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Three Common Mistakes in Parenting


There is no doubt that all parents want to always do right by their kids by unconditionally loving and nurturing them. However, amongst their blind love for their children, parents all around the globe tend to make some common mistakes, and they are as follows:

 

Giving Too Much and Expecting No Return 

Of course, parents work hard so that they can afford to cater to all the needs of their children and provide for them. However, by giving continuously to their kids and fulfilling all their demands, parents tend to spoil their kids. This only makes the children self-centered kids, forcing them to believe that they are entitled to everything. Safe to say, such children, find it extremely difficult to cope in the real world when they are on their own.

It has been proven that assigning children regular unpaid chores and talking to them about how the contribution from them is needed to make it all work can go a long way in helping kids become empathetic.

Plus, teaching them the importance of money is also essential. So, please give them a particular allowance and encourage them to spend on things that matter, save for the future, and give away to worthy causes. This will surely teach them a valuable lesson or two.

 

 

Becoming a Friend

Yes, you need your children to share everything necessary with you and consider you someone they can confide in. However, don’t make the mistake of always acting ‘cool’ all the time and ignoring things such as them disrespecting elders or lacking behind in studies. Boundaries are so important!

There are three main styles of parenting: Authoritarian – low on love and high with expectations – permissive – Low on authority but high on love – and authoritative – Responsive, nurturing, high with expectations, and not afraid to exercise control when needed. 

Guess, which style of parenting has been proven to be most effective? Yes, it is indeed, authoritative.

Not Trying To Create Family Culture

One’s family environment shapes them.

Nowadays, with media and technology continually bombarding children and adults alike with all sorts of negative messages, the role of a family has become even more critical.

Creating a positive family culture, being vigilant, and providing certain crucial values for the children to abide by is vital. For instance, when children hit puberty, they need to be educated about pornography and drugs. There should be rules about when and where technological devices are used. Plus, spending time together is also important be it on vacations, watching movies, or worshipping.

 

The bottom line is that parents do make inevitable mistakes that are entirely avoidable. By giving certain essential responsibilities to children at a young age, exercising authority when required, and taking control of external factors such as what sort of people the children hang out with and the information they are exposed to can go a long way in developing kids that grow up to a responsible member of the society.   

Turn Negativity into Positivity and Save Your Relationship


Why is it that we find it extremely hard to accept, praise, and even love our friends, family members, and partners while we don’t leave a stone unturned when it comes to criticizing the same people?

Maybe this is because of the way we are brought up and the way society shapes us.

It could also be because it is just natural to blame others and find faults. Isn’t it?

However, it is about time we realize that in favoring conflict and antagonism over empathy and love, we are only adversely affecting ourselves and the ones closest to us.

I find it bewildering when during therapy sessions, clients talk to me about the positive feelings they had experienced with their partners but when I ask them if they shared this with their significant other, they say no. Upon further inquiry, when I ask them why didn’t they talk to their partners and make them feel good by sharing this information, what I often get is a surprised look.

Yes, it might seem that all one needs to is spread the positivity, but it’s not at all as easy as it seems.

 

The Endless Cycle Of Negativity

When the spark in a relationship tends to fade away, the energy considerably declines, and negativity starts to creep in. The same thing happens in a relationship that starts becoming violent. Severe criticism, abuse, and cold body language begin to create stark differences.

Things might seem difficult, and there’s no denying the fact that they are challenging. However, relationships can be turned around – even right from the lowest point. This can be done by making the most of the pivotal moments such as sharing some positive experience, helping your counterpart feel better in difficult circumstances, and showing that you care.

Stop overthinking and start working on your relationship.

You’ll later be thanking yourself that you did.

 

Why praising and encouraging others is so difficult?

What happens is that most of the time, people are keeping score of how many times a specific person helped them or made them feel better and how many times did they insult them or caused them pain. This substantially lowers the chances of developing a loving and compassionate relationship because the focus isn’t where it is supposed to be.

It’s essential you realize that if you aim to win, then you’ll eventually lose.

Become more forgiving and spread kindness. Communicate. Say what you feel and why you feel it. Increase positivity in your relationships to strengthen them.

Do your best, and things will eventually work out.

Remember that you have all the power you need to change the course of any relationship of yours for the better. The choice is yours and we are here to support you. 

 

Types Of Anger | Which Anger Types Affect You?


 

Various types of anger affect us. Nearly everyone experiences anger from time to time. Harnessing your anger and learning to control it takes time and practice, but it is possible. However, even those who have their anger under excellent control are still likely to be affected by the anger of others.

 

This article offers smart tips about anticipating, controlling, and reversing anger in any situation. We also provide advice about how to react to the anger of others. The four most common types of anger that we have to deal with regularly are:

 

  •    Temper Tantrum Anger
  •    Aggressive Anger
  •    Annoyance Anger
  •    Justifiable Anger

 

Type of Anger #1: Temper Tantrums

The temper tantrum type of anger typically manifests during childhood. Most young people are prone to tantrums during their early development and maturation phases. Think terrible twos.

 

Temper tantrums are not always justifiable and are commonly displaced onto proximal individuals who have done nothing to deserve the treatment. Sometimes, the emotional fury of a temper tantrum is woven with aggressive anger-based actions like those reviewed below.

 

The type of anger that a temper tantrum causes is commonly a disproportionate emotional outburst that surfaces when the person doesn’t “get their way.” Their selfish desires overtake them, resulting in a dramatic refusal to be logical or cordial. Thankfully, most people grow out of their temper tantrum stages as they mature and become more compassionate.

 

Those that continue to throw temper tantrums into adulthood commonly have difficulties developing mature, sustainable relationships. Many people find that they need to seek professional help in overcoming their tantrums. They know that change is necessary but often fail to ask for help.

 

If you are an adult that suffers from throwing temper tantrums, then it is essential to take steps to become more self-aware. Take an action back and look at yourself the way that others are seeing you. It takes a sincere desire to change for the better but is truly worth the effort!

 

Type of Anger #2: Aggressive Anger

The aggressive type of anger can manifest in several different forms. It doesn’t have to be physical in nature. It can include intimidation, dominance, and other forms of mental and physical manipulation and control. Psychological abuse, emotional violence, bullying, and other forms of oppression all qualify as aggressive anger.

 

People that demonstrate the aggressive type of anger are trying to cover their insecurities by acting dominant. When aggressive anger is left unaddressed, it often leads to adverse outcomes, including physical harm, emotional trauma, ruined relationships, reputation damage, incarceration, and worse.

 

If you are chronically affected by an aggressively angry person, look at them mindfully. You will see an underlying sense of fear and inadequacy inside them. This is the source of their improperly aggressive behaviors. It would help if you kept a safe distance from these people until they actively seek help to improve.

Type of Anger #3: Annoyance Anger

Annoyance anger is the most common type of anger in responsible adults. Life can be frustrating for all of us, and sometimes, it gets the better of us. We can lash out in annoyance anger and almost instantly regret what we have said or done to someone close to us.

 

To avoid the annoyance type of anger, concentrate your thoughts on the positive aspects of your days instead of allowing the inevitable not-so-positive elements to control your thoughts. Move through the unpleasant annoyances to make them exit your day. Anticipating the things that are prone to annoy and limiting your exposure to them will help you to remain more positive and happier!

 

Type of Anger #4: Justifiable Anger

The justifiable kind of anger is caused by having a sense of moral high ground and asserting it. For instance, you might find yourself feeling angry about apparent injustices in the world (starving children, slavery, cruelty to animals, human trafficking, etc.), and then, find yourself acting out in anger because of those feelings.

 

This type of anger stems from feelings of helplessness to change situations or events that are larger than us. In the short-term, expressing justifiable anger can have some benefit by releasing endorphins and just allowing yourself to “vent.”

 

However, if you find yourself expressing justifiable anger on a continuous and regular basis, you should consider seeking some professional counseling to help guide your recovery and increase your well-being. In the long-term, this type of anger will hurt you more than anyone else.

 

Other Types of Anger

It’s important to understand that the four types of anger discussed in this article are not the only types. These four are types of psychological anger, but there are others to consider. For example, some people feel chronically irritated or angry because of hormone imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, illicit or prescription substance misuse, a brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and various other causes.

 

Title: Mindfulness: A Way To Reshape How You Think About Yourself


Research has shown that 90 % of our thoughts are not only repetitive but also not supportive of a positive and healthy life. Often, we are getting stuck in negative thought loops of which it is only hard to get out again at times!

 

Many of those thoughts and beliefs, which are circulating continuously in our minds, form at a very young age. Possibly back then they had some bearing to the mind of a growing child, but by adulthood, we have outgrown most of those thoughts and beliefs. We tend to hold on to them because we have never learned how to let go of them.

 

Meditation and practicing mindfulness are valuable tools, which can help us to escape from this distraction and find greater peace and purpose in our lives! In this article, we’ll show you how the practice of mindfulness can help you too!

 

As mentioned above, thought patterns are complex. For the majority of our thoughts, we are unable to name their roots. They are somehow “always” there. And yet, every thought was formed out of an experience with an accompanying emotion. What might have been terrifying to a young child is less scary for an adult; however, you still carry those frightening thoughts with you. It is not only the mental energy you are wasting on those thought loops. Those kinds of thoughts have the habit of keeping you from what you want to do with your life. Part of your mind is still stuck in the situation you experienced as a child.

 

It’s important to note that while mindfulness is an essential tool to implement, it is not a magic switch to turn off all the bad and turn on all the good. Some experiences can be so traumatic, that only a skilled therapist will be able helping you to resolve the trauma.

 

How can mindfulness help you to disconnect from your outdated mind bubble?

 

Mindfulness refers to a practice of observing one’s mind. This practice releases you from thinking and agonizing about past and future and brings you right back into the present. Only in the state of being in the present will you be able to assess your situation with an open mind.

Thoughts are not just things that float around in our heads, making us feel depressed, happy, or anything else in between. Thoughts come from powerful electrical impulses, also known as neurotransmitters. They are like an old dirt road. The more you use the same thought pattern, the more ingrained it becomes– we like to call it the neuro highway. After repeating those thoughts for years, your thinking starts to default to the same pattern, whenever you touch on a similar emotion from where the pattern originated. Mindfulness and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy are powerful alternatives to traditional CBT  (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). They can help you to modify what is no longer useful to your thinking.

 

To change the habitual thought bubble, you need awareness.

 

In this, mindfulness is the tool that lets you look at yourself and re-evaluate which of your thoughts are still relevant and which are not.

Therefore, the next time you observe yourself mindlessly indulging in habitual unhealthy thoughts, you have the power to stop. You can then reassess and redirect your thoughts to something which is in accordance with the reality of your situation, commonly known as ontology.

 

There is a reason why it is called “the road less traveled.”

 

The process of letting go of your old habitual thought pattern is not easy. However, with patience and time, it can be done. From the vantage point of ontology, you can observe how your mental and emotional state continually influences each other. Emotions trigger thoughts, and thoughts trigger emotions. The study of your own mental and emotional processes will help you to replace old habits and eliminate those profoundly ingrained thought patterns.

 

With practice, you will start to see that some thoughts are not a real representation of your situation. They might feel real, but they are only an event in your mind. One thought comes and shortly after is pushed aside by the next.

 

Mindfulness claims back your mental power and will help you to grow into your own being — the person you were meant to be.

 

5 Misconceptions Regarding Mental Illness


Depression, anxiety, schizophrenia – these are only three of the many mental illnesses that are affecting the global population. In the United States alone, 18.1% of adults are affected by anxiety disorders1. As many as 50% of patients who have depression will also suffer from some anxiety disorder. Even though the statistics are quite alarming, less than 60% of the population are obtaining the treatment they need to recover from these mental conditions.

Even though many campaigns have been launched to help make the world more aware of the dangers that depression and other mental illnesses pose, and that treatment can help to ease these symptoms, many people still feel alone and unsure of what to do next. This is largely due to incorrect information that has been spread regarding mental conditions over the years.

Here, we take a look at some of the common misconceptions that you might have heard regarding depression, anxiety, and other types of mental conditions.

Misconception 1: You Cannot Recover From A Mental Illness

Sadly, many people think that being diagnosed with or experiencing symptoms associated with mental illness means they are ill-fated for life. The truth is, depression and other mental illnesses can effectively be treated. While some conditions do not have complete cures, there are various ways to manage such conditions. Studies have shown that it is vital for individuals with depression to become part of a treatment strategy. Different types of treatments have been developed and continue to develop as research advances.  A combination of psychotherapy, along with antidepressants, can yield effective results in people with symptoms associated with these conditions. It has also been found that many alternative forms of therapy can yield fruitful results as well.

Misconception 2: You Can Snap Out Of Depression Without Treatment

Another common thought that many people have is that they will be able to “snap” out of depression and other mental illnesses, rendering the need for treatment useless. However, this is not the case. Depression is a real disease that affects the way a person thinks due to changing the chemistry in our brains. The condition is classified as a mood disorder and can even be disabling in severe cases. Treatment is needed to ensure a person can overcome the negative way of thinking and better cope with their everyday situations.

Misconception 3: Mental Illness Causes Violence

Another common misconception about mental illness is that people who suffer from these conditions are violent. Sure, about 5% of violent acts may be linked to certain mental illnesses, but many other factors cause people to become violent too. It has been found that a person who has a mental illness is also far more likely to become a victim to violence than become a violent individual themselves.

Misconception 4: Mental Illness Only Affect Adults

Even though adults are more commonly affected by depression and anxiety, as well as other mental illnesses, it is important to note that children can also experience these conditions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 10% of children under 17 years of age have been diagnosed with ADHD. Depression affects around 3.2% of children and anxiety an estimated 7.1% of individuals younger than 17 years. Many children who experience behavior disorders will also suffer from symptoms that are associated with anxiety or depression as well.

Misconception 5: People With A Mental Illness are Weak

Unfortunately, society has already created this image that may cause some people to think that they will be looked upon as being weak if they admit to their mental illnesses and undergo treatment for the condition that they have developed. The truth is, millions of people have mental illnesses, and many of these individuals have incredible mental strength. Mental illness does not make you weak, and it does not mean you have weak mental strength.

Concluding Thoughts

Mental illnesses are real and can be deliberating. These conditions can also affect any person – young or old. Treatment can effectively alleviate symptoms, but most people with mental illness are not being treated. Unfortunately, many myths have been spread about mental illnesses, and many of these false facts are causing people to hesitate to undergo treatment for their condition.  If you or someone you know needs help, please know we are here.

5 Top-Rated Self-Help Books of 2019


If you’re looking for some great books to cuddle up with that support your journey through self-discovery, look no further. We have compiled a list of the top books of 2019 that will be nothing short of educational and inspiring.

 

Declutter Your Mind By Steve Scott and Barry Davenport

The subtitle of this book says it all. Declutter Your Mind is an excellent book if you are looking for something hands on. The book includes a variety of exercises to help you engage the tools you are learning as you read. The authors take the reader on a journey of understanding the causes of mental clutter, how to turn negative thought patterns to the positive, strategies for coping with rocky relationships, goal setting and so much more.

No More Fighting: The Relationship Book for Couples: 20 Minutes a Week to a Stronger Relationship

This book provides over a year’s worth of weekly, hands-on relationship activities aimed to help couples overcome common relationship problems in efforts to build a stronger connection. Each activity can be completed in just 20 minutes and provides the couples with prompts, practical advice, and more.

Dare To Lead by Brene Brown

According to Brown, strong leadership is the result of four skill sets that an individual can learn and measure. In this book, she shares what it means to rise up strong, dare greatly and be brave. Through her words of wisdom, she teaches the reader how to learn these skills and choose courage.

You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero

Need a confidence boost? You’re in luck. This book will help you go beyond fear and help you lead a remarkable life. Written by a bestselling author and professional success coach, this book illustrates the best ways to identify and change harmful behaviors that are keeping you from living the life you want. What sets this self-help book apart from the others are the engaging end-of-chapter exercises.

Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be

In this humor and attitude driven book, author Rachel Hollis helps readers break free from the lies keeping them from the joy-filled and abundant life they are meant to have.

Each chapter of this book begins with a specific lie Hollis once believed that in turn, left her feeling overwhelmed and unworthy. As a working mother, a former foster parent, and a woman who has dealt with insecurities about her body and relationships, she speaks from the heart with determination to help women unpack the limiting mindsets that destroy their self-confidence.

5 Tips for Visualizing Success


If you want to increase the likelihood of attaining your goals, visualization is where it all begins. Having the ability to visualize your goals mindfully, teaches your brain to recognize what resources it will need to help you succeed in reaching your goals.

Many successful people and celebrities use visualization to achieving their dreams and goals, and you can do that too. Have a look at a few practical tips for successful visualization:

 

A Right State of Mind is Crucial:

If you have a positive state of mind, you will ultimately think positively which is essential for successful visualization. Clear your mind from unnecessary thoughts by involving in activities that help you feel relaxed. Examples of these activities are listening to your favorite music, going for a walk, reading or just taking a bath.

 

Involve All of Your Senses:

It would help if you kept in mind that you are the hero of your own story. Being a lead character means actively participating in your own narrative, which involves using all of your senses. Take a minute to picture yourself in a scene where you can smell, taste, see, hear and feel things –  both physically and emotionally.

For instance, if you are visualizing yourself as a boxing champion, envision yourself with a trophy, taste the sweat slipping into your mouth from your forehead, smell the bouquet of flowers given to you from your fans, hear the sound of loud applause when they announce your victory and feel the handshakes from your main supporters.

This will help you make your visualization as vivid and as real as possible.

Put Yourself in the Picture:

Many people make the mistake of visualizing themselves from just 1st person’s perspective. It would be best if you saw yourself achieving your goal from every angle, which often involves 2nd and 3rd person’s perspectives as well. Let’s continue this by taking the same boxing championship example mentioned above.

You have already envisioned yourself using all five senses, now be the audience and see yourself pinning down your opponent and receiving the trophy.

Now envision yourself from 3rd person’s perspective where people are telling each other about your success. This creates a concrete image of you accomplishing your goal in your mind, and you ultimately do it. 

Put Together a Vision Board:

Another source of visualizing besides your direct thoughts is your sight. Simply put, you can also visualize effectively and realistically if you have your goal and action plan written in front of you. You can create a ‘vision board’ and write your goal on top of it and then a complete strategy to achieving it.

This way, you will daily see your goal unfolding into reality through the action plan on your board. It will also make you visualize yourself achieving that goal regularly as you will see that board daily.

 

Use Self-Talk:

You are working hard to achieving your goal, and you have already made your goal a reality in your mind, but still, negative thoughts can take place. The human brain cannot have positive thoughts all the time. When things get depressing due to some setbacks in your struggle, self-talk will be the key to get you back on track with visualizing.

Tell yourself that you can do it. Like the legendary Boxer, Mohammad Ali used to say “I am the greatest.” This positive self-talk will help you push back the negative thoughts and help you visualize more clearly.

These tips will work great if you implement them in your regular visualization practice. Just remember that visualization without effort is fantasy. Work hard, set goals, act on the strategies to achieve that goal, visualize yourself achieving your goals and then witness the power of visualization.

 

How To Conquer Difficult Emotions and Boost Your Inner Peace


Difficult emotions come and go, and all throughout life, they will continue to. It is okay and normal to have these emotions, and we can continue to learn how to manage them. Mindfulness is an important aspect of our lives and it continues to expand and grow beyond belief. Granted, it’s not the simplest or easiest thing to focus on, and it does come with its fair share of challenges. Some say that just by performing yoga or using mindfulness apps you will be able to find inner peace.

 

These simple tools don’t work for everyone, and whether they do or not, it remains to be seen. Keeping in mind that the potential to achieve this piece is available, it’s important for you to find the right way to achieve all these goals in a powerful and comprehensive manner. Here are 5 tips that will help you conquer emotions and channel your inner peace.

Start with cultivating emotional awareness

There will always be emotional problems in our lives. The idea here is that we need to have active attention and we must focus on the present. Being aware of what happens and finding some methods to deal with it can help you quite a bit. In these cases, it’s important to be mindful and study your behaviors, feelings, and ideas whenever you experience a negative emotion. Understanding how you react to negative emotions will offer insight on a good way of handling things properly.

Learn to live with discomfort

It’s easier to be aware of negative feelings if you embrace discomfort. Once you do that you will boost your toleration to this and make it a habit to begin with. But it’s important not to live in the past, you want to embrace curiosity, accept the pros and cons and think forward. Discomfort may feel scary and unsafe but won’t harm you if you learn how to accept yourself. 

 

Understand physical sensations

Interoceptive exercises help evoke similar sensations to stress and anxiety. That being said, it’s important to be aware of these sensations by cultivating them one at a time. The 5-minute body scan method is handy because it allows you to become aware of your breath, body, and sensations. You do need to test it out a few times, but it will work great. Here is a link to these exercises.

Understanding emotion-driven behaviors

The idea here is to figure out what leads to this type of reactions as you actively try to find the right solutions. For the most part, you will see that negative emotions can bring in harm so you have to determine how adaptable the behaviors can really be. Just think about a particular emotion and see how you react to it. Based on that, you get to understand what drives the emotion if it’s a good thing and in the end, you will feel a whole lot better.

 

Examine the evidence for both sides

You want to study the evidence for both the positive and negative side of your emotions. It’s a lot easier to handle these things if you shift your thinking pattern to a newer, fresher perspective. Try to be open-minded and examine both sides of the coin for the best results.

We always encourage you to find good, creative ways to explore your emotions.

 

Conquering your emotions might not be easy, but it’s something well worth doing. Try to add mindfulness to your daily routine and you will find it a lot easier to better all emotions as you pave your road your happiness!

6 Signs You’re Partner May Be Cheating


 

 

If you’ve ever had to ask yourself whether your partner is being unfaithful or not, chances are something may be up. If you are getting that feeling, some signs just can’t be ignored. Here are six common signs to look for:

 

Unusual generosity

An affair takes time — time that the partner should not notice. They set a certain schedule to “get rid” of the partner with fixed dates – best in the form of generous gifts at certain times, so the partner knows precisely when s/he has a free evening for themselves.

Unusually generous gestures should even make you sit up and take notice. Because an affair causes feelings of guilt, the unfaithfulness may suddenly spill over by gifting the partner with flowers, small gifts and sweet attentions such as breakfast on the bed or a love message in their pocket.

 

 

Emotional fluctuations

The person who cheats is deceiving the partner and continually running the risk of being caught especially if their partner gets suspicious and the unfaithful one notices that.  For example, they may react very sensitively and defensively to questions about appointments.

If you question your partner with your suspicions, s/he will counter opposing charges, or make a scene out of sheer disappointment with “such an unfair insinuation” and be insulted for days at a time. In any case, it will be an extreme reaction and work as if rehearsed.

 

 

More or less sex

Also in your sex life, you will notice changes in the case of an affair. Either you have (still) less sex than before or much more than usual. Sounds paradoxical? Not necessarily.

The other lover usually has a malicious conscience and wants to compensate their partner with more affection. On the other hand, a well-known proverb says: “The appetite comes with the meal,” and so it sometimes happens during sex.

The more you have, the more you want. It is particularly noticeable when the partner suddenly wants to try new positions but already mastered them perfectly. Did s/he maybe practice somewhere else?

 

 

Overtime, Overtime

“It took longer in the office” is the classic movie scene for the cheating excuses. However, the cliché often corresponds to the truth. Many people use alleged overtime for a hot adventure. With a call to the secretary or colleagues and a view of the parking lot with the employer can check that.

If your partner is still in the office, do not weigh yourself down. Professionals work overtime, but only use a few of them for extramarital “activities.”

 

 

New look, new perfume

Do you know the song “A new love is like a new life”? The same is true of an affair. It does not necessarily have to be love, but to cheat on one’s partner leaves its mark on the cheater: in their everyday life, emotional life and sometimes in their wardrobe.

A complete type of change is often an indication that something is going on. Is your partner suddenly wearing cool jeans instead of the worn corduroy trousers, a new perfume, or dying their hair? This could be the influence of another woman or another man.

 

 

From couch potato to fitness freak

For a new lover, the body has to be in top shape again! Anyone who suddenly feeds on salad and protein bars and runs to the gym five days a week, somehow makes you suspicious, right? In today’s world, it is difficult to filter out the cheaters among the real fitness fanatics. However, the conversation with your partner will possibly unveil the truth. At least, by seeing their reaction when answering you. Cheaters usually have to think long to provide the reason of “why” questions.

10 Ways to Reduce Stress During Your Day


An overwhelming sense of stress can throw off our whole day. These ten simple tips will help you take your life back into your own hands. Bye-bye stress, hello stress-free existence!

Breathe in, breathe out

Take a short break every now and then to focus on your breath. Bring yourself into the present moment and think about what you are feeling. Those who acknowledge their feelings can deal with them much better.

 

Tea is the new coffee

Are you a big-time coffee drinker? Then you’ve undoubtedly noticed that caffeine makes you restless. Sip on a hot cup of tea. Focus on the temperature and the comfort it brings.

 

 

A pause is a break

Do you often have lunch at your computer while working? Take some time for yourself and relax during the lunch break. Read a book or magazine, take a walk or call a friend. Breaking up the day can minimize stress and keep the stress at bay.

 

 

Increase me-time

Do your colleagues or family members sometimes get on your nerves? Relationships of all sort can be hard work! Be mindful and take a few minutes for yourself each day.

 

 

Talk with a good friend

There’s nothing better than a friendly conversation with your best friend but be sure to avoid topics that cause stress. Reflect on sweet memories together so that you forget everything that may be creating tension at the moment.

 

 

Get rid of sugar

Do you occasionally enjoy a lovely cake or homemade cookies? It’s difficult, but try to eat as little sugar-rich snacks as possible. Nuts or a piece of fruit give you twice as much energy without the emotional ups and downs sugar can cause.

 

 

Keep tidy

When there are piles of papers, letters, folders, and pens, a desk quickly turns into a mess. So take a moment to tidy everything up again. A tidy desk is an orderly mind.

 

 

Mirror, please!

It’s hard to see a way out of the chaos. Take a good look at yourself in the mirror – you are OK. You have been in the situation once before, and you are ultimately in control.

 

 

Let the feelings flow

It’s okay to feel these feelings — you are safe, even when it may feel like you are not. Often fighting these feelings adds fuel to the fire. Thank your body for all it’s hard work.

 

 

A good night’s sleep

Do you worry at night? That, of course, does not help you start your day well and relaxed. Drink a cup of tea before bedtime, take a bath, or find a relaxing practice to put into place. This way you will undoubtedly go to bed as relaxed as possible.

 

 

Finally and most importantly, realize that you are OK. You are safe. You will be taken care of. When you relax, the breath automatically flows in. Implement self-compassion. Dare to be honest. You don’t have to make yourself bigger or better than you are. Show yourself entirely with all your beauty – and also your shadow edges. You are a person who, just like everyone else on this planet, is looking for a bit of calm in each day.