email.

Thank you for visiting us!
Joseph A. Jones

Twelve Ways To Be Thankful

Thankful. What a simple word but is often overlooked in our everyday life's. We have busy schedules  which can be stressful and have very little time to think about thankfulness. It is important to be thankful which in turn we will be able to appreciate what is around us. So , we found through the help of psychcentral.com twelve ways we can learn to be thankful.

1. See with the heart.
One of my very favorite quotes is from Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s “The Little Prince”: “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.” Every time I throw myself into a tizzy because things aren’t going as expected, or as I projected on my Excel spreadsheet for the year 2020, I have to remind myself that I’m looking with the wrong instruments: I need to go back and tell my heart to get some guts and speak up to my head because it’s starting to listen to my eyes again.

2. Change your language.
Learning how to see with the heart–shifting perspectives ever so slightly–is easier once you learn how to talk to yourself and to others. Dan Baker, Ph.D., writes in “What Happy People Know”: “Just as changing your life can change your language, changing your language can change your life.” I do a lot of self-bashing, and when I’m in the middle of a rant, I’m not able to be thankful. According to Baker, recent research has actually proved that: it’s impossible to be simultaneously in a state of appreciation and fear, which is why gratitude and appreciation are antidotes to fear. Moreover, the words I speak to myself and to others really do alter my perception of the world. But when I can recognize the toxic self-talk and change my choice of words, the seeds of gratitude can grow.

3. Get a gratitude partner.
Shifting perspectives–seeing that the cup you thought had one teensy drop is actually two-thirds full–and communicating with new language takes time, discipline, and practice. Just like working out. So it makes sense that a gratitude buddy might help you stay in line, just like your running partner does, or, well, is supposed to. Because, come on, who really wants to wake up at 5:30 in the morning on a dark, cold morning and jog around town, right? Only those who are training for the Olympics, exceptionally disciplined, or have work-out partners who will yell and get even if they are stood up.

4. Remember.
“Gratitude is the heart’s memory” says the French proverb. Therefore, one of the first steps to thankfulness is to remember… to remember those in our lives who have walked with us and shown kindness. I have been extremely fortunate to have so many positive mentors in my life. For every scary crossroad–when I was tempted to take a destructive path and walk further away from the person whom I believe I was meant to become–I met a guardian, a messenger, to lead me out of the perilous forest.

5. Keep a gratitude journal.
Gratitude can do more than make you smile. Research conducted by psychologist Robert Emmons at the University of California at Davis, author of “Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier,” has found that it can also improve your health: raise energy levels, promote alertness and determination, improve sleep, and possibly relieve pain and fatigue. Emmons maintains that writing in a gratitude journal a few times a week can create lasting effects.

6. Write a thank you letter.
Another gratitude exercise suggested by Dr. Emmons, known as “the father of gratitude” in the psychology world, is to compose a “gratitude letter” to a person who has made a positive and lasting influence in your life. Emmons says the letter is especially powerful when you have not properly thanked the person in the past, and when you read the letter aloud to the person face to face.

7. Make a gratitude visit.
Emmons encourages folks to read their letters aloud in person. But I like to go free style. I just show up, usually to a high school or college classroom, and I tell the students what a difference in my life their teacher has made, that I hope that they know how lucky they are to be learning from such an exceptional person, and to be sure to take lots of notes because chances are that they won’t throw out their notebooks after the course is over.

8. Start a gratitude club.
This sounds like an idea for those with, well, lots of time on their hands. But I’m only suggesting it because it works. Last year, Group Beyond Blue held four “self-esteem forums,” where we got online at a specific time, and were each assigned one person to whom to write a warm-fuzzy letter. A few people visited the thread, just curious about what we were up to, and wept after reading some of the letters.
In his book, “Authentic Happiness,” Martin Seligman, Ph.D., the father of the positive psychology movement, describes the dramatic impact of “Gratitude Night,” where class members bring a guest who had been important in their lives but whom they hadn’t thanked properly. Each member of the class presents a testimonial about the person and thank them. Gratitude night has become the high point of his class, and many students remark on their evaluations of the class at the end of the semester that gratitude night was truly one of the best nights of their entire life. Writes Seligman: “We do not have a vehicle in our culture for telling the people who mean the most to us how thankful we are that they are on the planet.”

9. Acknowledge yourself.
Most published books include a page or two of acknowledgments, where the author cites all the persons who helped shepherd her book to production. It’s like the Oscar moment, when the actor is up on stage and is rattling off every name he can think of and hopes to God he didn’t forget anyone–especially his spouse. The truth is that most people, and especially those who suffer from low self-esteem, do forget a very important figure: themselves. Which is why I think a healthy activity is to write a page of acknowledgements to yourself. Mine would go something like this:

And I thank you, Self, for doing all that you do to try and keep me healthy: for storing the kids’ Halloween bags up where you can’t reach it, where you need a stool to get it down, which is entirely too much effort for a Kit Kat; for exercising four to five times a week; for going to therapy; for trying every day to erect boundaries between your work and home life; for taking six Omega-3 soft-gels capsules a day in addition to all the other vitamins and meds you swallow; for trying your best at good sleep hygiene; and for laughing at stupid stuff whenever possible, because I say that it’s better than crying.

10. Accept a gift.
Sometimes gratitude is hard because we don’t think we’re worthy of the gifts bestowed on us. Tal Ben-Shahar, Ph.D. explains this problem in his book “Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment”: “When we do not feel that we are worthy of happiness, we cannot possibly feel worthy of the good things in our lives, the things that bring us happiness.”
One of the hardest acts of gratitude is to graciously accept a gift, to believe in the goodness of the person who gave it to us, and to believe in ourselves enough to receive it. When I was a senior in college, a homeless man wanted to take me out to lunch. I had been spending my Fridays at a shelter and we had become friends. I didn’t feel right about his spending the only dollars he had on a lunch for me. It should be the other way around.
“Let me take you,” I said. And he frowned and became sad.
“Please,” he pleaded, “Let me do this. It would make me happy.”
So I let him. And it did.

11. Pray.
“If the only prayer you say in your life is ‘thank you,’ that would suffice,” wrote Meister Eckhart. I remember that piece of advice as I say my prayers in the morning, the hour I spend running around the Naval Academy. I start with a rosary, then I launch into all my prayer requests, which probably sound to God like Katherine’s Christmas list does to me: “Mom, have that man, Santa, get me everything I have circled in this catalog, okay?”
And then, when I reach my favorite stretch of the run–where the academy field follows the Severn River, a gorgeous spot on the campus that takes my breath away–I don’t say anything. I just take in the beauty with a grateful heart. My only prayer for those three minutes is “thank you.”

12. Give back.
The other day I was trying to come up with a way of repaying a former professor of mine for all his encouragement and support to me throughout the years. Nothing I could ever do could match his kindness. No letter of appreciation. No visit to his classrooms. So I came up with this plan: perhaps I could help some young girl who fell into my path in the same way that he helped me. I told my professor-friend that I would try to help and inspire this lost person–I would try to guide her to a source of love and self-acceptance–just as he had done for me.
Giving back doesn’t mean reciprocating favors so that everything is fair and the tally is even. That’s the beauty of giving. If someone does an act of kindness for you, one way to say thanks is to do the same for another.

Well,  this is a useful list to use on your journey in being thankful for your life and what is around you.If you would like to contact me with any question or feedback, you can reach me by email.

Thank you for visiting us!
Joseph A. Jones

Scary Movies Are Healthy For Women

Those people look like they are watching a scary movie. Scary movies are fun to watch but stresses us out. This leads us to wonder if scary movies are bad for you. On the contrary, there are studies that show scary movies are good for you especially if you are a woman. This is their findings.


Excuses for not watching the movies will not work anymore. Studies have shown that horror movies can be good for mental health and brain of women.The benefit of watching scary movies proves that it has a positive effect on the mind, body and soul. Horror movies are not completely out of sync with reality. After all, it is the reality that creates fiction. So, watching such movies and relating with them is not a task at all. Thus, knowing it is fiction, a figment of imagination makes the audience sure that it is not real. Traumatic experiences after watching these horror and scary movies are rare because of this.


Research suggests that while women watch horror flicks, the brain secretes neurotransmitter dopamine, glutamate and serotonin. Thus, increased brain activity gets the state of mind alert for a while. Additionally , threat signals that pass through the hypothalamus (in the brain) will stimulate the adrenal glands to produce adrenaline and opiates which has an anesthesia like effect.
After watching the movie for half and hour, the system of the body will be calm and the defense system will become more powerful. That is when the immune system in the body will be stronger for a while.

So, no more excuses ladies. Watch horror flicks and be sure of having a positive effect on your mental health and body. Those who complain of heart complications should avoid watching such movies. Get ready, turn out the lights and watch some 'healthy' movies like Omen, The Exorcist and The exorcism of Emily Rose.


Wow, this is a groundbreaking study on scary movies brought to you by The Times Of India.If you would like to contact me with any question or feedback, you can reach me by email.

Thank you for visiting us!
Joseph A. Jones
 

Back To School Tips for Families

I don't want to go. Can't I stay home today? Am I going to make any friends? This should sound familiar. It especially sounds familiar when you are a parent and your children are going back to school. This can also be an emotional time for the parents  watching their kids get older and worrying about their children's new year. Help is on the way.With the information from Nation Mental Health America, they provide some useful  advice so you can have a smooth transition this year.

• Know that your child's mental health is just as important as their physical health.
• Plans for a good school year start in the summer. Begin establishing a "back to school" routine at least two weeks prior to school starting to minimize stress and help with the transition.
• Healthy food and beverages and good quality sleep are necessary for academic success.
• Express interest and enthusiasm about the start of the school year. If you are confident and excited, your child will be too.
• Start the conversation! Talk to your child about your expectations as well as his/her expectations for the upcoming school year. Take time to listen to your child and discuss aspects of the new school year that he or she is worried about.
• If you have visited your child's school already, you are one step ahead of the game. If not, take a walk around the school with your child and locate his or her classrooms, lunchroom, playground and restrooms. This will help keep your child from feeling lost on the first day. When visiting prior to the first day is not an option, if the school has a website, allow your child to visit the site as there may be photos of the classroom, playground, school staff, required school supplies, schedules, other children, etc.
• Remember to let your child know that it's normal to feel nervous about the start of school. For parents of younger children, suggest that your child take a family photo or special object (with permission from school) to school to make his or her surroundings more comfortable.
• Spend time each day talking to your child about what happened in school. Be open to hearing the good and the not so good. Give your child positive feedback about his or her new experiences.
• Praise and encourage your child to become involved with school activities and to try new things.
• Encourage your child to try to make friends and to be a friend. School is a "social hub" that can be a very lonely place without a friend or two.
• Attend school functions and stay involved in your child's education and engaged with school staff. Children whose parents are more involved with their education have higher achievement, are better adjusted and are less likely to drop out of school.
• Be proactive in learning about how your child is developing not just physically, but socially and emotionally, as well. If you are aware of what's typical behavior and thoughts for your child's stage of life, you will be able to tell more readily when things may not be right.
• Know the signs of bullying. Bullying can take the form of direct bullying such as pushing, kicking, teasing, name-calling, destroying belongings as well as indirect action such as leaving someone out of a group, spreading rumors and cyber bullying. If your child is the bully or being bullied, swift action involving school staff is necessary.

Anxiety and stress about starting school is normal for a child and usually passes within the first few days or weeks. If your child continues to seem anxious or stressed, it may be time to seek help. Talk to your child's teacher, other classroom-based staff as well as your pediatrician about what you can do as a parent. If problems persist, consider getting a referral to a trained and qualified mental health professional.

These ideas should help get you off and running so your child can experience the best school year yet. If you would like to contact me with any question or feedback, you can reach me by email.

Thank you for visiting!
Joseph A. Jones

Learn How To Be Positive

     Is your glass half full or empty? We have heard that many times but it does raise a very important point. Are you positive or negative thinking ? You can have an event occur and it can be great but if you think negative it is the worst thing possible.That is why it is important to learn how to think in a positive manner. With the research from Mayo Clinic, they have some real useful ways to relearn the way you view life around you.

Understanding positive thinking and self-talk

Positive thinking doesn't mean that you keep your head in the sand and ignore life's less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means that you approach the unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You think the best is going to happen, not the worst.

Positive thinking often starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head every day. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of lack of information.

If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive, you're likely an optimist — someone who practices positive thinking.

The health benefits of positive thinking

Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:

• Increased life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower levels of distress
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Better psychological and physical well-being
• Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

It's unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body. It's also thought that positive and optimistic people tend to live healthier lifestyles — they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and don't smoke or drink alcohol in excess.

Identifying negative thinking

Not sure if your self-talk is positive or negative? Here are some common forms of negative self-talk:

• Filtering. You magnify the negative aspects of a situation and filter out all of the positive ones. For example, say you had a great day at work. You completed your tasks ahead of time and were complimented for doing a speedy and thorough job. But you forgot one minor step. That evening, you focus only on your oversight and forget about the compliments you received.

• Personalizing. When something bad occurs, you automatically blame yourself. For example, you hear that an evening out with friends is canceled, and you assume that the change in plans is because no one wanted to be around you.

• Catastrophizing. You automatically anticipate the worst. The drive-through coffee shop gets your order wrong and you automatically think that the rest of your day will be a disaster.

• Polarizing. You see things only as either good or bad, black or white. There is no middle ground. You feel that you have to be perfect or that you're a total failure.

Focusing on positive thinking

You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The process is simple, but it does take time and practice — you're creating a new habit, after all. Here are some ways to think and behave in a more positive and optimistic way:

• Identify areas to change. If you want to become more optimistic and engage in more positive thinking, first identify areas of your life that you typically think negatively about, whether it's work, your daily commute or a relationship, for example. You can start small by focusing on one area to approach in a more positive way.

• Check yourself. Periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you're thinking. If you find that your thoughts are mainly negative, try to find a way to put a positive spin on them.

• Be open to humor. Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel less stressed

• Follow a healthy lifestyle. Exercise at least three times a week to positively affect mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body. And learn to manage stress.

• Surround yourself with positive people. Make sure those in your life are positive, supportive people you can depend on to give helpful advice and feedback. Negative people may increase your stress level and make you doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways.

• Practice positive self-talk. Start by following one simple rule: Don't say anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about you.

Here are some examples of negative self-talk and how you can apply a positive thinking twist to them.

Negative self-talk                                                            Positive thinking 

I've never done it before.                                       It's an opportunity to learn something new. 

It's too complicated.                                              I'll tackle it from a different angle

I don't have the resources.                                     Necessity is the mother of invention.

I'm too lazy to get this done.                                  I wasn't able to fit it into my schedule but can re-examine.

There's no way it will work.                                   I can try to make it work. 

It's too radical a change.                                        Let's take a chance.       

No one bothers to communicate with me.              I'll see if I can open the channels of communication.

I'm not going to get any better at this                      I'll give it another try.

                                                                                 .

   If you tend to have a negative outlook, don't expect to become an optimist overnight. But with practice, eventually your self-talk will contain less self-criticism and more self-acceptance. You may also become less critical of the world around you. Plus, when you share your positive mood and positive experience, both you and those around you enjoy an emotional boost.

Practicing positive self-talk will improve your outlook. When your state of mind is generally optimistic, you're able to handle everyday stress in a more constructive way. That ability may contribute to the widely observed health benefits of positive thinking.

Now, you can use this article to view the world from a half full viewpoint. If you would like to contact me with any question or feedback, you can reach me by email.

Thank you for visiting!
Joseph A. Jones

Ten Ways To Be Happier And Healthier

We all want to be happy and healthy. To do this, it is important to follow positive mental and physically habits on a daily basis. Upon our research, there is 10 habits that we found that will help you feel mentally and physically great. This is their findings.


1. Eliminate clutter: Ever wonder why those people on Hoarders look so miserable? Climbing out from underneath piles of stuff can also mean emotional freedom from items that could be mentally weighing you down."Get rid of all the things you don't need or that are not good for you," Alexandre says. "Ditch clothes you never wear and create more space to see the clothes you do actually wear."And from your closets to your kitchen, get rid of unhealthy foods too. "Clean out your cupboards, and get rid of all processed foods like those containing white flours, sugar, and unhealthy oils," Alexandre says.


2. Supplement your life: "Take an omega-3 supplement," Alexandre says. These amazing fats found in salmon, flaxseeds, and walnuts purportedly give you glowing skin, fight stress, and reduce inflammation in the body.


3. Just add water: You've heard it before, but it's worth repeating. It's important to drink eight to 10 glasses of water every day to keep our bodies functioning properly."Water keeps you hydrated, eliminates toxins, and keeps you regular. Always keep a bottle with you. If you see it, you will drink it!" Alexandre says.


4. Forget the complaint department: "Stop complaining about never getting what you want, and instead, create what you want," Alexandre 5. Create a daily ritual:says.She suggests setting at least three clear goals per year. "Set goals that excite you, that are tangible, and something with a finish line. Write your goals in the present tense (I go to the gym every Tuesday and Thursday). This will get you believing that they can be a reality!" If you set aside just 10 minutes a day for yourself, Alexandre says, it will do wonders in eliminating daily stress and anxiety."Meditate for five minutes in the morning to start your day. Take the additional five minutes to relax before bed. Read a book that inspires you, take a bath, or enjoy a cup of tea.


6. Just move it! Exercise not only makes you more physically fit, it also boosts your mood, increases your energy, and it can even improve your sex life."Find an activity you like and actually want to do. Take a dance or yoga class, go hiking or rollerblading," the life coach says. "It doesn't really matter. Just get your body moving."


7. Improve your penmanship: If you're thinking "I'm too old for a diary," look at it this way. "Writing in a journal daily helps you clarify your thoughts and feelings, reduces stress, and helps you resolve problems more effectively," Alexandre says.Write down the highlights of your day, something you learned, or just one reason why you're grateful for the things you have.


8. All you need is love: It may sound cliché, but love truly does make the world go 'round."Find ways to get more love in your life," Alexandre says. "Make time in your schedule to see the people you love. Play with a child, hug your friends, tell someone you love them, and smile at someone you don't know. These small gestures can make a big difference."


9. Eat your veggies: Vegetables are an abundance of necessary vitamins and minerals that help keep us healthy and energized. So stop making excuses and eat some everyday. Doctors recommend at least five servings a day.

10. Sleep it off: Most of us need at least eight hours of sleep a night. That's need, not want. There's a reason why we need a sufficient amount of rest."Sleep improves stress, reduces inflammation, and allows cells to re-charge and repair damage," Alexandre says. It also keeps us functioning at our optimum levels both mentally and physically.To make sure you get enough sleep , Alexandre suggests shutting off computers, cell phones, TVs, and anything else creeping in from the outside world at least one hour before bedtime.

Thank you to Shape Magazine and Jene Luciani for this useful article.We hope this list assists you in finding happiness and health in your life. If you would like to contact me with any question or feedback, you can reach me by email.

Thank you for visiting!
Joseph A. Jones