We can’t help but think about social media on a regular basis. With our attention being drawn from one area to another, it’s better to gradually peel back our distractions and focus on the present

Turn your phone off and face down.

We have a tendency to tightly wrap our emotions and then throw them into the cold dark freezer in the back of our thoughts. You know, like that leftover nasty pizza from this morning?

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

Don't be afraid to say no.

We are frequently forced into doing things we do not want to do, or we feel bad if we do not do someone a favor. You can only expend so much energy in a day.

We all want to be the best versions of ourselves, don’t we? And we might become anxious about accomplishing our objectives at times. And the tremendous strain might put a stop to our progress…

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

health

Health

habits

Habits

timemanagement

Time Management

5 Simple Changes That Will Make a Big Difference in Your Life

Spiritual wellness is being connected to something greater than yourself and having a set of values, principles, morals and beliefs that provide a sense of purpose and meaning to life, then using those principles to guide your actions.

Many of the behaviors associated with overall wellness are key components of spiritual wellness. Examples include volunteering, being positive and optimistic, contributing to society, connecting with others, feeling a sense of belonging and practicing self-care.

One Piece in a Larger Puzzle

Take a moment to assess your own spiritual wellness by asking yourself the following questions. <ol><li>What gives my life meaning and purpose? </li><li>What gives me hope? </li><li>How do I get through tough times? Where do I find comfort? </li><li>Am I tolerant of other people’s views about life issues? </li><li>Do I make attempts to expand my awareness of different ethnic, racial and religious groups? </li><li>Do I make time for relaxation in my day? </li><li>Do my values guide my decisions and actions? </li> </ol>

When striving to develop and practice your own spiritual wellness, it is best to find the technique and approach that works for you; similar to the other dimensions of wellness, there is no “one size fits all” approach. Your journey to spiritual wellness may involve the following: <ul><li>Practicing meditation or yoga </li><li>Praying or taking part in organized religion </li><li>Spending quiet time alone pondering the meaning of life </li><li>Building awareness through journaling </li><li>Serving your community, spending time in nature, appreciating music and the arts </li> </ul>

Practice Spiritual Wellness

religionandspirituality

Religion & Spirituality

mindfulness

Mindfulness

mentalhealth

Mental Health

meditation

Meditation

Spiritual Wellness: What Is Your Meaning and Purpose? - LHSFNA

First thing's first: you have to purge your pantry from things that are not beneficial for your weight and health. This doesn't mean you have to throw it all out (although you should, if you can). It's OK to keep a little stash for cravings but keep it as small as possible. If you're against food waste, use these things in moderation and avoid restocking when you go grocery shopping.

Check Your Pantry

White carbs have similar nutrients to whole carbs, except for fiber. Although this seems minor, fiber helps keeping you full and managing the sugar intake, because it's processed slower by the body.By eating whole carbs, you will avoid sugar peaks. Whatch out for:<ul><li>White bread and buns</li><li>White pasta</li><li>Baked goods containing white flour and/or refined sugar</li><li>White rice</li></ul>

White Carbs

There is no greater harm in canned food, as long as they are canned naturally. Food that is canned in oil or syrup have extra calories that add little to no benefit to the food itself. Watch out for:<ul><li>Fish and vegetables canned in oil</li><li>Fruit and fruit pulp canned in syrup</li><li>Meat canned in glazes or oil</li></ul>

Canned Food With Oil Or Syrup 

Despite what you might think, breakfast cereals are not your friends. An actual daily dose is way less than you might imagine (usually around 1/3 of a bowl) and it usually comes with lots of sugar, even the fitness versions. Go for some oatmeal or chia pudding instead.

Breakfast Cereal

We usually see drinks as a minor problem. Usually a cup doesn't seem to have that many calories (usually 50-100) so it couldn't hurt, right? But when you add up the calories of the drinks you had during the day, it ends up being a lot. This is also true for ﻿fruit juices.

Sodas And Sugary Drinks

Savory snacks are usually very nice to have. Despite that, they usually have a lot of things that will make your health hurt:<ul><li>Refined carbs</li><li>Salt</li><li>Trans and/or saturated fat</li></ul>This cocktail of ingredients will make you want to binge on them. It will also add up calories quickly and make you retain water, thus increasing bloating and water weight.

Savory Snacks

Seems obvious, doesn't it? Candy has a lot of sugar. Refined sugar.The problem with refined sugar is that it is addictive and causes crashes after a while. This can put you in a loop where you consume sugar, then crash, then need more sugar to keep functioning properly. Of course there's always sugar free candy, but be aware these can have laxative effects.

Candy

We all heard "an apple a day keeps the doctor away". That's not 100% false, but should be taken within context. Back when this saying first appeared, vitamin deficiency was common and vegetables were harder to access than fruit. Vegetables have vitamins and fiber, same as fruit, but they also have a lot less sugar.

Prefer Vegetables Over Fruit

Many times, we feel hungry when in fact we are dehydrated. Water helps you feel full and avoid hunger for a while.If you struggle to drink water, try tea or a sugar-free water flavor sachet. Give it a try!

Add In Some Water

Yes, we know, five small meals and all that. The problem with this is that it gives you a bad relationship with food and doesn't let you learn how your body feels when you're actually hungry. This makes it harder to know when you're physically hungry or emotionally hungry. If you're not hungry, it's OK to postpone that meal for a while. But make sure you have access to something healthy if the hunger hits later.

Eat When You're Hungry

If hunger hits at an unplanned time, you'll likely end up getting a less healthy snack. We've all been there, a savory puff pastry, a slice of cake from a bakery, a sandwich from the supermarket, a bag of chips... The reason why we do this is because the less expensive, readily available things that are easy to eat on the go are usually unhealthy. To prevent this, pack something healthy. Some nuts, a protein shake, a whole bread sandwich... Whatever suits you better. Also, don't forget to take a water bottle with you. Remember, hunger might in fact be thirst.

Pack A Healthy Snack

food

Food

Preparing yourself to lose weight without effort

All of us possess the nature of WANTING MORE and we don't know why. Our nature of craving is developed because of many factors.Moreover, with that idea, our goal is to reduce or stop these factors from influencing us.

The Main Goal

All of us desire that flagship smartphone , the latest tech and setup. A lot of that desiring nature is influenced from content creators. These are professional people who have an interesting way of presenting things that makes you want to buy stuff. Also, many of these presentations are composed of biased information as they are getting paid by the company. Hence, unsubscribe from these sources, and then we can see improvemens to our craving nature as we won't see them appear in your feed.

Unsubscribe from YouTube Channels

Most of the negative influence comes from social media. Greed, jealousy, hatred, ignorance and competition all grow from social medias without a doubt. Interestingly, when we will spend lesser time on social medias, we will notice that your cravings will be chopped down a lot as we won't view someone else's wealth, fame and luxury. Thus, this strategy will assist us to forget about others and we can concentrate on our life.

Spend Less Time on Social Media as Much as You Can

Naturally, we want to be like others which also fuel our cravings. We want that thing the other guy has which ruins our satisfaction and sense of fulfillment.So, we need to realise that we shouldn't follow someone else as our capacity, environment and past are not the same. That's why, we have to stop comparing ourselves to others. We can only live our lives only if we choose to be ourselves.

Fixing the Mindset

The Dopamine hormone is the satisfaction hormone released when we gain pleasure from something. For instance, Dopamine is secreted when we get likes and comments on our Instagram or Facebook posts. It's also released from smoking, eating tasty food, playing video games and other stimulating activities.But too much dopamine leads to harm and a big essay can be written on the effects as well. Hopefully, dopamine can be maintained if usage and intake of these is reduced as much as possible. The visible changes won't be seen in a day. It will take some time.

Keep Your Dopamine Balanced

Finally, if we have a habit of buying things or eating alot, we can't just end it completely at that point or time. This won't work effectively. Better option is to slowly leave it with time and it is also advised by experts.

Leave Your Habit Slowly

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

How to Stop Wanting More

First of all, you are a human being, don't forget that. Your body needs nutrients and nothing will change that. Your hormones will fluctuate. Your humor will change. Keep that in mind when things go south.

Losing Weight Consistently

I used to say "at this rate, I should weigh X by X". This was, obviously, setting me up for failure. I would reach the date sometimes and, for whatever reason, I wasn't at my desired weight. This would mess with my head and make me feel like I was failing and, therefore, there was no point because ﻿﻿I couldn't do it. On the other hand, planning daily targets is much better. I will not eat candy today. I will get up and workout. I will drink water. The difference between these is that daily targets depend solely on you. Weight goals do not.

Set Daily Targets, Not Weight Goals

Ok, so, you went out. You had a few drinks, asked for doubles and dessert and had a large soda to go with it. Now you're in your bed thinking about how much you ate and how you destroyed your diet. This is called catastrophising. Rephrame this idea. Think about it: how likely is it that you actually ate enough to not be able to lose weight anymore? That's pretty unlikely, isn't it? Truth is, you will keep losing weight, unless you stop trying. Demoralizing because of a bad day will make you more anxious and sad, and odds are you will overeat due to that. Just relax 😊

A Day Is Not A Lifetime

When someone asked me for the first time "Are you hungry or just thirsty?" I was mad! ﻿ ﻿Of course I was hungry! I felt like I needed food. Truth is, I was so, so wrong. Our body can easily mistake hunger for thirst. This happens because you are dehydrated and the body tells you you need food, since food has water. Next time you feel hungry little after eating, try to have a glass of water instead!

Hungry Or Thirsty? 

One of the first things you need to learn is how to tell emotional hunger apart from actual hunger. If you're wondering if your hunger is emotional, ask yourself:<ul><li>Did it come suddenly? </li><li>Am I craving something specific? </li><li>Am I planning to eat a lot even after I'm full? </li><li>Am I focusing in specific flavors, textures or smells? </li><li>Is my stomach feeling empty or making noises? </li></ul>If you answered yes to the first four questions and no to the last, you're emotional eating.

Eating With Your Stomach VS Eating With Your Brain

And now you're asking "how will I track my progress then?!". Well, the scale isn't your friend if used too much. I used to obcess about the scale: every single morning at 7am I'd take a pee, undress, weigh myself and record the result. Every time I saw a raise in the number, I'd go crazy. This, of course, will cause you stress. Stress will make you overeat. Overeating will make you gain weight. See the cycle here? Aim to weigh yourself once every two weeks to a month. Meanwhile, there are other ways to check your progress. Are your clothes looser? Do you climb stairs better? 😊

Ditch The Scale

Losing weight is a long run. If you want to lose a couple of pounds for an event, that's one thing. But losing a big amount of weight will take time and have a lot of ups and downs. Don't aim to lose weight fast. Aim to make the changes required and to fit them into your lifestyle. A crash diet will help you lose some quick pounds, but it won't keep them off because it's an unsustainable lifestyle and eating pattern.

It's A Marathon, Not A Sprint

Sometimes we try to find clothes that will fit our ﻿next ﻿size, so that we don't have to buy again after we lose weight. This is a huge mistake. I'll-fitted clothes will not compliment you in any way. You will feel worse and like your hard work isn't paying off. That is very demoralizing and will only curb your progress.

Buy Clothes That Fit Your Actual Size

We all have stuff that weighs us down (pun unintended). Maybe you eat fast food at lunch because of your schedule. Maybe you snack late at night because you had an early dinner. Maybe you skip that protein shake because you can't reach the shelf. Write up everything that you can't do and the reasons why. Then, think about what you can do to find solutions for the root of these problems. Remember to check your list and update it from time to time: more anchors will come eventually.

Find Your Anchors

Losing weight is difficult. It changes everything in your life and makes it sometimes hard to keep up with the world. While I was losing weight, I came up with some tips to help me out.

11 things I found out while losing weight

"You are everything that you remember, and you are always so much more." The How is a book full of these reminders, a collection of affirmations and mindfulness exercises on self-love, growth and healing. Its name describes our culture of self-optimization that tells us how to look effortless and successful but that ultimately takes us away from ourselves. As Daley-Ward explains, "We have absorbed so much of the outside. It is a mass to unlearn, a voyage back to center."

You Are Much More

"The How" is a metaphor for how we can undo this social conditioning and trace our way back to who we truly are. It's a book for the present moment, in our global state of healing, when many of us have become more honest about our fear and uncertainty, are learning to prioritize our well-being, and feel open to moving beyond performances.

A Metaphor

It may seem like a self-help book, but it resonated with me because it felt like a conversation with a friend or older sibling. It wasn't prescriptive or formulaic — it's without any psychological frameworks or three-step plans — and instead felt vulnerable, accessible and personal. Passages Daley-Ward writes in second person make you feel like the author understands you and that you are both in this together: "I see you and I recognize your fear. You see me and you understand mine...We have been living among each other for too long to not see that we have them in common."

A Conversation

Yrsa Daley-Ward has taken Instagram reflections on life to book-form; she offers reminders about personal worth — affirmations and mindfulness exercises on self-love, growth and healing.

writing

Reading & Writing

'The How' is a hopeful meditation on self-worth and healing

Those who give up the things they love doing and do well lose their purpose in life. That's why it's so important to keep doing things of value,making progress, bringing beauty or utility to others , helping out and shaping the world around you, even after your "official" professional activity has ended

1. Stay Active, don't Retire

Being in a hurry is inversely proportional to quality of life. As the old saying goes, "Walk slowly and you'll go far." When we leave uregency behind, life and time on new meaning.

2. Take It Slow

Less is more when it comes to eating for long life, too. According to the 80 percent rule, in order to stay healthier longer, we should eat less than our hunger demands instead of stuffing ourselves.

3. Don't Fill Your Stomach

Water moves; it is at best when it flows fresh and doesn't stagnate. The body you move through life in needs a bit of daily maintenance to keep it running for a long time. Plus, excercise releases hormones that makes us feel happy.

4. Get In Shape For Your Next Birthday

A cheerful attitude is not only relaxing - it also helps make friends. It's good to recognise the things that aren't so great, but we should never forget what a privilege it is to be in the here and now in a world so full possibilities.

5. Smile

Though most people live in cities these days, human beings are made to be part of the natural world. We should return to it often to recharge our batteries.

6. Reconnect With Nature

To your ancestors, to nature, which provide you with the air you breathe and the food you eat, to your friends and family, to everything that brightens your days and makes you feel lucky to be alive. Spend a moment every day giving thanks, and you'll watch your stockpile of happiness grow.

7. Give Thanks

Stop regretting the past and fearing the future. Today is all You have. Make the most of it. Make it worth remembering.

8. Live In The Moment

Friends are the best medicine, there for confiding worries over a good chat, sharing stories that brighten your day, getting advice, having fun, dreaming...in another words, living.

9. Surround Yourself With Good Friends

There is passion inside you, a unique talent that gives meaning to your days and drives you to share the best of yourself until the very end. If you don't know what your ikigai is yet, as Viktor Frankl says, "your mission is to discover it".

10. Follow Your Ikigai

*Los Angeles Times bestseller* “If hygge is the art of doing nothing, ikigai is the art of doing something—and doing it with supreme focus and joy.” —New York Post Bring meaning and joy to all your days with this internationally bestselling guide to the Japanese concept of ikigai (pronounced ee-key-guy)—the happiness of always being busy—as revealed by the daily habits of the world’s longest-living people. *And from the same authors, don’t miss The Book of Ichigo Ichie—about making the most of every moment in your life.* * * * What’s your ikigai? “Only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years.” —Japanese proverb According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai—a reason for living. And according to the residents of the Japanese village with the world’s longest-living people, finding it is the key to a happier and longer life. Having a strong sense of ikigai—the place where passion, mission, vocation, and profession intersect—means that each day is infused with meaning. It’s the reason we get up in the morning. It’s also the reason many Japanese never really retire (in fact there’s no word in Japanese that means retire in the sense it does in English): They remain active and work at what they enjoy, because they’ve found a real purpose in life—the happiness of always being busy. In researching this book, the authors interviewed the residents of the Japanese village with the highest percentage of 100-year-olds—one of the world’s Blue Zones. Ikigai reveals the secrets to their longevity and happiness: how they eat, how they move, how they work, how they foster collaboration and community, and—their best-kept secret—how they find the ikigai that brings satisfaction to their lives. And it provides practical tools to help you discover your own ikigai. Because who doesn’t want to find happiness in every day? A PENGUIN LIFE TITLE

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

books

Books

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • 1.5 MILLION+ COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE “Workers looking for more fulfilling positions should start by identifying their ikigai.” ―Business Insider   “One of the unintended—yet positive—consequences of the [pandemic] is that it is forcing people to reevaluate their jobs, careers, and lives. Use this time wisely, find your personal ikigai, and live your best life.” ―Forbes Find your ikigai (pronounced ee-key-guy) to live longer and bring more meaning and joy to all your days. “Only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years.” —Japanese proverb   According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai—a reason for living. And according to the residents of the Japanese village with the world’s longest-living people, finding it is the key to a happier and longer life. Having a strong sense of ikigai—where what you love, what you’re good at, what you can get paid for, and what the world needs all overlap—means that each day is infused with meaning. It’s the reason we get up in the morning. It’s also the reason many Japanese never really retire (in fact there’s no word in Japanese that means retire in the sense it does in English): They remain active and work at what they enjoy, because they’ve found a real purpose in life—the happiness of always being busy. In researching this book, the authors interviewed the residents of the Japanese village with the highest percentage of 100-year-olds—one of the world’s Blue Zones. Ikigai reveals the secrets to their longevity and happiness: how they eat, how they move, how they work, how they foster collaboration and community, and—their best-kept secret—how they find the ikigai that brings satisfaction to their lives. And it provides practical tools to help you discover your own ikigai. Because who doesn’t want to find happiness in every day?

Hector Garcia was born in Spain in 1981 and has been living in Tokyo since 2004. During his spare time he writes aGeekinJapan.com, one of the most widely-read blogs in the world in Spanish and in English, as well as books about his experiences in Japan. He is the author of the bestsellers: Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life and A Geek in Japan. You can find more of Hector's musings at ageekinjapan.com

Héctor García

Francesc Miralles Contijoch is a Catalan writer, essayist, translator, and musician.

Francesc Miralles

Ikigai

Body mass index (BMI) is one of the most popular ways to measure body composition as it pertains to health. However, research indicates BMI is not the most accurate depiction and can have serious limitations in weight distribution, body fat percentage, and different demographics.

Limitations of BMI 

<ul><li>BMI is not an accurate predictor of health because it does not account for body fat percentage or body fat distribution.</li><li>In addition, BMI cannot accurately predict the health of different demographics and races because it was created with data from only white Europeans.</li><li>Measurements that are more accurate than BMI at predicting health outcomes include blood pressure, waist circumference, and cholesterol levels.</li></ul>

Why We Should Not Depend on BMI Only

People should keep track of the following in order to stay healthy. <ul><li>Waist circumference.</li><li>High blood cholesterol.</li><li>Elevated triglycerides.</li><li>High blood pressure.</li><li>High blood sugar.</li></ul>

More Accurate Predictors of Health

<ul><li>Waist circumference: If your circumference is over 34 for a woman or over 39 for a man, you might have increased risk.</li></ul> <ul><li>High blood cholesterol: Overall cholesterol levels higher than 239 mg/dL in men and women can pose a greater risk to health conditions. So, try to maintain below this level.</li></ul> <ul><li>Elevated triglycerides: A type of fat found in your blood, which can be elevated when you eat more calories than you burn. A high level of triglycerides is over 200 mg/dL. Maintain below that.</li></ul>

A Short explanation of the Measurements ( PART 1) 

<ul><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/high-blood-pressure">High blood pressure</a>: When the <a href="https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure">blood flowing</a> through your blood vessels is too high, also known as <a href="http://insider.com/what-is-hypertension">hypertension</a>. High blood pressure is 140/90mmHg.If you are someone who is very thin and you have 110/70 mmHg, then you are fine and healthy ( from another source).</li></ul> <ul><li>High blood sugar: Blood sugar levels<a href="https://www.insider.com/what-is-hyperglycemia"> constantly higher</a> than 125 mg/dL in adults are also known as <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-is-hyperglycemia">hyperglycemia</a>. So try to maintain below that.</li></ul>

A Short explanation of the Measurements ( PART 2) 

BMI is not an accurate way to measure body weight or health because it does not account for body fat percentage or body fat distribution.

exerciseandfitness

Exercise & Fitness

BMI is Not Only Sufficient For Overall Fitness and Here's Why

Einstein understood the value of developing an informal avocation. “Mainly play the things on the piano which please you,” he tells his son, “even if the teacher does not assign those.”Doing what you love, the way you like to do it, he goes on, “is the way to learn the most, that when you are doing something with such enjoyment that you don’t notice that the time passes."

Do What You Love, The Way You Like To Do It

Csikszentmihalyi’s insights into human flourishing mirror Einstein’s: he calls such creative immersion “flow,” or the state of “being completely involved in an activity for its own sake.”"The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost." - Csikszentmihalyi

Creative Immersion, Flow ~ Human Flourishing

Contrary to our usual conceptions of using one’s “skills to the utmost,” Csikszentmihalyi tells us that the reward for entering such a state is not the material benefits it generates, but the positive emotions. These, as Einstein theorized, not only motivate us to become better, but they also provide a source of meaning no amount of financial gain above a minimum level can offer.

The Reward Of Positive Emotions Give Sense Of Meaning 

“The lack of basic material resources contributes to unhappiness,” Csikszentmihalyi’s data demonstrates, “but the increase in material resources does not increase happiness.” While none of us can be Einstein, Csikszentmihalyi tells us we can all benefit from Einstein’s advice, by doing whatever we do to the best of our abilities and without any motive other than sheer pleasure.

Do What We Love To The Best Of Our Abilities For Sheer Pleasure

Flow is indeed a lovely state to be in. Sharing this here as a reminder to self and to everyone else too.

As one particularly astute observer of human emotions might put it, it is a truth universally acknowledged that we can’t all be Albert Einstein. In fact, none of us can. Open Culture, openculture.com

productivity

Productivity

philosophy

Philosophy

creativity

Creativity

Albert Einstein Tells His Son The Key to Learning & Happiness is Losing Yourself in Creativity (or “Finding Flow”)

“It’s not merely about using a greater number of resources for studying. The important point here is using resources more effectively,”

Stanford researchers asked students to reflect on specific strategies to improve their performance and investigated the direct causal effect of this self-reflection.

How They Did It

They divided the students into two groups: the experimental and control.

Experimental and Control Groups

What they had to do:<ul><li>They had to explain what they thought would be on the exam and which resources they thought were most useful to help them study for the expected questions.</li><li>They were also asked how they planned to use these resources to prepare and why they thought their plan would be effective.</li></ul>

Experimental Group

They only received a standard exam reminder.

Control Group

<ul><li>Across two studies, students receiving the intervention performed significantly better than those in the control group on the same exam; on average, their grades increased by one-third of a letter grade.</li><li>Students also reported higher levels of empowerment and control after the intervention, as well as more positive feelings about future exams in the class.</li></ul>

The Results

Although many schools attempt to shower students with more money and information to improve performance, the authors argue that too many resources can actually be a hindrance to intentional studying and strong performances.

Information is the Problem

“Actively self-reflecting on the approaches that you are taking fosters a strategic stance that is really important in life,”

In a recent study released in Psychological Science, Stanford researchers concluded that the key to better exam performance is not to work harder…

problemsolving

Problem Solving

communication

Communication

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

Stanford researchers reveal how to study more effectively | The Stanford Daily

Find 100+ Facts about Health - Curated from popular Videos, Podcasts, Books, Guides & Articles - Genuine Insights from like-minded Users like You!