Health and Wellness – Page 8 – Personal Growth Cafe

October 21, 2018February 15, 2018

The Art of Deep Breathing: A Sanity-Saving Strategy

Have you ever had one of those days where you were so stressed that you felt like you could use some help to save your sanity?

If so, you’ll be pleased to discover a strategy you can use to reduce stress and improve your health at the same time!

This strategy is easy and convenient, and it’s called deep breathing.

What exactly is deep breathing?

Deep breathing is a breathing exercise that involves manipulating the breath in ways that bring about certain feelings on an emotional level.

There are various deep breathing exercises that are designed for:

Developing the mind and the body

Helping you enter a state of meditation

Bringing on a healthy sweat, enabling you to feel revived

No matter what emotion you’re trying to achieve with your breathing exercises, the beauty is that it doesn’t cost you anything to breathe.

But when is it appropriate to do breathing exercises?

And how often can they be done?

When To Do Deep Breathing Exercises

There are no hard and fast rules stipulating when to do breathing exercises.

It really depends on what you’re wishing to achieve by doing them.

You can use breathing exercises at any time to:

Achieve a state of calm

Feel alive, invigorated, and ready for your day

Reduce stress in tense situations

Wind down at the end of the day

When you wake up in the morning, you may wish to do some quick deep breathing exercises to feel invigorated and ready to go.

You can go outside, take a deep breath, and then breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth.

This breathing exercise can serve as a workout for your abdominal muscles and lungs.

It can make you feel quite refreshed at the beginning of your day and provides a similar effect to taking a morning jog.

When you’re having a rough day at work or dealing with conflict, you can use a few calming breaths to help reduce stress.

Sit back, close your eyes, and take a deep breath. Hold it in and then let it out. Repeat the process until you feel relaxed.

Health Benefits of Breathing Exercises

If you just need a quick lift, then you’ll only need to spend a short time here and there doing some deep breathing exercises.

On the other hand, if you’re looking to have a significant impact on your health and serenity, you can form a routine of several breathing exercises throughout your day.

Whatever the duration, breathing exercises can bring you many health benefits, including:

Reduce your blood pressure

Calm your nerves

Tighten your core muscles

Aid in better digestion

Aid in the elimination of waste and toxins

Bring you higher levels of energy

Increase your awareness of the functions within your body

Reduce stress

Your own results will depend upon the type and frequency of breathing exercises you use.

Anyone Can Benefit From Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises can benefit virtually anyone. The only individuals who should take extreme caution are those with respiratory issues.

Always check with your physician before attempting these exercises.

Nevertheless, sit back, close your eyes, and enjoy the relaxing effects that deep breathing can provide.

It’s an effective solution to reduce stress, bring you peace, and improve your life.

What do you do to relax when you feel stressed out?

How often do you take time to relax in a day?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Also, as your gift for taking this to heart – and this is profoundly important… to us ALL – go to UnitingPlanetEarth.com/ignition/ and do the Uniting Planet Earth 7-Day Quick-Start Ignition Program… and Allow it to Transform Your Life.

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

October 19, 2018February 15, 2018

Solutions to Overcoming Addiction

When you think of the word addiction, the first thing that comes to your mind may be alcohol or drugs.

However, there are many other types of addictions that you may experience, including addictions to food, cigarettes, shopping, gambling and many other things.

These addictions seem to have power of their own.

They can control your thoughts, actions, and your very life, if you let them.

If you think you might be suffering from an addiction, it’s great to know that there are techniques you can use every day to help you overcome your addictions and take back control of your life.

Here are some helpful solutions:

1. Have faith. In order to overcome addiction, the first thing you need is faith. Faith has been described as the “hope of things unseen.”

This means you should have hope for tomorrow, recovery, and success.

Hope can bring you through challenging times and allow you to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

2. Believe in a greater power. Having faith can also mean believing in something bigger than you, like God.

If you have nothing to believe in, it may prove quite difficult to win the war against your addiction.

It’s never too late to reconnect with your faith.

3. Develop a courageous attitude. Courage will help you face your addiction and then battle it through, regardless of what that addiction is.

Your sense of courage is stronger than you probably know! Look deep within yourself to find it and bring it out.

4. Draw on your inner strength. Like courage, we all have an inner strength that makes us stronger than we realize.

When you draw on your inner strength you have greater power to face challenges and overcome them.

5. Be patient and persevere. Patience and perseverance will help carry you through the long journey to recovery.

It takes time to overcome an addiction, but it can be done.

Take things one day at a time and fully believe that things will get better.

Keep your end goal in mind and persist in your efforts to get there.

If you can’t take it one day at a time, then begin with one hour at a time.

Hours will become days, days will become weeks, and before you know it, you’re cured of the addiction that plagued you.

6. Request help and support. Support from your friends, family members, neighbors, clergy, coworkers, social groups, or any other type of support system is crucial to your recovery.

There are likely many support groups – both online and in-person – that focus on your particular addiction.

Seek out this type of support group. You’ll find specialists in overcoming your specific addiction, as well as those who’ve experienced your pain.

Don’t forget to support yourself! Give yourself rewards at different milestones of your recovery.

In order to succeed at your endeavors, it’s important to understand that you do have an addiction.

Once you’ve accepted this, you’ll be ready to take the necessary steps to achieve power over your addiction and take back your life.

Yes, overcoming an addiction is a challenging task. However, when you use these solutions to help you each day, success can be yours!

How can addictions cause you pain and sadness?

How can you help someone recover from their addictions?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

September 28, 2018February 1, 2018

Healthy Living Strategies for a Better Life

Have you resolved to live a healthier lifestyle?

There are a hundred reasons why you might want to make the switch, and probably even more why you might revert back to your old habits, too!

With this said, changing your lifestyle is easier said than done.

Even though many of us intend to be healthier, plans can be derailed quickly.

Before we know it, we’re back where we started and doing everything we promised ourselves we wouldn’t do.

Healthy living is easier when you have a strategy and detailed plan to follow.

Using the right tools can simplify the task of staying on track to long-term success.

Here are some healthy living tips to jump start your journey to a healthier lifestyle:

Proactively Manage Your Stress

Managing your stress can be a great way to start living a healthier life right now.

Stress can harm the best of us, but it doesn’t have to.

You’ll find that life is more enjoyable when you have a stress management strategy.

Try this technique the next time you feel stressed and out of control.

This strategy begins with something you already do every day: stop and take a deep breath!

But make sure to breathe in from your nose and out from your mouth.

Using simple deep breathing exercises will give you a short break from the situation that’s causing you stress.

During your breathing break, take a moment to relax and create new priorities in your mind.

Choose one thing you can do to help defuse the problem when you’re done with your deep breath.

Taking a small action right away will put you on the path to solving your challenge.

Just knowing that you’re being proactive can reduce your stress right then and there.

Once you’ve taken that first step, break down the things you need to do into manageable chunks.

Stress melts away as you pursue your action plan one step at a time.

Nutritious Foods and Exercise

Another healthy living tip we all should heed is to exercise and eat nutritious foods.

You’re giving your body what it needs to be happy and healthy when you exercise and feed it the right fuel.

Strive to increase the amount of natural, unprocessed foods you eat.

Include plenty of organic fruits and vegetables in your diet and cut out the greasy, high calorie fast foods.

Most of the foods that come in cans or boxes are devoid of nutrition because they’ve been over processed or contain too many additives.

Anything that involves moving can bring you some much needed exercise.

Easy ways to incorporate more exercise into your daily routines include taking the stairs instead of elevators, going for walks, or short stretching routines.

Exercising not only burns calories but also invigorates your brain and the rest of your body with increased oxygen and hormones that make you feel good!

You’ll be pleasantly surprised with how much better you feel when you eat the right foods and exercise.

You’ll be healthier, have a sharper mind, enjoy more energy, sleep better, and live well.

Thoughts and Emotions

Healthy living also includes your thoughts and emotions.

It’s just as important to keep your emotions healthy as it is to keep your physical body healthy.

Do you have a hard time thinking positive?

Are negative thoughts running through your mind even when you should be thinking happy thoughts?

These negative thoughts can steal your joy and hold you back from the life you desire.

When you implement healthy living strategies, be systematic about transforming the negative into the positive.

As you make the switch, you’ll find that you can more easily achieve your goals and live a vibrant, fulfilling life.

Positive Affirmations

Positive affirmations can help you develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

They’re the most effective tool for replacing your negative thoughts with positive ones.

Affirmations are concise, positive statements you can use every time you start to feel challenged, stressed, or negative.

Positive affirmations can be as simple as, “I give myself permission to be healthy in body, mind, and spirit.”

These statements will affirm to your subconscious that a healthy lifestyle is important to you and keep you on track toward your goals.

Implement these tools and strategies into your action plan today to enjoy a life filled with health, happiness, and serenity.

In what aspect do you need to work on your health?

How can this help you live a better life?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

September 28, 2018February 1, 2018

My body and mind deserve the rewards of self-reflection.

September 20, 2018January 31, 2018

I can neutralize bad habits with good food, exercise, and healthy living.

September 20, 2018January 31, 2018

I receive the energy to free my body from addiction.

When I allow myself to believe I am more than my impulses, I receive the energy I need to free my body from addiction.

I know that ridding myself of addiction is a lifelong challenge, but I also know that it gets easier to hold at bay the longer I continue to resist.

Those days when I feel like I can barely hang on, I am strengthening the inner muscles of my mind and spirit so that similar challenges in the future will not seem as difficult or draining.

Each temptation is an inner workout.

I acknowledge the muscle burn, but I forge on because I know that doing so is the only way to build up my strength.

I am confident that success leads to more success.

Freeing myself from addiction is like running up a winding, rocky road.

I push through the exhaustion and take the next step because I know that each time I do, I am a little closer to my goal.

I am not afraid to ask for help.

Just as athletes have trainers, I also take advantage of those people who are able and willing to support and encourage me as I tackle this challenge.

For my advisors, I choose people who know what it’s like to struggle and stretch, to grow and win, so that I may use their wisdom to overcome my challenges.

How often do you believe, and act on the belief, that standing strong this time will make it easier to do so next time?

How do you make use of others out there who can support you and help you strengthen your inner muscles?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

September 2, 2018January 31, 2018

My plans allow me to complete my tasks without stress.

Having a plan allows me to stay on track and complete my tasks easily without undue stress.

With each step, I feel achievement as part of my plan is completed.

My plans remind me of the action steps I need to take at each point.

Always knowing what to do enables me to push extraneous concerns aside and achieve success.

I complete one step at a time and move on to the next with ease.

As I complete one task at a time, I am able to build moment toward my goals.

When stress threatens, I can rely on my plans to help me chase it away.

Since my tasks have already been laid out for me, I simply forge on, confident that my actions will move me closer to my goals.

I can transform negative stress into a motivator that pushes me further and farther than I’ve ever been.

Today I will complete my tasks more easily, knowing that I am fully capable of great things.

By following my plans, I can disregard my worries and focus on completing my tasks.

How does having a plan help you?

How does stress keep you from achieving your goals?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

August 28, 2018January 31, 2018

Creating a Healthy Mindset

Do you feel you could use a healthier attitude toward life?

Would you like to approach things in a different way?

Is a healthier lifestyle attainable?

The stress of modern life can sometimes make it difficult to lead a healthy lifestyle.

However, you can start living healthy, today, by adopting a healthy mindset.

Even if you find yourself leaning toward a pessimistic attitude, you can still achieve a healthy mindset.

You just need to go about it in the right way.

How You Can Have a Healthier Mindset

Many people sit back, look at their lives, and wish they could view things in a more positive manner.

Then they beat themselves up for being negative or not having the attitude and responses they wish they had.

This typical response doesn’t do anybody any good.

Instead of feeling angry with yourself for responding to life the way you normally do, think positively about your desire to have a healthier mindset.

Building a Healthy and Safe Support Network

One of the most effective paths to a healthier mindset is to find ways to deal with the stress in your life.

For some people, this is as simple as writing in a journal or blog every day.

Other people find that talking with friends or joining a support group is a rewarding experience.

It’s important to give voice to your thoughts and emotions. How you do this is up to you.

Eating Healthy = Feeling Healthy

Another way to achieve a healthier mindset is to eat the right foods and get enough rest.

When you feed your body healthy, nutritious foods and get the rest you need, you feel better all over.

Your attitude, as well as your body, feels refreshed.

Food and rest will not change the way you respond to things if you tend to respond negatively, but it will be a great start.

You don’t have to give up all junk food and your late night activities, but try swapping carrot sticks for French fries and an hour of sleep for Leno.

You’ll find that you’ll be able to acquire a healthier mindset when you take active steps to deal with your stress and treat your body with the tender loving care it deserves.

Suddenly the world becomes a much more positive place when you pair these things with positive thinking.

Positive thinking begins when you affirm the positives in your life.

You can use the power of positive affirmations to reprogram your mind so you can think in a healthier and more positive way.

For example, each morning you could say, “I make positive choices for the best of my body, mind, and soul.”

You can use positive affirmations in moments of weakness when you are tempted to fill up on junk food, respond negatively to something, or trade sleep for something less important.

When you create a healthy mindset by making good choices about food, rest, and positive thinking, you’ll enjoy the new ways you think, feel, and live.

You’ll discover that your happier, healthier lifestyle has arrived!

Why is it important for you to have a healthy mindset?

How can this help you become a better person?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

August 21, 2018January 31, 2018

How to Avoid Negative People

There’s an old saying, “Birds of a feather flock together.”

The reasoning behind this is that we tend to become like the people we hang out with.

If you’re around “cannot, should not, and do not” people, then you’ll constantly be discouraged and depressed.

Instead, surround yourself with visionaries and those who can inspire and motivate you so you can, should, and do take action.

Following your intuition can be an effective way of weeding out negative people early on upon meeting them.

Here are some body language signs to look out for when you meet new people:

A sick or uncomfortable feeling forms in the pit of your stomach.

The hair on the back of your neck stands on end.

Your skin crawls and you feel jumpy and adverse to touch.

Your shoulder muscles knot up and your throat and chest constrict.

You feel a sense of pressure, agitation, or darkness.

You feel physically, mentally, or emotionally drained after meeting the individual.

These symptoms may be your body’s way of telling you to stay clear of this person.

You may leave their presence feeling depressed and discouraged because all you’ve heard is complaining.

Naturally, this sucks the energy right out of you, but you can learn to read these signs early on and you’ll save yourself from becoming involved with a negative person.

These people are toxic and will poison your mind with their negativity.

Seek Out People with Positive Attitudes

Sometimes you can tell someone is positive just by their outward appearance or the way they conduct themselves.

Walking confidently with their head up or even smiling are signs that a person is in a positive mood.

Some other signs of a positive person are more intuitive, such as:

You get a feeling of familiarity – as if you’ve known the person forever.

You feel relaxed, calm, and safe.

You breathe easier.

You lean forward instead of crossing your arms defensively and withdrawing.

You’re at ease with the other person’s touch (hug, handshake, etc.).

You leave their presence feeling energized and alive.

Just as negative people put out a negative energy, positive people have positive energy.

These people are nourishing and supportive.

Your body can pick up on this and warn you or encourage you depending on the situation.

How do we go about finding these positive people we wish to associate with?

Much of the above responses are simply felt in our day-to-day associations.

However, there are proactive steps we can take to align ourselves with positive people:

Find a local community event, club, or group where people challenge themselves and encourage their members to be better people.

They will help you set goals for yourself and then achieve them.

Participate in online forums or organize your own positive mentoring group.

Sometimes it’s impossible to completely avoid certain negative people (perhaps a boss or family member), but you can limit your relationship with them and seek out positive role models elsewhere.

Utilize your positive support system to prevent the negative people in your life from getting the best of you.

Rely on your friends or family when you need to vent to get rid of your negative emotions.

The choices you make in life are yours alone.

It’s completely in your power to choose who you are friendly with and whether you want to live a happy life or be miserable.

If you feel too much negativity, take control of your life and make some changes to eliminate the negative sources.

This will likely take some time but making these changes will help improve your daily mood and remind you that good things are ahead.

How can negative people impact your life?

Why do you need to avoid negative people?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

August 20, 2018January 31, 2018

Category: Health and Wellness

The Art of Deep Breathing: A Sanity-Saving Strategy

Solutions to Overcoming Addiction

Healthy Living Strategies for a Better Life

My body and mind deserve the rewards of self-reflection.

I can neutralize bad habits with good food, exercise, and healthy living.

I receive the energy to free my body from addiction.

My plans allow me to complete my tasks without stress.

Creating a Healthy Mindset

How to Avoid Negative People

Keeping my life in balance allows me to rest.