Page 1155

Study Proves Experiences, Not Things, Make People Happy

January 6, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Happiness – does it come from the memories you make or the possessions you accumulate? While many people already know the answer to this, a surprising number still run out to buy the latest and greatest gadgets and clothing. They hope these purchases will make them happy.

Study Proves Experiences, Not Things, Bring Satisfaction to People

Economists believe that people spend their disposable income on things rather than experiences because they view the objects as having a higher perceived value since they will last longer. Logically, this makes sense – an experience lasts a relatively short amount of time compared to the object, so of course, most people would instead put their hard-earned dollars into something that will give them value for a more extended period.

However, a new study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology finally proves that experiences make people happy rather than things, which throws all of that flawed logic out the window. While we might perceive the material object as having more value since it’s tangible and usable, we will inevitably adapt to the possession over time. Therefore, its value decreases.

On the other hand, we might not immediately recognize the value of an experience we have. But upon looking back on it and reminiscing over the memories we made, it becomes a part of us. We can relate more to others who have similar experiences than a similar car or flatscreen TV.

In the study referenced above, San Francisco State Associate Professor of Psychology Ryan Howell surveyed people before and after purchasing. He came to this conclusion:

“Prior to the purchase, respondents said they believed a life experience would make them happier but a material item would be a better use of their money. After the purchase, however, respondents reported that life experiences not only made them happier but were also the better value.”

When you think about the conversations you have with people, what do you remember bonding over? The new iPhone you just bought or the trips you have been on in your lives built your character and changed your whole outlook on life?

Dr. Thomas Gilovich, a psychology professor at Cornell University, explains why we feel happy about having experiences rather than purchasing more things we don’t need:

“Our experiences are a bigger part of ourselves than our material goods.You can really like your material stuff. You can even think that part of your identity is connected to those things, but nonetheless they remain separate from you. In contrast, your experiences really are part of you. We are the sum total of our experiences.”

At the end of our lives, we won’t look back on how many cars or homes we purchased, how much money we had left in our bank, or what size TV we had. Instead, we will think back on the people who touched our hearts, who we got to share invaluable experiences with that changed us forever, and the beautiful places on this Earth we got to explore with them.

It might seem tempting to compare yourself to others who seem to have more material items than you and feel jealous of them. But remember that you don’t own the stuff. In fact, it ends up owning you. Furthermore, any big-ticket item you buy means lots of debt you’ll have to pay back, which equates to added stress and strained finances. Finally, of course, an experience can cost a lot if you choose, but at least you will have made memories and possibly new friends in the process.

Final Thoughts on Being Happy With Fewer Things

In short, material objects build our egos, but experiences develop our character. So which one sounds more critical and more likely to make you happy?

The next time you get paid, consciously think about where you’d like your money to go before you blow it all on a big-ticket item that will sit in your house and lose value. Instead, an experience will sit in your heart for years to come, making you feel more connected to yourself and others. Most importantly, you will feel happy. We all deserve happiness, and now that we can prove where it comes from, hopefully, more people will rush out to buy a skydiving session or excursions in foreign countries or an art class they’ve always wanted to take.

Remember, you don’t get to go back in time and redo the choices you made. So commit to living in the present and doing things that genuinely make you happy.

8 Signs Your Partner Is Trying to Control You

January 6, 2016 by Power of Positivity

When did this relationship go from being a loving romance to an emotionally draining combat zone? If you’re wondering how to escape from the toxic partner that you’re with, it could be a sign that your partner is trying to control and maybe even command your relationship. Here are some red flags to look out for.

8 Warning Signs Your Partner Is Trying to Control You

Do you spot any of these signs of a controlling loved one? If so, it might be time to examine the relationship more carefully.

1. They put conditions on their love.

Your partner should give love effortlessly without making rules about whether or not you deserve their affection. When someone uses language like “If you’d only act differently, I could love you,” they are putting a limit on their love.

In a healthy relationship, your partner would recognize that we are all working on becoming better people, and although you may have things that you want to change about yourself, they love you just the same.

2. They restrict your interactions with others.

When your partner limits who, when, or where you can talk to other people, they are trying to control you in an unhealthy way. You should have the freedom to have an active social life without being made to feel guilty for talking to others, whether they be of the same or opposite sex.

Healthy partnerships allow each person the freedom to grow and develop within the boundaries of a supportive relationship. Restricting your social interaction is a sign of an insecure partner who wants to control you.

3. They manipulate your emotions.

Your partner is trying to control you if they try to make you feel guilty, anxious, jealous, afraid, or depressed. Although you control your emotions and how you respond to someone’s actions or words, a manipulative person will act in ways that attempt to elicit these negative emotions from you.

A manipulator can be very good at hiding their tactics. You can read more about how to recognize a manipulator here.

4. They have trust issues.

In a study of couples who experienced a significant conflict, those who felt less secure in their relationships perceived more conflict with their dating partners and reported a tendency for conflicts to escalate in severity. An insecure partner can quickly make an argument go from a minor one to an intense one.

If you haven’t given your partner any reason to not trust you, but they spy on you or check your phone and computer when you aren’t looking, they are attempting to control your level of privacy.

Your partner may make assumptions about who you spend time with and make accusations about your unfaithful behavior, even if they do not have any reason to suspect it. The only way this type of controlling person feels comfortable is when they know what you are doing at all times.

Don’t let someone control your actions. A healthy partnership has a foundation of trust and honesty. If you or your partner cannot trust each other, the relationship may be unable to survive.

5. They put you down.

There are healthy ways to disagree with your partner. Use of language that is belittling or insulting is uncalled for, even during an argument. The use of hurtful language to each other is a sign that your partner wants to control you by keeping you in a negative emotional state.

6. They are hostile toward you.

Signs of extreme anger, violent actions, threats of violence, threats of punishment, or violent sex are all very concerning signs in a relationship. For the sake of your safety, get to a safe location immediately. A person who uses physical violence to control another person is dangerous to themselves and others.

According to the National Violence Against Women Survey, the lifetime prevalence of physical assault by a partner was 22.1% for women and 7.4% for men. You can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233) and speak confidentially to someone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

7. You feel emotionally drained.

When you notice that feelings of sadness, depression, or thoughts of being trapped in this controlling relationship have been happening to you, it’s time to seek help or exit the relationship.

A healthy partnership should make you feel safe, secure, happy, and emotionally fulfilled most of the time. All couples will experience conflict and times of sadness, but those should be less frequent.

8. You have low self-esteem.

Suppose you take your partner’s actions or words personally and have begun to feel like you are less critical as a person than you were before the relationship started. In that case, that is a sign that you’re in a controlling relationship.

When you notice that you have changed, but it’s not for the better, your mental well-being is at stake. If this is the wrong relationship for you, make a change now for your health and happiness.

The ONE Thing That May Be Causing Your Back Pain

January 5, 2016 by Power of Positivity

What if that backache pain that you feel is easily fixed by increasing your intake of one vitamin? You may not realize it, but it’s easy to mistake lower back pain as a sign of an injury. Joint pain can also mimic symptoms of this vitamin deficiency.

In the winter, most of the northern hemisphere gets less sun than it will during the Spring, Summer and Fall. The temperatures are also lower, so we cover up and stay inside our heated homes and workplaces as much as possible.

As a result, we leave our homes bundled up, get into our transportation, enter our workplaces, and return home having rarely had any skin exposed to the sun. We lose the benefit of direct sunlight on exposed skin which produces our Vitamin D quota for the day.

We have been told that skin cancer is such a high risk that we should cover up or apply sunscreen to any exposed skin. But it that really necessary? The risk of sunscreen versus the benefit of naturally absorbed Vitamin D in one health decision where we tend to err on the side of caution.

Since we would rather avoid skin cancer from too much ultraviolet radiation from the sun, we lose the benefit of Vitamin D that natural sunlight provides.

This Common Vitamin Deficiency Causes Back and Joint Pain

When we lack adequate Vitamin D, we reduce our body’s ability to absorb calcium which strengthens our bones. Something as correctible as a Vitamin D deficiency can cause back and joint pain to such a degree that we might seek the help of a medical professional.

Pain and Vitamin deficiency

In a study of 360 patients (90% women and 10% men) who reported lower back pain and visited a spinal and internal medicine clinic over a 6-year period, 83% of the study patients had an abnormally low level of vitamin D.

These were patients, ages 15 to 52, who had low back pain with no obvious cause for longer than 6 months. After treatment with Vitamin D supplements, measurable improvement in symptoms was seen in all the groups that had a low level of vitamin D, and in 95% of all the patients.

Bone and joint pain as a result of Vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D is important for the absorption of dietary calcium. When someone is deficient in vitamin D, the amount of calcium absorbed is less than what is needed to satisfy the body’s calcium requirement. This results in an increase in the production of parathyroid hormone (PTH). Parathyroid hormone conserves calcium by increasing the reabsorption of calcium by the kidneys. The kidneys then produce a hormonally active form of vitamin D.

When we are deficient in vitamin D, not of the hormonally active form of Vitamin D is produced to maintain calcium absorption. When this happens, the skeleton becomes the source of calcium for the body. This results in osteopenia and osteoporosis.

When we lack enough Vitamin C to properly mineralize our bones and help them be solid, there is an effect of outward pressure on the membrane that covers our bones which has sensory pain fibers. This explains why patients with a Vitamin D deficiency often experience dull. aching pain in their bones.

Many patients with this general bone pain are misdiagnosed by their doctors as having fibromyalgia. The symptom of generalized whole-body bone and joint pain as a result of vitamin deficiency is easily correctible.

In a study of women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, one of the typical treatments (with aromatase inhibitors) led to reports of severe joint pain to the point that the women felt disabled. Supplementing with 50,000 units of Vitamin D per week reduced the frequency of women reporting this severe joint pain.

Prevention of back and joint pain from Vitamin D deficiency

The amount of sun exposure needed to correct this deficiency in Vitamin D is minimal. It is estimated that as little as 10 minutes in the sun, with skin exposed on the face, arms, and legs is enough for a fair-skinned person in the summer months to produce 10,000 units of Vitamin D.

However, if you live north of Atlanta, GA in the winter, you aren’t getting enough sunlight. Darker-skinned people are less able to absorb UVB radiation from the sun which is required to produce Vitamin D. Elderly people are also at higher risk for Vitamin D deficiency.

Treatment of Vitamin D deficiency

A Vitamin D deficiency can be treated easily by giving the patient a dose of 50,000 units of vitamin D once a week for 8 weeks. Long-term treatment of vitamin D deficiency can be accomplished by giving 50,000 units of vitamin D once or twice a month.

Many of our grocery items are fortified with additional Vitamin D. Adding a supplement in the winter of 2,000 units per day may be required to maintain bone and joint health.

8 Ways to Increase Your Vitamin D (and Avoid Pain)

If a vitamin D deficiency causes your back pain or discomfort, there are things you can do to alleviate it. Increasing your Vitamin D intake can make all the difference, and it’s easier than you think.

1. Eat Egg Yolks

Egg yolks are a great source of Vitamin D, and they’re easy to add to your diet. Try to get your eggs from pasture-raised or free-range chickens. They offer up to 15% more of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin D than eggs from a conventionally raised chicken.

If you can find chickens that eat vitamin D enriched grain, their eggs could offer over 100% of your recommended daily intake. However, no matter where you get your eggs, you’re sure to consume more vitamin D than if you didn’t eat egg yolks.

2. Eat Mushrooms

Mushrooms make vitamin D when exposed to UV light, making them a beneficial source to add to your diet. Mushrooms produce D2 or ergocalciferol vitamin D, and humans produce D3 or cholecalciferol. While D3 is more beneficial, both types raise levels in your body.

The Vitamin D content varies for different mushroom types, but wild maitake mushrooms tend to have the highest amount. They provide nearly 300% of your recommended daily intake, ensuring you reach your goal. If you can’t find wild mushrooms, you can typically buy mushrooms treated with UV light.

3. Spend Some Time in the Sun

The sun is one of the best sources of vitamin D, so get outside as often as you can. Your skin contains a type of cholesterol that turns to vitamin D upon exposure to the sun. Research shows that vitamin D derived from the sun stays in your body twice as long as that from food sources or supplements.

If you have darker skin, you’ll have to spend more time outside to produce the vitamin D. Darker skin has more melanin, making vitamin D production harder. Age impacts vitamin D production, as well, because it becomes less efficient as you get older.

Additionally, your proximity to the equator makes a difference in vitamin D production. The closer you live to the equator, the more time of the year you’ll be able to bask in the benefits of sunshine. If you live close to it, you’ll have year-round proximity, but living further away means you’ll only reap the benefits part of the year.

When you spend time in the sun, don’t forget to protect yourself with sunscreen. However, some types of sunscreens can hinder the production of vitamin D. Experts say that you can spend 8-15 minutes in the sun without protection to ensure you receive the vitamins.

4. Eat Foods Fortified with Vitamin D

There aren’t many foods that naturally contain sufficient amounts of vitamin D. Some foods are fortified with the nutrient, making it easier to find it in food sources. Some common fortified foods include:

Orange juice
Milk, including cow’s, soy, almond, and hemp
Cereal
Yogurt
Tofu

Be sure you read the ingredients list to ensure it’s a fortified product. Many options will make it clear on the front of the container, but you might have to look a little harder for others.

5. Sit by a Window

If you sit near an open window, you can receive the benefit of the sun without going outside. The window must be open as many windows block the kind of sunlight you need. If you work from home, move your desk near a window. Otherwise, place your favorite chair near a window you can open and sit in it whenever the sun shines through.

6. Eat Seafood and Fatty Fish

Seafood and fatty fish contain up to 50% of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin D. As one of the richest natural sources of vitamin D, these foods are a great addition to your diet. The amount of nutrients you receive in the food depends on the type and species, but they’re all beneficial.

Some types of seafood and fatty fish that contain vitamin D include:

Oysters
Shrimp
Tuna
Sardines
Mackerel
Anchovies
Cod

Additionally, cod liver oil is a good option for taking in more Vitamin D. It contains high amounts of the nutrient, and you can consume it with warm water or by taking a capsule.

7. Use a UV Lamp

You can invest in a lamp that emits UV-B radiation, boosting your vitamin D levels. Exposure to this radiation triggers your skin to produce vitamin D just like it would in sunlight. If you live far from the equator, you could benefit from having a year-round option.

Using a UV lamp comes with some concerns, so you must be careful. Too much exposure can cause sunburn, so don’t use it for more than 15 minutes at a time.

8. Take Supplements to Decrease Pain

Sometimes it’s best to take a vitamin D supplement to reach your recommended daily intake. Look for a high-quality supplement that contains vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol for the best results. However, if you don’t want supplements from animal sources, you might want to choose D2 instead.

Your supplements should be tested for purity and quality, and the United States doesn’t require this of all products. Make sure you take the time to choose the best and safest supplements.

5 Other Ways to Decrease Back Pain Without Medicine

Increasing your vitamin D intake isn’t the only way to decrease back discomfort. There are many other natural remedies to soothe your discomfort without taking medication.

1. Reduce Pain by Sleeping in a Comfortable Bed

Research shows that your back won’t hurt as much during the day when you get enough sleep at night. Restorative sleep has healing benefits that leave you feeling refreshed. Sleep disturbances can cause or worsen your discomfort, and a lack of sleep affects your pain tolerance.

According to the CDC, adults should get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. If you can’t seem to reach that goal, find some ways to get more sleep, including implementing a routine.

Your mattress or pillows can affect your sleep, so make sure they’re comfortable. Choose pillows that are the right size, allowing your back and neck to align. If you sleep on your side, you should also place a pillow between your knees to ensure bodily alignment.

2. Stretch or Do Yoga to Relieve Pain

Stretching your joints and soft tissues can effectively alleviate your back pain. Simple stretches such as touching your toes can help loosen your back muscles. Additionally, doing yoga is a beneficial way to stretch, and there are many poses you can try.

It stretches your back, improves your muscle and joint health, and distributes healing nutrients throughout your body. When you start doing yoga, stretch your body slowly and stop if you experience any discomfort. Do it in the morning to loosen your spine, reduce stiffness, and alleviate aches in your back.

3. Wear Different Shoes

Shoes that don’t fit properly or offer no support could lead to back pain as it causes muscle strain. High heels throw off your alignment, causing lower back discomfort. If you frequently wear them for long periods, it might be best if you find a more practical option.

Flat shoes with no support can also cause feet and back strain, leading to back pain. Instead, choose shoes that fit well and offer support.

4. Use Heating Pads and Cold Packs

Alternating heat and cold can effectively alleviate back pain. Ice packs are best after an injury or muscle strain. Wrap a towel around your ice pack for protection before applying it to your skin.

Cold packs can reduce inflammation and can provide a numbing effect for discomfort. If you don’t have a cold pack, you can use frozen vegetables, but don’t forget to cover them to protect yourself. Leave the ice on your back for no more than twenty minutes at a time.

A heating pad alleviates pain from stiff or aching muscles. Ensure the temperate is comfortable because some heating pads can get too hot.

If you don’t have a heating pad, a hot water bottle will do the trick. You can also fill a cloth bag with uncooked rice and heat it in the microwave. Additionally, you can use self-activating heat patches to get relief at work or anywhere else you can’t easily use a heat pack.

5. Avoid Pain That Comes From Sitting in the Same Position for Too Long

Avoid excessively sitting for long durations to prevent stress on the muscles and joints of your hip and spine. If you work at a desk, consider using a standing desk part of the day. Otherwise, get up and walk around every hour to alleviate the load on your spinal discs.

Additionally, check your posture throughout the day and adjust your body. Your neck, shoulder, and back should align to prevent or alleviate back pain.

You should also rotate activities often to give your muscles and joints a break. When you use different parts of your body, it prevents certain areas from being over-fatigued. Let your muscles and joints relax before returning to the previous activity.

Final Thoughts on Decreasing Pain by Increasing Your Vitamin D

Back pain is a struggle and can be debilitating. Determining the cause and finding ways to alleviate the discomfort can make all the difference in your life. Increase your vitamin D intake, and you’ll notice a quick improvement in how you feel. Additionally, try some other tips to alleviate and prevent back pain.

5 Things People With Anxiety Need You To Know

January 4, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Unfortunately, many people in the U.S. and worldwide suffer from some sort of anxiety disorder. In the U.S. alone, approximately 18.1% of people age eighteen and older have anxiety, which equates to about 40 million people. If you have never had anxiety, you may not understand what people who do suffer from it go through on a daily basis. This mental health disorder can affect every aspect of someone’s life, and treatment doesn’t totally eliminate the symptoms, in some cases.

People with anxiety can often feel very alienated and misunderstood, as the percentage of the population without anxiety often make incorrect assumptions about them.

Here are five things people with anxiety need you to know:

Understanding these points can help you understand people who struggle with this disorder a little better.

1. The symptoms of anxiety affect us both mentally and physically.

Anxiety doesn’t just affect our brains and the way we process the world around us – we can actually feel physical symptoms from the disorder. This mental health disorder occurs due to a combination of genetics, personality, environment, diet, and chemical imbalances in the brain. All of these factors can make anxiety feel like a burden on the physical body, and can induce headaches, cold sweats, flushing of the face, insomnia, stiff muscles, and more.

Mentally, anxiety causes us to obsess over small things, and fixate on certain situations. We try to manage our anxiety as best we can, but many of us suffer silently because we think others won’t understand.

2. We might also suffer from depression.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, about one-half of people with an anxiety disorder also suffer from depression. Having both of these disorders feels like being pulled in two different directions, to explain it simply. Anxiety makes us feel like we want to do everything at once, and depression makes us not want to do anything. Managing both of these disorders can feel completely overwhelming at times, and according to the Mayo Clinic, anxiety often occurs as a symptom of depression.

3. We aren’t antisocial – we just need time alone sometimes.

Anxiety can make it difficult for us to leave the house some days. So if we cancel plans on you at the last minute sometimes, don’t take it the wrong way. We actually love people, but being around others can actually exacerbate our symptoms and increase the anxiety we already feel. Of course, those who suffer from social anxiety tend to have the hardest time socializing with others, but even those with panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder can feel anxious in social situations.

If we do go out with others, we prefer a quiet, intimate environment over a loud, crowded one.

4. Anxiety doesn’t make us weak or decrease our value in any way.

Many people label those with mental disorders as somehow less valuable or less of a person. But this stigma surrounding mental illness needs to be addressed and put to rest.

People with mental disorders have simply been too strong for too long, and anxiety and depression can occur as a result. Genetics play a part as well. However, people often can’t help what situations they grow up with and how experiences shape them. We acknowledge that overcoming anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders begins with us, but overcoming them takes time, and great effort.

Maybe because people can’t actually see our pain and suffering, they dismiss these disorders as psychosomatic and overstated. However, we go about our lives even with our mental imbalances, making us fighters, warriors, and survivors. Trying to overcome our minds and live happy, healthy lives once again makes us even more valuable, in our opinion.

5. We don’t say we have anxiety just to get attention.

People who don’t suffer from mental problems often say that those who do just want attention and people to feel sorry for them. This couldn’t be further from the truth – people with anxiety want love and understanding, not attention. We don’t claim a mental disorder just to put on a show and have people throw us a pity party. In fact, we have real symptoms that can often be debilitating. We just want to live normal lives, but struggle to figure out how. It often feels as if our brains are on attack against us, and we have to fight back just to keep up with our everyday lives.

Anxiety feels like an ongoing battle, a constant war zone. We try everything we can to feel balanced and at peace with ourselves, but we may not ever totally get over anxiety – we can just learn to manage it. So, if you know someone with anxiety, give them compassion and a shoulder to cry on if they need it.

Often, people with anxiety have a higher sensitivity to energies than others. Therefore, they have a harder time processing our increasingly chaotic and stressed out world. Everyone struggles with something, so don’t condemn those who happen to have anxiety. They don’t want the disorder, but they have to learn how to live with it and overcome it anyway. And this makes them some of the strongest people you will ever come across.

5 Signs You’re Exhausted

January 4, 2016 by Power of Positivity

We know that sleep is vital to our health, but so many of us put the rest on the back burner and essentially become exhausted.

In fact, it is a national epidemic. Because of the sheer number of people in the U.S. who don’t get adequate sleep, the CDC has even gone so far as to call it a “public health problem.”

Between work, family, friends, cooking meals, and running errands, most of us feel pressed for time, and don’t get the rest we need to function optimally. According to the National Institutes of Health, most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. However, most get seven or fewer, which might explain our nation’s coffee and energy drink addiction.

Most people have been running on empty for so long that they might not even realize how exhausted they genuinely are. We will go over common signs of exhaustion and how you can combat it to feel your best.

Here are five signs you’re exhausted (and what to do about it):

1. You hit the snooze button several times each morning if exhausted.

We have all been there – the alarm goes off, and we don’t want anything to do with it. We wish we could throw it across the room and never have to hear its not-very-pleasant dinging and ringing ever again. Hitting the snooze button might seem harmless, but it probably means you haven’t gotten the rest you need to make it through the day.

What to do to awaken without the snooze alarm:

This might seem like a no-brainer, but try to head off to bed earlier each night. Even fifteen minutes can make a big difference, so you won’t have to rush so much during your morning routine.

2. You can’t get through the day without multiple cups of coffee or energy drinks.

If you find yourself reaching for coffee during your breaks at work or downing energy drinks to stay awake, you probably have surpassed being tired, and entered into the realm of sheer exhaustion. Don’t feel bad about drinking coffee – many studies have proven the health benefits of coffee – it’s the amount of coffee you should pay attention to. Drinking too much coffee leads to dehydration, which results in feeling lethargic and exhausted.

What to do to cut back on excessive reliance on caffeine:

Drink water instead of coffee or energy drinks. Water naturally increases your energy levels and makes you more alert, eliminating exhaustion.

3. You feel like taking a nap in the middle of the day.

If you have a healthy, balanced diet consisting of high-energy foods, drink enough water, and get adequate sleep, you should make it through the day without feeling too tired. However, if you have trouble keeping your eyes open and regularly feel your body crashing shortly after lunchtime, you might need to reevaluate your sleeping schedule. Naps have beautiful benefits, and taking an occasional nap doesn’t usually point to some serious health problems. However, needing a nap every day might mean you need some more shut-eye.

What to do to stay alert during the afternoon slump:

Start bringing high-energy snacks with you to work. Not only will the food’s nutrients help you stay awake, but countless studies reveal that eating a balanced diet can improve sleep. Eat natural, whole foods from the Earth, which will help regulate your sleep, give you energy, and much more.

4. You have trouble concentrating.

A surefire sign you’re exhausted is difficulty focusing. Missing out on rest makes your mind fuzzy, vulnerable to forgetting important dates and facts, and susceptible to making mistakes. During sleep, your body regenerates cells, restores the chemical balance in your brain, and regulates hormones. By losing sleep, you miss out on all these vital processes, making your brain feel foggy and disoriented.

What to do to increase your focus on your daily tasks:

Try light yoga or meditation before bed if you have trouble sleeping at night. Many people can’t fall asleep due to racing thoughts that prevent them from easing into relaxation, so calming the mind can significantly improve one’s sleep.

5. You have frequent cravings for junk food.

You generally feel irritable and cranky when you don’t get adequate sleep. Your brain seeks quick fixes for pleasure, and junk food is a very easy way to obtain that feeling. Also, when you feel exhausted, your body naturally craves calorie-dense foods that will give you a quick energy boost, according to studies. An occasional indulgence in junk food won’t kill you, but eating it frequently can damage your health and make it difficult to sleep at night. So, eating heavily processed foods puts you in a vicious cycle of obtaining quick energy, losing sleep at night due to the lack of nutrients and difficulty in digesting these unnatural foods, and then starting again the next day.

What to do to curb your junk food cravings:

In this case, you’d be much better off taking a quick nap or packing fruit or nuts for work. Nuts and certain fruits have surprisingly high calories and contain nutrients vital to your health. You will still get energy from the food without all the adverse side effects of junk food.

Final Thoughts on Overcoming Feeling Exhausted

Try these tips to help overcome that exhausted feeling. You’ll be able to ditch energy drinks and enjoy a healthier and happier life.

5 Sentences Successful People Avoid

January 3, 2016 by Power of Positivity

“Being successful is the result of an overwhelming passion that endures through your journey’s pain.” – Chris Butler

Every successful person will tell you that their dreams didn’t just fall into their lap and actualize out of thin air; they had to work day in, day out with sheer dedication and willpower. They had to sacrifice time, money, and maybe even relationships to achieve their dreams, and most importantly, they allowed their failures to carry them to success.

Successful people come from all walks of life, but they have one thing in common: they never gave up. Many people think that they don’t have what it takes to reach their goals if they hit a setback or two and leave their dreams in the clouds. However, successful people power through the obstacles and do whatever it takes to see their goals through to the finish line.

Also, successful people don’t dwell in a negative mindset. They know that by becoming aware of their thoughts and replacing negative ones with positive affirmations, they can start focusing on what matters and directing their mind to what they wish to achieve. If you talk to most anyone successful, they will tell you that they have some ritual they do each day to relax their mind and increase mental clarity, whether through meditation, yoga, or some other mindfulness practice.

Here are five sentences successful people avoid:

Successful people will not utter these words–it’s all part of a positive mindset.

1. “I can’t do this.”

First of all, successful people don’t have doubts about their dreams. They believe in them so much that they follow them into both the storms and the sunshine; they follow them no matter what they might face on the way to the top. Success never comes easily, and they know this, but they realize that it all starts with them and their mindset. If they have no faith in themselves, they know that their goals will come to a standstill, as dreams can’t come to life in the midst of a negative mind.

No matter how much money they have, successful people, where they grew up, or who they know have a fire burning in them that no one can put out. So they fuel that fire by believing in themselves and knowing wholeheartedly that they have everything within them that they need to succeed.

2. “I hate [insert person, place or thing here]…”

Successful people don’t fixate on things that they hate; instead, they emphasize the things they love. They talk, think, breathe, and sleep love and kindness because they know that focusing on the negatives will only pollute their mind and put them two steps backward. Simply put, they direct their attention so much to the things that lift them and excite them that they have no time or energy to focus on things and people that bring them down.

Successful people choose to see the good in other people because they realize that everyone around them is their reflection. As a result, love expands, and hate contracts. Which emotion do you think will bring you closer to success?

3. “I’m not good enough.”

Like we said in the first point, successful people don’t ever doubt themselves. If they do, they quickly dismiss those thoughts and replace them with more loving, compassionate ones. Once you can learn to master your mind, the path to success becomes much clearer. You can never attain success by shrinking down into what the world wants you to become; you have to stand mighty and strong, not letting anything (including your own thoughts) hinder your journey.

Successful people know their worth and believe that they have every right to attract abundance into their lives in every way.

4. “I’ll never achieve my dreams.”

This type of negative thinking doesn’t sit well with successful people. Why? Well, once you think your dreams are beyond your reach, you have already set yourself up for failure. The most successful people worldwide know that they can’t predict the future, but they run boldly into the unknown territory anyway. They charge ahead with bravery, not even seeing failure as an option.

5. “I don’t have time.”

Many people shut the door to success with this simple statement. But, of course, our time is valuable, and when we have to spend most of it at our jobs, it seems that we won’t have enough time to work on our dreams. However, successful people set aside time each day to work on what really makes their hearts happy, even if they only have fifteen minutes a day to devote to their dreams. A lack of time doesn’t stop anyone from achieving success; however, what you do with your spare time can undoubtedly prevent your dreams from coming to life.

Successful people greatly value their time and prioritize what matters most to them.

5 Predictions About The Future From Mark Zuckerberg

January 3, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is undoubtedly brilliant. Since creating Facebook from his Harvard University dorm in 2004, Zuckerberg has amassed a social media empire:

1.5 billion Facebook users
Over $40 billion in assets
Annual revenue of around $13 billion
A virtual takeover of anything and everything related to social media.

Yet even with enormous success, Zuckerberg isn’t nearly done. Since making Facebook a Silicone Valley and worldwide-renowned success, “Zuck” has purchased the Virtual Reality (VR) Company Oculus for $3 billion. Zuckerberg has also invested heavily in his passion – education companies – putting $150 million of his own money into four different organizations.

Zuck then tugged people’s heartstrings, pledging to donate nearly all of his wealth (99% of it) into the newly-created Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, a charity investment initiative founded with his wife, Doctor Priscilla Chan. According to the organization’s Facebook page, the purpose of the Initiative is to: “Advance human potential and promote equality in areas such as health, education, scientific research, and energy.”

So, clearly, Zuck is a forward-thinking guy. This vision, combined with his technological and business expertise, has made it that if Mark Zuckerberg speaks, people listen. He’s a relatively introverted figure, but he does talk passionately about topics that are important to him.

Here are five predictions about the future from Mark Zuckerberg:

Recently, Zuck gave his strong opinions on what he thinks will be the technology wave of the future with some pretty wild predictions.

1. Virtual Reality (VR)

This is most certainly not a surprise, given Facebook and Zuck’s huge investment into Oculus VR. Zuck believes that VR headsets will further advance video games, film, and other technologies by immersing the individual into the action.

One of the fascinating tech developments that Zuck foresees is sharing experiences with loved ones via VR headsets. In other words, VR technology will become so advanced that people will communicate and share moments while feeling physically present.

Zuckerberg also foresees the widespread use of augmented reality glasses. According to Zuck, “We’ll be able to capture whole 3-D scenes and create new environments and then share those with people… (People) will be wearing augmented-reality glasses to assist them on an everyday basis.”

2. “Superhuman” abilities

In one of his wilder predictions, Zuckerberg believes that human beings will one day exceed their natural mental and physical capabilities. He believes that there are undiscovered ways that human beings can enhance their intelligence and fortify their health. It is through these methods, Zuck believes, that we will eventually rid the world of diseases.

If this sounds too Spiderman-like, it, in fact, isn’t. Many scientists believe that technologies can be developed to increase human life spans and eradicate many of our diseases today. Increasing intelligence and physical abilities through technology may be far off, though.

3. Worldwide Internet Access

One of Zuckerberg’s biggest passions is to give internet access to everyone in the world eventually. This led Zuck to create Facebook’s first non-profit organization, internet.org.

According to the site, “The internet is essential to growing the knowledge we have and sharing it. And for many of us, it’s a huge part of our everyday lives. But most of the world does not have access to the internet. Internet.org is a Facebook-led initiative to bring internet access and the benefits of connectivity to the two-thirds of the world that doesn’t have them.

Zuckerberg’s team is exploring various technologies to make this vision a reality, including high-altitude planes, satellites, drones, and lasers. Early in its operations, the subsidiary has already brought internet access to over 15 million people worldwide.

4. Telepathic Communications

Out of every prediction, this one may be the most far-fetched. Zuckerberg believes that one day far into the future, we’ll be able to communicate with each other with our minds. This would be a point where we’re well beyond smartphones and Facetime, in other words.

Zuck says: “One day, I believe we’ll be able to send full, rich thoughts to each other directly using technology…You’ll be able to think of something, and your friends will immediately be able to experience it too if you’d like. This would be the ultimate communication technology.”

Unsurprisingly, brilliant scientists have already superseded this prediction by working on a similar technology that translates body and facial movement into spoken language. Oh, and this work began over ten years ago!

5. Advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Some of this AI technology currently exists, which is exciting for Zuckerberg. Now, he’s looking to expand it. According to Zuck, he’s making it a priority where advanced AI systems can interpret information as well as, or even better than human beings can.

One great example of this advanced AI is personal computers having the ability to “describe images.” Here’s how Zuckerberg puts it: “If we could build computers that could understand what’s in an image and could tell a blind person who otherwise couldn’t see that image, that would be pretty amazing.” Indeed.

Mark Zuckerberg says that he’s hoping to deliver many of these advanced technologies within the next ten years.

This Is What Happens When You Drink Honey Water Every Day

January 3, 2016 by Power of Positivity

Are you a fan of honey? Honey has been sweet nectar of healing for centuries and can be used as a food, medicine, and beauty treatment. You have a tasty, sweet beverage with several excellent nutrition and health benefits when you drink honey water.

To start, honey contains many essential nutrients, and it is a supersaturated solution of sugars. Honey contains small amounts of proteins, enzymes, amino acids, minerals, trace elements, vitamins, aroma compounds, and polyphenols, which help support our health and well-being.

A tablespoon of honey has small amounts of potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, iron, manganese, chromium, zinc, riboflavin, folic acid, selenium, and other essential trace nutrients to your diet.

The main nutritional components of honey are carbohydrates, mainly fructose and glucose. Although honey is a high carbohydrate food, its glycemic index varies depending on the type of honey source that the bees use to produce it.

This is What Happens When You Drink Honey Water Every Day

Because honey contains a high amount of natural sugar, people with diabetes should consult their doctors before adding honey to their diets. When we combine the nutrition of honey with the hydrating power of water, we get a sweet, nutritious drink that gives you enough health benefits to add to your daily diet.

1. Honey water can improve digestive health

The antioxidants of honey are helpful for the prevention, cure, and treat some stomach disorders such as ulcers, gastritis, and gastroenteritis. Researchers believe that honey intake stimulates the sensory nerves in the stomach, which helps reduce ulcers. Other researchers are studying how honey helps relieve diarrhea in children and rats. Drinking honey water can also help reduce gas and bloating.

2. Get an immune system boost from honey water

Honey can be applied topically to minor wounds and burns to help heal as an anti-inflammatory. In one study, honey healed infected post-operative wounds more quickly than antiseptic washes followed by gauze and was associated with fewer adverse reactions after treatment.

Honey also stimulates antibody production to help fight off illness. Honey’s health potential has even been studied concerning fighting cancer. Drinking honey water can also help with your oral health by helping to prevent the buildup of dental plaque and gingivitis.

3. Honey water helps the body flush toxins

A glass of honey water will keep you hydrated, but it will also help flush toxins from your system. Manuka honey is a variety that has particularly potent antifungal, antibiotic and antibacterial properties.

Adding lemon to the honey water adds citric acid, which will help the body naturally flush out unwanted toxins.

4. Clear up acne with honey water

The antibacterial nature of honey makes it an excellent remedy for acne. Drinking honey water helps clear your skin from the inside, but you can also apply it directly to the skin.

5. Honey water can assist weight loss

Honey keeps blood sugar more stable than other sources of carbohydrates like refined sugar. As a result, your body has energy on hand to use, but your regular blood sugar should help stave off cravings. Some sports nutritionists recommend honey water before, during, and after sustained periods of intense exercise.

Also, a tablespoon of honey in a 12 oz glass of water has about half the calories of any drink sweetened with sugar. Saving calories on a sweet beverage that is healthier for you will help reduce your overall caloric intake.

6. Regulate blood sugar with honey water

Although honey is high in sugar and carbohydrates, the effect on blood sugar is much reduced compared to refined sugar. Some researchers believe that a synergistic effect of both the fructose and glucose in honey might contribute to the relatively low glycemic response after consuming honey.

People with diabetes should still exercise caution, but drinking honey water could be a way to keep the sweetness in your diet without being concerned about having a spike in blood sugar.

7. Soothe a sore throat (Grandma’s classic use for honey water!)

Honey is a remedy for sore throat that has been used for centuries. Try warm honey water when you are feeling under the weather. Add a slice of lemon to the warm water for an added vitamin C boost.

Some people drink a hot toddy when they are feeling sick. A hot toddy would be the same honey, hot water, and lemon recipe as above with an added shot of whiskey. This is an old remedy that your grandmother may have recommended for a cold.

10 Types of Honey Water to Try

You may automatically think of the processed honey sold in plastic containers shaped like bears when you think of honey. You’re in for a treat when you discover the different types available. Flavor and color all depend on the bees and the flowers’ nectar they choose.

It’s also important to consider the quality of the honey you use. Overly processed honey often losses some of its nutrients and other benefits. Instead, opt for the “raw” honey coming from the bees in its purest form.

Generally, lightly colored honey has a milder taste, while the darker varieties have more of a bolder flavor. Some may have a higher concentration of specific vitamins and minerals depending on the pollen. Here are some popular honey varieties for you to consider.

1. Acacia

This is probably one of the most popular varieties you’ll find. It’s golden with light floral notes obtained from acacia blossoms or black locust trees. Since these trees are so prominent across the United States, it makes sense that honeybees often visit them.

Acacia honey may be a good choice if you have diabetes because it has a lower sucrose content. Its anti-inflammatory properties also may help those with arthritis or other inflammatory conditions. This variety also stores well since it stays in a liquid form longer than most other types.

2. Alfalfa

If you like baking or cooking with honey, you’re probably a fan of this delightful variety. It’s produced from the purplish-blue blossoms of alfalfa, a flowering legume that’s often grown to feed livestock. Alfalfa honey has a mild flavor that’s subtly floral.

3. Basswood

Do you want a honey variety with a distinctively bold flavor? Its pure, almost transparent color is derived from the cotton-white flowers of basswood trees. You’ll appreciate this honey’s rich, woodsy flavor that makes it ideal for adding to tea or making honey water.

4. Clover

Clover honey is a cherished variety all over the world. It’s usually the variety that’s processed and sold in cute little bottles. However, raw clover honey retains more of the sweet floral essence of clover blossoms.

5. Buckwheat

Buckwheat is your pick if you want a honey variety with high iron content. It’s one of the darkest varieties with color and thickness, almost like molasses. It’s produced from buckwheat blooms and is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

6. Dandelion

Here’s another reason you may embrace the abundance of dandelions on your lawn. Bees that visit these sunny yellow flowers produce honey that’s a dark amber hue. Dandelion honey also provides possible health benefits for the host flower, like antioxidants and antibiotics.

7. Eucalyptus

Maybe you would like to try a honey variety with herbal flavor notes. Eucalyptus honey comes from Australia, home to the eucalyptus tree. It has a subtle aftertaste of menthol and is favored for soothing coughs and sore throats.

Eucalyptus honey also has related varieties like jarrah and ironbark. Each has its flavor profile as well as possible health benefits. Any of these would make a tasty addition to your healthy concoction.

8. Orange Blossom

Here’s another popular honey variety that gets its delightful zing of citrus flavor from orange blossoms. While it originated in Mexico and Spain, it’s now also produced in California, Florida, and Texas.

Its golden hue and orangey aroma are instantly familiar and energizing. Orange blossom honey provides antioxidants and is rich in Vitamin C. It may be a good choice if you need a boost in your energy or immunity levels.

9. Manuka

This unique honey variety continues to be a buzzword in nutrition and alternative medicine. You’ll understand why if you’ve read about essential tea tree oil. Honeybees produce this honey from the blossoms of tea trees, which are called manuka in New Zealand coastal areas.

Tea tree oil’s same possible health benefits may be obtained from eating or drinking manuka honey. It has marked antibacterial properties that may help with conditions from acne to digestive issues. Depending on the manuka source, this honey has a full, earthy flavor that’s not as sweet as other varieties.

10. Tupelo

You needn’t look further than the American Southeast for one of the sweetest honey varieties available. Tupelo honey comes from blooms native to swamps in those areas. It has a glorious golden glow with a faint touch of green, hence its nickname “Southern gold.”

The Importance of Hydration for Your Health

According to an article published by the USGS, your body is composed of at least 60 percent water. It stands to reason that you need proper hydration to keep your body strong, healthy, and working at optimal levels. There’s just no substitute for a refreshing glass of honey water.

When you drink water and other fluids, your body feels the benefits almost immediately. In fact, by the time you feel thirsty, you may already be dehydrated. These are some of the essential benefits of hydration for your body.

1. It Can Give You More Energy

Since your blood and other essential body fluids are mostly water, you need to stay hydrated to keep them flowing. Your blood may not circulate as quickly if you get dehydrated, and your heart will work harder. So, you can feel tired and cranky.

Drinking enough water throughout the day keeps your blood moving and gives you energy. Suppose you’ve been exhausted lately and don’t know why you’re dehydrated. Try drinking more water or honey water to boost your energy.

2. Keeps Your Joints Limber

Just like a machine, your body needs regular lubrication to work correctly. Water conditions the cartilage in your joints just like lubricants. You can bend, stretch, and stay active with less pain from achy bones and joints.

3. Detoxification

Your body has an ingenious system for ridding itself of toxins and other wastes. Water helps flush your kidneys and bowels from liquid and solid wastes. Plus, it helps your liver and lymphatic symptoms detoxify your entire body.

4. Weight Management

Are you trying to lose a few pounds? Keeping your body hydrated can help you in several ways. First, drinking enough honey water can make you feel more satisfied and won’t eat as much.

Proper hydration can also boost your metabolism. You’ll have more energy to exercise and burn more calories. The more calories you burn, the more weight you can lose.

5. Fewer Headaches

Did you know that frequent headaches may signify that you’re not drinking enough water? According to the Cleveland Clinic, headaches are often the first sign of dehydration. Your brain has a high-water composition and can shrink away from your skull, causing headaches. When you stay hydrated enough, you may discover that you don’t have headaches as often.

Finals Thoughts on Adding Honey Water to Your Daily Routine

Keeping your body hydrated is necessary for your overall well-being. When you consider enjoying a glass of honey water each day, your health may get a boost. Honey is loaded with antioxidants which help protect your heart by lowering bad cholesterol. Darker honey contains even more health benefits, so aim for these varieties when you shop. There are also other options like raw, local, wildflower, manuka, etc., each with its unique healing properties.

Research a bit and see which type is best for you.

Disclaimer: One word of caution, do not feed raw honey to infants under one year old. Non-sterilized raw honey may contain bacteria that adult immune systems can handle, but infant immune systems are not yet developed enough to fight.

The ONE Question You Need To Ask Yourself Every Morning

January 3, 2016 by Power of Positivity

When we wake up each morning, oftentimes we stumble out of our beds, hurriedly get ourselves ready for work, grab a quick breakfast (if we have a moment to spare), and then rush off to our jobs. But, what if we could approach the day more mindfully? What if we took a few minutes each morning to set our intentions for the day, work on some deep breathing exercises, tell ourselves positive affirmations, and center ourselves for the day ahead?

Indeed, most people don’t take the time to evaluate their emotions and work on self-care. As a result, their lives seem to control them rather than the other way around. We all deal with similar challenges and issues in life. But if we just asked ourselves one question before our daily routines begin, we can allow for more peace and abundance to flow through us.

The ONE Question You Need To Ask Yourself Every Morning

Of course, you will probably want to preface this question with quiet meditation or yoga, just to get your mind centered and focused first. After you have silenced the chatter in your mind and you feel ready, ask yourself this simple question:

What can I learn from today?

You might ask, “What will this really do for me?” Well, before you get bombarded with life’s craziness for the day, you will have already set the intention that you want to learn something from the experiences you encounter. You will have told the universe that you want to become an active participant in your life rather than just allowing it to control you like a puppet.

You will set the intention that you wish for the universe to send you people and events that will challenge you to push past barriers in your mind. Consequently, you learn important lessons.

We all have things we could work on within us. Maybe some of us struggle with feeling comfortable in conversations with people. Others battle addictions, and still others long to find their life purpose. Even if you have conquered the demons within you, you probably still have something you wish to learn from this life.

Until the day our souls leave our bodies, we all are a work in progress. Each day, we can decide to become better than we were the day before, or spiral backwards into bad habits. We can make a conscious choice to continue growing, aspiring, learning, and opening our hearts. Therefore, we can decide to learn all we can from every experience.

Instead of attempting to butt in and dictate what will happen, allow life to simply flow. Become both the active participant and the observer. Let go and push past your self-imposed limitations, but also, remember that life is our greatest teacher. You can still surrender to life while participating in it fully; in fact, once you learn to just show up and see what happens, you say to life “I no longer want to fight you; I want to embrace you, and learn from your lessons, both difficult and easy.”

None of us knows everything about life, and most of us wouldn’t want to, anyway. So you might say, “Well what’s the point of learning anything new if we all know nothing in the end?” A very valid question, indeed. However, I think we can all agree that if we lived from a place of love and understanding, this world would become a much brighter place. So, if you take anything from this life, learn to crack open your heart and allow love to leave and enter uninhibited.

This doesn’t require any sort of critical thinking or complex formula; love represents our natural state of being, before we become indoctrinated into society and programmed with messages of hate and violence. If you set your intention to learn whatever you can from today, remember that behind every lesson, love exists. Everything that life sends your way exists in order to make you love more than you could ever imagine.

Question Your Openness to Change

If you become receptive to life’s lessons, and accept them without jumping in and trying to change the situation, you can begin to open all the locked doors inside your heart.

We all want to become more free, loving, and open, but it begins with ourselves. You can’t control life; if you try to, you will only exhaust yourself. Focus on learning to control your breath, your thoughts, and your intentions, instead. Take charge of what you wish to learn in this life, and commit to absorbing the knowledge.

In this very moment, you can control how you wish to see life. You can see it as a continuous cycle of anguish and unfairness. On the other hand, you can view it as a constant and overflowing stream of knowledge and an opportunity for incredible growth.

You get to decide, but posing the question “What can I learn from today?” will always give you the answers you need to move forward. You just have to choose what you will do with these answers. Will you ignore them and continue allowing life to control you? Or will you take charge and incorporate these lessons into creating a more meaningful, empowering life?

Remember, you are writing your story every day, either consciously or unconsciously. So, all you have to do, is own the pen.

Weekly tips, affirmations, and small actions to feel your best.

Every day is a day to shine. Shine on!