Outside of normal working hours and with all the things you could be doing in a day, there usually isn’t much time left over to spare. The fact that you and your significant other regularly choose to make time for each other is a good sign that you’re both committed.

1. You Spend Significant Time Together

Such acts of thoughtfulness may go from small and seemingly insignificant to as extravagant as buying matching jewelry. Keeping each other in mind to the point where you’re considering them in your regular purchases, you’re probably in a committed relationship.

2. You Include Each Other In Your Regular Purchases

It’s a big demonstration of trust if one or both of you have keys to the other’s house.

3. You Get a Key

A public announcement on social media is usually a good sign that things are going well and that you’re both comfortable enough to broadcast your affection to the world.

4. You do Social Media Shout-Outs

Going into a major contract (other than marriage) with someone, such as buying property or a car, is a sign that things are pretty serious between you. Contracts are a big deal because they’re generally harder to get out of than to get into, so signing together means you expect to be committed for a long time.

5. You Sign Contracts Together

Even the most charismatic people you know, whether in person or celebrities of some sort, experience days where they feel lost in life and isolated from everyone else. While it's good to know we aren't alone in this feeling, the question still remains: What should we do when we feel lost and lonely?

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

health

Health

mentalhealth

Mental Health

communication

Communication

loveandrelationships

Love & Relationships

11 Signs That You Two Are In A Committed Relationship

It's a lifestyle or state of being that goes beyond merely the absence of disease and into the idea of maximizing human potential. Once someone’s basic needs are met (e.g., food and shelter), wellness emerges from nourishing six dimensions of your health: physical, emotional, cognitive, social, spiritual, and environmental.

Defining "wellness"

Wellness is simple: it’s about committing to basic practices as individuals and communities. And unfortunately, these basics tend to get overlooked in favor of easy-to-market nonsense.Nourishing the 5 interrelated dimensions of health (physical, emotional, cognitive, social, spiritual, and environmental) does not require that you buy any lotions, potions, or pills.

How "wellness" is marketed

30 minutes of moderate to intense daily physical activity lowers your risk for heart disease, Alzheimer’s, mental illness, and many types of cancer.Any kind of activity that makes your breathing labored for a sustained period does the trick.

Move Your Body

Ignore diets and supplements and, instead, just aim to cut out junk like processed and fried foods.Extensive studies have found that 16 of the most popular supplements and 8 of the most popular diets have virtually no benefit and some cause harm.

Nutrition

Modern-day wellness creates the impression that everyone is happy all the time and that you should be, too. But this is not the reality of being human.Hiding or repressing sadness only makes it worse. On the contrary, the more vulnerable you are (with yourself and others) the better. And if something feels way off, don’t be scared to get help.

Don’t Hide Your Feelings

The mortality risks associated with loneliness exceeds those associated with obesity and physical inactivity and are comparable to the risks of smoking. Digital connections cannot replace in-person ones and the value of physical presence and touch.

Relationships Matter

It's the belief that you’ll find an activity or pursuit about which you are immediately passionate from the start. This is quite misleading and even harmful.Better than this is a development mindset, in which you understand that passion takes time to emerge, thus lowering the bar for further engagement in something from “this is perfect” to “this is interesting.”

The Passion Mindset

When you are working on something, regardless of what it is, eliminate distractions so you can give it your full attention.The more present and fully engaged you are with what’s in front of you, the happier you’ll be.

Deep Work And Happiness

Though purpose doesn't need to be based on organized religion, cultivating a cohesive sense of direction, core values, and connection with something beyond yourself is important.For some, this takes the form of going to church, synagogue, mosque, or sangha. For others it’s about feeling connected to evolution and being a part of nature.

Cultivate Purpose

Take care of the four pillars of wellness this year: Nutrition, Activity, Mindfulness and Sleep.

productivity

Productivity

timemanagement

Time Management

New Year New You

In Silicon Valley, techies are swooning over tarot-card readers. In New York, you can hook up to a "detox" IV at a lounge. In the Midwest, the Neurocore Brain Performance Center markets brain training for everything from ADHD, anxiety, and depression to migraines, stress, autism-spectrum disorder, athletic performance, memory, and cognition.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

We've Reached Peak Wellness. Most of It Is Nonsense.

Identify what you want to change about your life. It can help you focus on the promises you're making to yourself. Try to focus on one change at a time.

Decide What You Want Out Of Life

When you start to visualize your life in the way you want it to be, things can start to move in that direction. What do you already have that brings you closer to your vision?

Envision The Life You Want 

Try to think about the experiences that truly make you happy and engage with them as often as you can until they are wired into your brain.

Experiences That Make You Happy

Try to set goals for yourself. Imagine that you have already achieved that goal in the future. This process helps you visualize yourself in your changed lifestyle.

Become Goal-Oriented

The past does not have to be an obstacle in your life. Recognize the undesirable ways your past is affecting your present behavior. Teach yourself to act differently and to think about the kind of person you want to be.

Forget The Past

Focus on yourself and do not worry about what other people are going to think.People will always base their opinions on what worked for them. Don't follow the choices of other people if they don't work for you.

Don't Worry What Others Think

Fear will hold you back from reaching your dreams.Don't be afraid to make mistakes. The only way you will ever know if you made the right choice is by simply making a decision, to begin with.

Let Go Of Fear

Let your loved ones know what you are trying to accomplish. They can influence and help you when they know why and how you are changing your life for the better.

Communicate Your Wishes

It happens to everyone. At one point or another, you're tired of the way you've been living your life and you want to make some positive changes. But while a complete overhaul might seem like the most logical answer, there are more subtle changes...

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

habits

Habits

How To Create The Life You Want

“My goal is to build a life I don’t need a vacation from.”

Make choices leading to the life you want to create for yourself. Don't let your past hold you back. 
Your life might not seem to be the best fit for someone else, but it should a life you are happy with. Create a life you love.

Creating the life you love

Start where you are right now. 
<ul>
<li>Align your life with your own core values - those things that are most important to you personally. </li>
<li>Find time to do the activities you loved doing as a child. - join an activity group or take a class. </li>
</ul>
Listen to yourself and take action on what you discover.

How to create an authentic life

"My goal is to build a life I don't need a vacation from." ~Rob Hill Sr. The other day I had an interesting conversation with a friend, who asked me the question "Who is the happiest person you know?" Ask yourself this question now. It's difficult to answer, isn't it?

The First Steps Toward Creating a Life You Love

<div>... for yourself every day.</div><div>Remind yourself on a daily basis to treat yourself with loving kindness. It motivates you to take better care of yourself and to go after your dreams.</div>

Commit to doing one nice thing 

<div>We often criticize ourselves in our own heads and that damages our confidence.Refrain from talking to yourself in negative terms. Know that you're good enough.</div>

Listen to yourself

<div>Most of us have been getting angry at ourselves for trying so hard to be perfect and then we beat ourselves up when we fail. Accept that you're stuck inside your own imperfect skin. </div>

Forgive yourself

<ul><li>Accept the body that you have today. Try to be the best person you can be in the body that you have, and that's as much as you can do.</li><li>Accept your income and success level as they are. Less stress with less income can be your answer to be happier.</li></ul>

Accept yourself

<div>Avoid tying yourself to clients, business partners, investors, or employees who make you unhappy. There's no reason to put up with people saying or doing things that constantly break you down.</div>

Avoid toxic people

<div>Take care of your health. Exercise, take supplements, cut out sugar, but don't beat yourself up if you have a treat on occasion.</div>

Prioritize your health

<div>Letting your blood sugar sink sends stress signals to your brain. </div><div>If you really can't stop and grab a meal, make sure you have healthy snacks at your desk.</div>

Stop skipping meals

Simple breathing exercises can calm you down and not let stress get to you or make you sick.

Breathe

<div>Make the effort to create a pleasant space to make you smile. Declutter and order your environment the way you like it.</div>

Give yourself a welcoming space

<div>Working in dark spaces is very unhealthy. Try to change your environment to gain access to natural light, or invest in full-spectrum light bulbs. Above all, make sure to get outside for a walk as often as you can.</div>

Get some sunlight

<div>Consider buying better quality products for yourself instead of only buying them for others.</div><div>Every time you use them, you're reinforcing to yourself that you're worth more.</div>

Buy premium products

Want to be happier? Begin by being good to yourself. That may sound self-evident, but too many people skip this step and try to make themselves happy by chasing ever-higher goals, or holding themselves to ever-greater standards of perfection.

11 Simple Ways to Make Yourself Happy Every Day

We’ve all experienced that flash of insight, that fleeting moment when a solution we’ve been grinding away at reveals itself in an unexpected place.Einstein, for example, was known to play violin whenever he was stuck on a tough problem and often spoke of how music influenced the way he thought about math and science.

Combinatory Play

“Creativity is just connecting things.”

The brain’s building blocks are neurons: nerve cells that receive and transmit signals along neural pathways. Certain pathways are forged at birth. Others can be manipulated by learning. So when you’re stuck in a rut, your brain’s neurons could literally be stuck on a neural pathway you’ve carved out through your behavior. But you can get unstuck by choosing to make new connections.

How The Brain Works

Your brain is continually striving for predictability, and it can get pretty set in its ways. When a novelty appears, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) part of your brain is wired to review old rules and apply them to this new situation. It does not want to invent new ways if it can help it. This can hinder your creativity.Combinatory play can help with quieting this part of the brain by relaxing your mind.

Comfort In Familiarity

While applying old lessons to new situations can limit your creativity, the brain’s inclination for seeking patterns can encourage innovation, too.<div>This will serve you well in creative thinking as long as you question your assumptions and try to find patterns where there aren't any.</div>

Seeking Patterns

Try a new activity within your field or related to it; you’ll expand your neural connections and strengthen your brain overall.If you’re a novelist, try your hand at poetry. If you’re a painter, dabble in sculpting. If you’re a computer scientist, play around with web design.

Cross Train Your Brain

Doing something boring, like showering, doesn’t require substantial cognitive effort, so our brains are free to wander. And a brain “at rest” isn’t really resting at all. Mind-wandering may allow the conscious to give way to the subconscious, so the brain can connect disparate ideas.

Do Some Other Mundane Activity

If you’re feeling stuck on a problem, try going to bed. You just might have a more creative solution in the morning.When we’re in REM, our brains are better able to integrate unassociated information, which is essential to creative thinking (and can explain why dreams are so bizarre).

Sleep On It

Get inspired by someone else’s creations:<ul><li>If you’re suffering from writer’s block, buy a pack of word magnets and rearrange them until you come up with creative phrases on your fridge.</li><li>If you’re building a product and you're stuck in the design phase, search for competitors who have made similar products, find where their customers are unhappy, and design something new that solves the problems your competitors failed to address.</li></ul>

Indulge Your Inner Copycat

... use combinatory play to give your brain a boost:<ul><li>Participate in creative cross-training to expand your brain’s neural connections.</li><li>Let your mind wander by doing something mundane, like taking a shower.</li><li>Go to bed and let your subconscious mind connect the dots during REM sleep.</li><li>Use another person’s work as a springboard for inspiration and improvement.</li></ul>

If You Need A New Way Of Thinking

If you often get stuck in a rut, exercising combinatory play can give your brain a boost. It was one of Einstein's favorite tactics to make a breakthrough in his work. Follow these tips to improve your creativity with this genius approach.

problemsolving

Problem Solving

creativity

Creativity

How To Boost Your Creativity The Einstein Way-With Combinatory Play

Go into every day with the hope to come out with new knowledge and insight into the world.
End every day knowing you’re just a bit smarter than yesterday and you’ll have a lot more to contribute to those around you.

Learn Something New

The smallest workout, such as a walk around the block or a light yoga class can be beneficial. After a workout, one can always feel a difference in mood, composure, and energy levels.

Exercise Every Day

Talk to yourself using “you.” Psychologists have <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3033706/the-future-of-work/want-to-be-successful-you-should-talk-to-yourself-more">found</a> that telling yourself, “you’re doing great” is better for improving your attitude and behavior than telling yourself, “I’m doing great”.

You’re your own best cheerleader

A kind gesture or even just a smile makes not just the other person happier, but you, too.

Be Nice to Others

Figure out what makes you feel good and do it every day.Maybe that means setting aside alone time in the evenings or maybe it means scheduling a weekend get-together with friends to look forward to after a long week.

Take Care of Yourself

If you had to answer quickly, what would you say are the things that make you feel good about yourself? An acknowledgement at a team meeting from your boss, a compliment on your outfit from your co-worker, breaking 100 likes on an Instagram photo-all things out of your control, right?

5 Simple Habits That'll Make You Feel Good About Yourself Every Day

Spending time outside of your apartment can lift your mood.
If you are unable to get outside, add greenery to your space, for some plant therapy.

How To Feel Better: Spend Time Outdoors

People who volunteer are likely to have higher self-esteem, psychological well-being, and happiness.Help someone else out who really needs it.

Volunteer

Regularly eating foods that are filled with nutrients can help you feel more positive and energetic. You will feel better mentally too.

Eat Healthier

Research suggests that writing regularly in your gratitude journal can increase your well-being and overall life satisfaction.

Practice Gratitude

Don't say things to yourself that you would not say to a loved one.
If you want to feel better about yourself, change how you think about yourself.

How To Feel Better: Be Aware of The Negative Self-Talk

What you wear affects how you feel.Wear the clothes in your closet that makes you feel pretty and confident.

Dress Up

Taking time out to recharge your batteries improves your psychological well-being.

Have 'Me Time'

When your brain senses that you're using your muscles to smile, it's assuming that it must be happy about something. Smile, even if you don't always feel like it.

Smile More Often

Rather than comparing yourself to others and finding the disadvantages you feel you're faced with, acknowledge your own path.
Consciously look for the advantages of where you are.

How To Feel Better: Accept Your Status

It's hard to ignore how essential exercising is for you to feel happier.The first 20 minutes of exercise provide most of the health benefits.

Exercise More

Meditation allows more rational thinking to take the place of anxiety.Start the day with meditation by simply letting go of your thoughts.

Meditate

While there are things that are simply outside of your control, there are lots of actionable steps you can take to seize control and feel better. 

How to Feel Better About Yourself

By taking certain steps, you can alter your mood to be more positive so you can feel better about yourself.

When you're feeling down, it can be really hard to pick yourself up and move forward. While you might be trying to find ways to feel better about yourself, sulking in your bed with the lights out may not sound like a bad idea either. But it's time...

Ways To Feel Better About Yourself Right Now

Practice is the repetition of an action with the goal of improvement. It helps us perform with more ease, speed, and confidence.Mastering any physical skill takes practice. And it isn’t simply about the number of hours of practice. It’s also about the quality and effectiveness of that practice.

Mastering any skill takes practice

It's consistent, intensely focused, and targets content or weaknesses that lie at the edge of one’s current abilities.

Effective practice

Minimize potential distractions by turning off the computer or TV and putting your cell phone on airplane mode.

Focus on the task at hand

Coordination is built with repetitions, whether correct or incorrect. If you gradually increase the speed of the quality repetitions, you have a better chance of doing them correctly.

Start out slowly

Frequent repetitions with assigned breaks are common practice habits of elite performers.Many divide their time used for effective practice into multiple daily practice sessions of limited duration.

Multiple daily practice sessions

... in vivid detail. Research shows hat once a physical motion has been established, it can be reinforced just by imagining it.

Practice in your brain

Mastering any physical skill takes practice. Practice is the repetition of an action with the goal of improvement, and it helps us perform with more ease, speed, and confidence. There are many theories that attempt to quantify the number of hours, days, and even years of practice that it takes to master a skill.

education

Learning & Education

4 simple tips on how to practice effectively

The willpower response is a reaction to an internal conflict. You want to do one thing, but know you shouldn’t. Or you know you should do something, but you’d rather do nothing.

What willpower is

The prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that helps us with things like decision-making and regulating our behavior, needs to be looked after.Feed your brain with good-quality food so it has enough energy to do its job and get enough sleep.

How willpower works in the brain

Willpower is like a muscle—it can get exhausted by overuse, but we might be able to strengthen our willpower by training it.

Willpower is finite

Our prefrontal cortex loses out in the battle for our energy when high-stress is involved.Learn how to manage your stress. Stop to take a few deep breaths when you feel overwhelmed or tempted.

Increase your capacity for pressure

Every time you tell yourself “I can’t”, you’re indicating that you’re forcing yourself to do something you don’t want to do.Tell yourself "I don’t do that" instead. You're punishing yourself by saying “I can’t,” because that is a reminder of your limitations.

"I can't" vs "I don't"

Your brain manages energy better when you get enough sleep.Sleep deprivation causes the prefrontal cortex to lose control over the regions of the brain that create cravings and the stress response. Sleep between 6.5 hours and 7.5 hours every night.

Get enough sleep

Meditation has also been linked to increasing the reserve of willpower we have available. Brain changes have been observed after eight weeks of brief daily meditation training.

If you’re trying to break a bad habit, tell yourself “not now, but later.” People who do this are generally less afflicted by the temptation of something they are trying to avoid.

Postpone things for later

Regular physical exercise can make us more resilient to stress; relaxing, mindful exercise like yoga and intense physical training can provide these benefits.

Exercise

One of the key parts of our culture at Buffer is a focus on self-improvement. We each pick an area to improve on each week and share our daily progress and challenges, making it a social, supportive way to adjust, create or change our habits.

6 Ways to Improve Your Willpower | Buffer Blog

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