Day 18 – Stay Positive

Day 18 – Stay Positive

Positive Thinking (and speaking and acting) can improve your mental, physical, and emotional health and wellness. Positive emotions have been linked with better health, longer life, and greater well-being in numerous scientific studies. On the other hand, chronic anger, worry, and hostility increase the risk of developing heart disease, as people react to these feelings with raised blood pressure and stiffening of blood vessels.

Here are a few tips on staying positive:

Write in a gratitude journal every day.  Make sure to be specific!  A number of studies have found gratitude to be linked with positive emotions, and overall well-being, and life satisfaction.

Listen to happy-sounding music.  Research has shown that music activates the region of the brain that releases the feel good chemical dopamine and also relaxes the body.  So “happy” music can in fact make you feel happier!  Seriously….who can listen to “Happy” by Pharrell Williams or “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift and not just feel like you want to dance and smile.

Share positivity by sending one thank-you email or doing one kind act every day. There are several studies that show that acts of kindness can boost happiness, reduce depression, and even help you live longer.

Challenge your negative thinking.  Ask yourself, “Is there another more positive way I could view this?”  Studies have shown that being able to think optimistically is good for your health and well-being.

Optimists are also better problem solvers and better at accepting bad situations.

Smile.  It might sound simplistic, but research has shown that it actually helps you feel happier.  Feedback sent to the brain from facial muscles can actually impact the development of emotions and the effect is even stronger if you combine the smile with a positive thought.  So smile!

Follow your passion.  Do something you feel excited about.  Volunteer for a cause you believe in or sign up for a class to learn something new.  Several studies have shown that people who feel a sense of meaning in their life are healthier, live longer, and have greater life satisfaction.

You don’t have to let bad news and negativity ruin your day.  You have a choice about where you focus your attention and how you choose to respond to any situation.  Try incorporating these tips into your life and I’m confident you’ll see how the positives outweigh the negatives.

~FB

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Day 17 – Skip1

Day 17 – Skip1 

Skip1.org is an incredible organization whose goal is to “solve world hunger by building and renovating kitchens within orphanages and schools in impoverished areas; supporting food distribution and feeding programs in places where kitchens can’t be built, and helping with clean water and  sustainable agricultural initiatives” – plus sooooo very much more.  *****YOUR CHALLENGE***** is to Skip1 today. That means, skip the specialty coffee, skip your take-out lunch, whatever it is, skip it (you’ll never miss it) and donate to Skip1.org OR skip it and donate to your local food bank or another program.  Skipping a $6 latte may not mean much to you, but it could change the life of someone else.

Do something good.

~FB

 

Day 16 – Make a commitment to Exercise (and stick with it).

Day 16 – Make a commitment to Exercise (and stick with it).

I find that when I actually “commit” to something, my success rate is 100%. If I just say I’m going to do something, sometimes I allow myself to fail. When making a commitment, I follow through…I plan, I figure it out ahead of time so that I have success. So, I challenge you to make the commitment to exercise (start off with a commitment to exercise for even to work out and at what times. Will you go to the gym? Will you do a video or take a class or go running? Commit to it and follow through.

Day 15 – Find (aka Make) Time to Meditate, Pray, Reflect

Day 15 – Find (aka Make) time to Meditate, Pray, Reflect, etc.

Whatever suits your religion/belief/lifestyle, give it a try.  Some health benefits of prayer and meditation are:

• Lower blood pressure
• Sense of Inner Peace
• Increased longevity
• Reduced symptoms of depression
• Alleviation of anxiety, stress, and pain
• Help with insomnia and physical symptoms associated with chronic illnesses

The time you take to pray or meditate can be your time or time you share with family.  Personally, my prayer time is strictly my time.  It’s personal time I have with God each and every day.  And it has been my “practice” to pray every day since I was a small child.  But, even throughout my busy teenage years, I maintained my prayer time.  And I can’t imagine not having that time each night.  It’s the time I take to reflect on the day and to be thankful for all of the people and things and abilities I have been blessed with.  And most of the time I go to sleep with a clear head and heart.

Your time does not have to be prayer if that is not your believe.  But you, too, can take the time to reflect on your life or your day.  To be thankful for what you have or to look forward to what’s to come.  What’s great about meditation and prayer is that it’s your time and you can make of it what you want.

If it isn’t something you normally practice, try it for a week.  See if you get clarity and joy and inner peace or strength.  At least take the time to reflect.

~FB

 

 

 

Day 14 – Do My Body Weight Workout

Day 14 – Do my Body Weight Workout

30 seconds Jumping Jacks
30 seconds High Knees
30 seconds Squat Jumps
30 seconds Plank
30 seconds Crunch
30 seconds Burpees
30 seconds Leg Lifts
30 seconds Wall Sit

Do it once, or twice. Or as many times as you like.

I love body weight workouts (also known as calisthenics training).  In fact, most of my boot camps are body weight-based.  here’s why I love them:

1.It allows people to take the guess work out of using fancy equipment;

2. And saves money because you don’t need a gym membership;

3. You can do body weight training anywhere; in your living room, at the park, it doesn’t matter, as long as you have enough room to move;

4. It combines cardio and strength training;

5. It’s extremely efficient and it burns fat fast;

6. It’s great for any fitness level and at any fitness level it can be challenging;

7. It’s great for building balance, flexibility, coordination, and strength – both physically and mentally; and

8. There’s never any reason not to work out.

So go ahead…give it a try.

~FB

 

 

 

Day 13 – Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

Day 13 – Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

Staying in a routine allows us to become complacent in our lives.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to become complacent in anything I do.  Stepping outside our comfort zone can allow us to learn about ourselves, gives us opportunity to grow, expands our creativity, increases our self confidence, gives us a new sense of adventure.   When I went to Mexico on vacation a while back, I decided one day to not go on an excursion with my travel buddies.  Instead, I spent the day by myself exploring – myself and my surroundings.  I went to the beach and ate alone and had an adventure all by myself.  And I have always stated that that one day alone was the best day of the entire trip.

    “Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” — Brian Tracy

Day 12

Day 12 – Get Your Steps In

It’s Saturday. Get outside and take a walk or a hike or a run. Hit the dance, floor with your friends, dance around your living room, do some yard work, go to the gym, roam around the mall. Just set yourself a goal and get moving.

Did you know that even just a few minutes of exercise can boost your mood?  So go ahead and make Saturday a great day!

~FB

Day 11 – Sleep

Day 11 – Sleep

Statistics have prove that we are sleep-deprived. Most us having trouble sleeping, or staying asleep. We don’t find our sleep refreshing and we certainly aren’t sleeping enough. So do yourself a favor and go to bed early (earlier). Hit the sack 30, 60, 90 minutes earlier and fill up on rest. Take a nap even. Catch up on those lost Zs. Once upon a time I had insomnia and it was terrible. For months, I was a zombie…sleeping only a few hours about every 4 days. Take advantage of having the luxury of laying your head down on a cozy pillow and pulling your sheets up and having a good night’s sleep.

Today is Friday.  The weekend is a perfect time to take advantage of getting more sleep.  Either go to bed earlier, sleep in later, or take a nap – or two.  Enjoy.

~FB

Day 10 – Be Productive

Day 10 – Be Productive 

Wake up 30 minutes early and do something productive with your time.  Take and hour and finish that project you started two months ago.  Spend 25 minutes studying or finishing that book.  Give yourself some time to fit in a decent workout or finish the dishes or whatever it is you have been putting off.

There’s a quote that says “Don’t just be busy, be productive.”  Let’s all try and heed that advice and try and get stuff done.  Let’s not waste too many minutes so that we can go out and enjoy life.

~FB

Day 9 – Go Meatless

Day 9 – Go Meatless

Going meatless, even just once to a few times a week, can have a tremendous impact on your health. You don’t have to cut all animal products out of your life cold-turkey, but decreasing the amount of meat and increasing the amount of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole-grains that you eat can do wonders for your health and the health of the environment.

Don’t get me wrong (or hate me), I am a full-on meat eater.  But eliminating meat from meals every once in a while can be great.  It can be time-saving, money-saving, and health-beneficial.  You don’t have to sacrifice deliciousness because you’re eliminating meat.  Have you ever tried a whole roasted herbed cauliflower or a vegetable burger? Mmmmm.

Go ahead and expand your horizons by making full meals solely out of plants.  You’ll be surprised with the plethora of ideas and recipes you can find or come up with.

~FB