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

Join Now
Twt-img.png
burger-icon.svg
Main Menu

Mom of Three Makes a Life-changing Health Transformation

by

Chancie Petty, a mom of three, began her health transformation in 2018 and ended up losing 113 pounds in just 11 months! While this didn’t come easily, she can look back now and say all the hard work was definitely worth it. At the beginning of her journey, Chancie weighed 250 pounds and didn’t have the energy she needed to accomplish her goals. So, she decided to learn all she could about the world of fitness, and hasn’t looked back since.

“I’m a mom of three, and I couldn’t do the things that I needed to do and I was just over it,” she said. “I just decided I was done watching everybody else live life while I was sitting on the sidelines, so I jumped in!”

Chancie begins a health transformation

Chancie explained how she put all her effort into learning about the foods she could eat at the beginning of her journey. She knew she’d have to cut back on unhealthier foods, but still wanted to include a few cheat items here and there. She also focused on buying better quality foods on her weekly grocery trips.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Chancie Rae Fit (@chancieraefit) on

“About 5 months in I started realizing that maybe I was able to start working out, moving my body more, doing a little bit of yoga, or walking for 30 minutes,” she said. “I slowly but surely was starting to do things that I haven’t done since I was 15 years old. So, baby steps, but it happened.”

By taking things slowly and figuring out what her body enjoyed doing, Chancie went through a huge health transformation. When you want to improve your fitness or lose weight, it’s important to do things gradually. If you get caught up with fad diets or workout routines, you will likely lose motivation or energy quickly. However, by incorporating small changes and having patience, you can achieve your goals and maintain your health.

Family support means the world to Chancie

Chancie said that her husband and three children helped motivate her, but ultimately, the will to change came from within. After feeling and seeing the transformation happening to her, Chancie realized that she had all the power within herself. Feeling better and having a new lease on life kept her motivated like nothing else. Not only could she accomplish harder workouts, but she had more energy to devote to her family and life in general.

She says some positive things that have come from her health transformation include:

– having a better life,
– her clothes fitting better,
– but most importantly, her mental state has improved

“My mind is clear – living and waking up and having a thrive or a fire for life again, that’s a positive outlook.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Chancie Rae Fit (@chancieraefit) on

How to start your health transformation

If you’ve been wanting to start your own health journey, Chancie’s advice is to “find the things that keep you on fire and do those every single day.” She says if you get off track, simply look back on your list of things that inspire you, and remember why you started. Try to incorporate something from your list every single day so that you stay motivated and focused on your goals.

“It’s not gonna be easy, you know that, but I want you to remember how you’re feeling, and how you wanna feel,” she said, “and run with it, put your blinders on and run with it.”

When Chancie says blinders, she doesn’t mean to just ignore everything going on around you. She means to put all your focus on what will push you forward and find your center through that. She means to keep your eye on the prize because that will propel you through all the hard times.

Chancie’s husband Justin decided to begin his own health transformation after seeing Chancie’s amazing progress. Since 2018, he lost 60 pounds and feels much more energized and vibrant in his new body. They make quite the power couple, literally!

Chancie and Justin largely credit their success to ketones, which help promote fat loss in the body. Chancie lost 15 pounds in one month, and 55 pounds in 5 months from using ketones. Purported health benefits of ketone supplements include:

  • Increased fat burning/ accelerated weight loss
  • Maximized cognition/ improved focus
  • Increased energy
  • Better mood
  • Improvement in athletic performance
  • Reduced hunger
  • Help to get back into ketosis after consuming carbs
  • Decreased inflammation
  • Better sleep

Everyone reaches their goals differently, and ketones aren’t necessary to lose weight or increase your energy. However, you may find them helpful depending on your personal preferences and goals. Above all, just remember to consume healthy foods, exercise regularly, get quality sleep, and keep stress low. Also, drink plenty of water and take time for relaxation or self-care throughout the week.

We will leave you with this beautifully inspiring message from Chancie’s Instagram page:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Chancie Rae Fit (@chancieraefit) on

“I was going to enter my current weight. But what’s the trend here? That if we are the after picture that we’ve made it?

Far from it.

To learn how to grow & glow. ( that’s hard for some of us.)

To live.. did I say that already? It’s an important part.

When I started this in my closet floor crying. I prayed for happiness to find me. I found out very quickly that I would be the one having to finding it.

Choosing constantly from this or that.

Deciding to turn right when left was easier.

You get where I’m going. It’s not the path we are programmed to chase.

That’s just it. We have to re-program,
re-learn and re-live.

You are allowed to simply start over. You’re allowed to start learning things you always told yourself you wouldn’t care to.

That’s the beauty of it.

The Re-designing of the you.. you’re seeking.”

We hope Chancie’s story will motivate you to go after your goals, no matter what stands in your way! Remember, no matter how far away you are from where you want to be, it all starts with taking one step in the right direction. Choose health, happiness, and life, and you’ll find yourself surprised how different your world can look.

Patience Is a Virtue: Here Are 10 Tips for Having More

by

You’ve heard the old saying that “Patience is a virtue,” but you won’t realize how true this saying is until you get some years on you. Did you know that patient people have more love, joy, peace, and better lives? It’s all about learning to be thankful for the beautiful things and accepting the challenging things you cannot change.

Some say that when you master patience, you gain power. Once you develop this skill, you can learn to wait and suffer through life’s delays without becoming agitated. No matter what adversity comes your way, you can remain calm and control your natural impulses, which try to lead you off course.

Why Patience Is a Virtue

Is it any wonder that in this modern era, people are so impatient? Our country has become a nation of instant gratification. With the touch of a button, you can order a pizza, an Uber, and pay your utility bills. You don’t have to write checks or call the company to make your monthly obligations as your bank will take care of it through automatic bill pay.

patience is a virtueIt’s easy to see why some people become impatient since they have become accustomed to everything at their beckoning call. There’s no need to practice patience when a quick inquiry on Google can answer even the smallest of questions. However, keep in mind that ordering food or finding out the movie theater’s location is about nothing more than convenience.

When it comes to your goals and everyday living, then patience is essential. The struggle for more tolerance comes because society has trained you to live in relative convenience, and it spills over into all areas of your life.

When You Are Patient, You Become More Successful

The problem with being impatient is that it causes you to make poor decisions that can have lasting consequences. Why is it that society is always looking for the quick-fixes or the scheme to get rich quicker that will allow you to take shortcuts? Sadly, these methods typically aren’t profitable as there’s no way to get out of hard work.

However, look throughout history at the people who have been patient and worked hard till they got what they wanted. Did you know that Thomas Edison had more than 1,000 failed attempts at making the light bulb? The filament kept burning out on him, but he didn’t give up.

Once he mastered the light bulb, he went on to create other amazing things. He developed the first working phonograph, and his first recording was the poem “Mary Had A Little Lamb.” It’s substantial to have the first human recorded voice and a lightbulb under his belt, but he had 1,093 patients for amazing inventions. Is it any wonder they dubbed him “The Wizard of Hyde Park?”

Imagine how different Edison’s story would have been if he didn’t grasp that patience is a virtue? If he had been rushed and hurried, he wouldn’t have devoted the time necessary to bring his ideas to fruition. Thankfully, he made a long-term commitment to himself that he would be dedicated and attack each obstacle along the way.

It would have been so easy for him to give up, but where would society be without the lightbulb? Procrastination and idleness will do nothing to further you in life. What is patience, and how can you put it into terms you understand?

To be patient is much like using the brake system in your vehicle. When you encounter an obstacle in the road, you use the brakes to slow you down so that you avoid an accident. In these instances, if you didn’t use your braking system, then you would crash. Patience teaches you to put the brakes on things so that you avoid any disasters.

Ten Useful Tips for Having More Patience

Regardless of how diligent you are, there will always be times when your impatient nature will get the best of you, but it can also hurt you in many ways. These attempts to get things done quickly will not only hinder you in life, but it can damage your relationships as well as destroy your goals.

Have you learned that patience is a virtue, or do you need more work in this area? Here are ten ways that you can practice having more tolerance and perseverance in life.

1. Fake It ‘til you Make It

There are times when you won’t have the answers, and everything seems to be in chaos. Sometimes, you must pretend that everything is okay, even when it isn’t. You need to learn how to get through the challenging moments in life without having a meltdown, so sometimes you must fake your way through it.

2. Practice Deep Breathing or Meditation

Meditation and deep breathing can significantly help you learn that patience is a virtue. When you control your thoughts and clear your mind, you can quickly learn how to relax and let go. If you’re always trying to micromanage situations out of your control, then mastering meditation can help you immensely.

3. Write It Out by Journaling

Do you want to ask questions to the universe about why things are the way they are in your life? Journaling is an excellent tool that can help you with personal growth. When you put something in writing, it can help you to gain perspective.

Some things you stress about are silly, and when you see it in writing, you release it as such. If you want to increase your patience, then write it all out.

4. Acknowledge your Higher Power

There is a bigger picture that you don’t have the capability to see. So, it would help if you relied on your higher power to assist you. By trusting, believing, and praying, you can seek guidance and answers from something bigger and more knowledgeable than yourself.

patient people5. Accept Things as They Are

Even if you don’t like the situations going on right now, you must learn to accept them. Stop fighting with yourself over things you cannot change. Take a deep breath and know that patience is a virtue you need when everything is going wrong.

6. Practice Mindfulness

You must learn the connection between your feelings, thoughts, and conduct. What negative thoughts do you have that hold you back from doing what you need to do? Do you tend to live in the past and are haunted by failures?

When you learn to live in the moment and stop beating yourself up over blunders, then you can move beyond this negative mindset. Practice empathy for yourself as well as others.

7. Be Kind to Yourself

Are you kind to yourself, or do you suffer from low self-esteem and self-worth? You must learn to embrace your weaknesses and see them as opportunities for growth. Practice self-love and remember to be patient with yourself before you try this new virtue on others.

8. Let It Go

Remember the famous song from the Disney Frozen movie? Kids across the world were singing “Let It Go” until their parents nearly went mad. While it’s a childish song, it has a powerful meaning.

Quit holding onto things that you cannot understand and that have only hurt you. You don’t need to be perfect or have it all together, so let go of all those feelings that hold you back.

9. Appreciate the Life You’ve Been Given

It’s so easy to take things for granted because you get caught up in the big picture. Take time to smell the roses and recognize the beauty that lies before you. It’s all those little moments in your life that will make it worthwhile.

While you’re taking time to tiptoe through the tulips, you will learn why patience is a virtue you need to develop.

10. Recognize the Influence of Your Body and Hormones

Every day can’t be perfect. Sometimes, you will awaken with a headache, and other times you will be down for the count. Your body and hormone levels can affect how you feel, which can affect your level of patience.

When the days seem long and hard, you should give yourself a break. The darkness of the moment will soon pass, and the sun will shine again tomorrow. Don’t let one day break you down because better days are coming. Take time to count your blessings.

patience is a virtueFinal Thoughts on Understanding Why Patience Is A Virtue

It’s okay to ask questions and have a pity party on occasion, but don’t let that become a habit. Practice empathy for yourself and forgive your mistakes while you embrace change. Whenever you feel like throwing in the towel and life seems to be too much, remember the great Thomas Edison and his 1,000 attempts to make the lightbulb.

Sometimes it takes a while for the most significant things in your life to be born; be patient with yourself and others, and enjoy the ride. When you learn that patience is a virtue, your whole life can change for the better.

This 73 Year Old Became an Internet Fitness Guru after Retiring

by

Sunny Mathews, a 73-year-old fitness guru, inspires people daily with her positive attitude and determination to stay healthy! After retiring, she became a health and wellness coach to help people all over the world become their best selves. Her advice for anyone who needs motivation to work out is “you just get up and get it done!” Here is her story.

“I am a retired college professor, but clearly, I am not retiring. At 73 years old, I am channeling my passion for health and fitness into a second career,” she says.

“I started my fitness journey at the cusp of turning 50 years old. It was 1996 at the 100th anniversary of the Boston Marathon. My husband was running his 96th marathon and I was totally inspired by the energy of the 45,000 runners.”

Sunny ran 9 marathons herself, but she wanted to increase her speed and stamina. She struggled through the marathons, but always completed them, even if she didn’t get first place. She felt accomplished just being able to run so far and push past mental barriers.

“It was a struggle, to say the least, but I never quit.”

Now, she does a lot of at-home workouts, incorporating both weights and cardio to increase her strength and heart health. She wants to show the world that anyone at any age can choose a healthier lifestyle.

“At some point, I made the switch to half marathons, and then 10K’s, then 5K’s, and then I moved onto streaming my workouts at home.”

She enjoys it because she can choose her own pace while working on her strength, flexibility and cardio. For the fitness guru, she says she’s thankful her body can still do what she wants it to at her age.

“Things that you youngins’ take for granted,” she jokingly adds, “like getting in and out of the car with ease, hiking, bending, reaching, opening jars on my own.”

Advice from the motivational fitness guru

“The time to start is now. It’s never too late to start. Consistency over time gets results. Have a mindset that moving more and eating smart are priorities above all else. Get up, and get it done!”

On one of her Instagram posts, she also says not to beat yourself up if you get off track.

“When you go on a carb binge, when the cookie just flies into your mouth, when you miss a few workouts and don’t drink enough water, you don’t quit, you don’t call yourself a failure, you aren’t destined to be this way forever. You get curious!!

Why did I make those choices?
What did I feel like right before it happened?
Would I do anything different next time?
Do I still value my goals?

We leave the past in the past and realize the only thing that matters are the choices we make right now!! This isn’t a once in a lifetime chance to get healthy; this is a journey and no journey is ever a straight line to the end result.

Each one of us has our fair share of indulgences, missed workouts and mess ups. This is life people!! We are human!! And, we are ALL a work in progress!! What can you do this week to make 1 tiny millimeter shift towards the end goal?? Focus on your progress and good choices each and every day!! It’s never ever too late to make a fresh start!”

She makes being a fitness guru look easy! You’ll find a mixture of nutrition tips as well as exercise routines on her Instagram. If you need some motivation or just don’t know how to get started, Sunny has a lot of wisdom to offer. Fitness and health have been her passions for years, and show shows that it isn’t about circumstances – it’s about choices.

We can all choose to make healthier choices each day, and even if we slip up, that’s okay. We just have to try our best, and keep our goals in clear focus. Most of us would like to feel more vibrant and healthy, but it often seems overwhelming to take the necessary steps. However, Sunny shows that taking baby steps leads to transforming your habits and mindset over time.

The secrets of the online fitness guru

Her diet centers mostly around whole, plant-based foods, as you can see from her posts. Plant foods offer a variety of benefits, including:

– Weight loss
– Lower blood pressure
– Better heart health
– May prevent Type 2 diabetes
– May increase longevity
– Decreased cancer risk
– Improved cholesterol levels
– Lower risk of stroke
– Boosts brain health

Benefits of a plant based diet

According to Harvard Health Publishing, here are some tips to follow for a healthy plant-based diet:

– Fill your plate with lots of color. Make sure to eat lots of fruits and vegetables throughout the day, including as snacks between meals.
– Have smaller amounts of meat. Use it as a garnish rather than as a main part of your meal.
– Choose healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, nuts, nut butters and seeds.
– Eat whole grains like quinoa, barley or oats.
– Eat lots of leafy greens
– Cook vegetarian meals at least once a week.
– Have a big salad in order to get your greens in for the day.

Final thoughts: move your body every day, and focus on whole foods

Fitness guru Sunny Mathews inspires the world with her positive outlook, willpower, and sound advice on health. She posts daily on Instagram to show everyone that eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Using simple ingredients, she makes delicious, plant-based meals that anyone can make. She also does simple at-home workouts using her body weight and free weights to increase strength.

Even just 15 minutes a day of exercise can change your mindset and physical health, and inspire you to keep going. The hardest part of the journey is to just get started, but once you do, you’ll realize how much better you feel. If you’d like to follow Sunny on her journey and gain some inspiration yourself, you can do so here. Remember, it’s never too late to adopt a healthy lifestyle!

10 Easy Ways to Reduce Cell Phone Addiction

by

Since smartphones hit the market and became affordable over the past few decades, people do everything with their cell phones. In fact, people rely on cell phones so much that they are at risk of having a cell phone addiction. This may sound ludicrous, but when you have one device that can take the place of every other device in your life (tv, computer, camera, flashlight, etc.), it’s not hard to become addicted to it.

Cell phones have made modern life much more convenient, but that convenience has come at a cost. Many people can’t seem to function without using a cell phone during a large part of their day. If you’re one of those people (or you know one), here are ten easy ways to break a cell phone addiction that you can try.

10 New habits help break your cell phone addiction

Try replacing your mobile device habit with these new behaviors.

cell phone addiction1. Put the phone away.

“Out of sight, out of mind.”

You’ve probably heard this old saying before. This works wonders when you’re trying to get kids to focus on important tasks instead of toys and video games. It holds with cell phones as well.

If you put your cell phone out of sight and out of reach, you’ll be less likely to use it constantly. Of course, you’ll need to turn it off or turn it on vibrate, so you aren’t distracted by phone calls, messages, and other notifications.

By doing this, you are essentially removing the temptation from your life. That’s the best way to learn to operate without it. It will be hard at first, but the more you attempt to keep the phone away from you, the easier it will become.

2. Read books – real books.

The explosion of reading books on smart devices has been exponential. It’s so convenient to access any book in the world at the touch of a button. In fact, accessing a better variety and quality of information has enriched many people’s lives and increased the efficiency of education for many kids who don’t have access to modern books.

Unfortunately, the downside is that accessing books this way keeps you on your mobile device more, strengthening your cell phone addiction. There is also strong evidence in the research community that reading on mobile devices negatively affects a person’s learning abilities. Plus, studying on your mobile device makes it much too easy to swipe over to a game or social app where you’ll end up wasting time.

Until you can get your cell phone addiction under control, it may be wise to go old school and check out books from your local library.

3. Do activities that don’t include cell phone usage.

Reminding yourself that there is life outside of your cell phone is a great way to break the addiction. Try setting up activities with your friends or family members that require you to put your phone down. Sports, exercise, camping, fishing, baking, arts & crafts, and biking are all great examples of activities you can do that require both hands and your full attention.

When you participate in these types of activities, you’ll have so much fun that you won’t even think about your mobile device. Of course, if the device is constantly ringing in the middle of everything, this will be a distraction. It would be best if you put your phone on silent until you’re done.

4. Address any underlying concerns.

Some researchers suggest that a cause of cell phone addiction is that people suffer from some other underlying concern. Instead of solving the underlying concern, they compensate for it by constantly using their cell phone.

For example, someone may be concerned about keeping up with too many tasks on their hectic schedule, so they’re constantly checking their email, calendar, voicemail, and more. The real solution would be to prioritize their tasks and delegate some of them to others if possible, but instead, they use their smartphone to juggle it all.

5. Remove unnecessary apps.

Sometimes the phone itself isn’t the problem. It’s the content that’s on the phone. Most people have unnecessary apps that can be extremely distracting. Examples are games and social media apps.

These apps aren’t necessarily bad. In fact, they can be a great way to take a quick break and relax your mind when you’re having a stressful day. However, for some people, they can quickly become addictive.

Have you ever started using an app on your phone, and when you finally look up from it, you find yourself asking where the time went? If this has happened to you, the chances are that you’re addicted to the app, and you’d be better off deleting it.

smartphone addiction cell phone addiction6. Change your notifications.

Sometimes you can be laser-focused on their priorities, and then – ding! A notification breaks your train of thought, and you’re reaching for your phone. After all, that’s the purpose of notifications. They are supposed to grab your attention to get you to focus on the corresponding app.

Notifications have gotten more enticing as cell phones have evolved. They can grab your attention with funny sounds, repeating sounds, your favorite music, and more. You need to be aware that these notifications are literally designed to distract you.

You can curb your cell phone addiction by changing the sound and frequency of your notifications. However, turning them off altogether is the best option. Give yourself a certain time of day to check your notifications on your own (without the enticing sounds), and you’ll find that your cell phone usage will be reduced dramatically.

7. Create a no-phone zone or time.

One way to curb an addiction is by banning your cell phone. It doesn’t have to be a permanent ban, but restricting the device is a solid, authoritarian way to break the addiction. For example, you could make your family room a no-phone zone, or you could decide not to use your phone during the three hours before bedtime.

You pick the method that suits you better. The point is that you’re restricting your cell phone usage, and eventually, it will become a habit. Once it’s a habit, your addiction will be naturally curbed.

8. Post visual memos to yourself.

You may have heard the idea of putting affirmations on your wall or even your computer screen to keep positivity in your life. Posting visual usage messages to yourself is the same idea. The messages should make you question why you’re about to use your phone.

For example, if you’re at your desk, try writing this on a small post-it note: why are you checking? Put the post-it note on your cell phone, so you’ll see it each time you pick up your phone. A better way to do this is by putting the question on your phone screen saver if possible.

9. Be patient and considerate with yourself.

Don’t expect to break your habit immediately. Rome wasn’t built in a day. You are going to mess up, and that’s okay.

What’s important is that you make progress, and you keep working at it. As long as you can see small improvements, you’re headed in the right direction. Give yourself some credit for the small successes that you’ve had while trying to curb your addiction.

Remember not to be too hard on yourself if you get sucked into using your cell phone at the wrong times. Once you’ve recognized that the cell phone has taken your attention, put it away, and keep it moving. Eventually, you’ll get into the habit of not letting the phone distract you.

10. Try therapy.

When all else fails, you may need to get some professional help with your addiction. It could be that, as mentioned before, some underlying cause is keeping you hooked to your phone. This is nothing to be embarrassed by because an unbelievable number of people are suffering from the same infliction.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a cell phone. An addiction is an addiction.

There are many methods of help you can seek, depending on your level of addiction. You may need to have a good talk with someone close to you, or you may need to seek help from a licensed therapist. Whichever one is the case, you’ll be taking important steps to break the habit.

cell phone addictionFinal Thoughts on Breaking a Cell Phone Addiction

As Munia Khan once said in one of her books, “A smartphone is an addictive device which traps a soul into a lifeless planet full of lives.”

It’s no surprise that cell phone addiction is a growing problem. Over 56 percent of Americans own smartphones, and out of these, the average American spends at least five hours per day on their phone. It seems that cell phones are becoming an integral part of people’s lives.

While the convenience of these phones makes life much more manageable and entertaining, the downside, cell phone addiction, is interfering with people’s intellectual abilities and social interactions. If you’re suffering from a phone addiction, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Using the tips found in this article can help you curb this addiction until you can get your cell phone usage under control.

22 Useful Things To Do When You’re Bored

by

Are you bored? Do you have nothing to do? Do you often find yourself wasting your hours when you’ve got free time? Well, it’s time to do something to change that!

Believe it or not, you can make your boredom an asset. There are so many ways that you can choose to spend your free time besides whiling away the hours. Besides, why would you want to do nothing when you can enrich yourself or be productive? Here are 5, or, more specifically, 22 useful things to do when you’re bored.

1.    Learn

No time spent learning is a waste, even if you don’t think that what you’re learning is useful to you. Engaging your brain keeps it sharp and fresh! Here are some ways you can learn in your spare, empty time:

bored·         Hone A Talent

Do you have something you’re good at? Time to try getting even better at it! Find your strengths and push yourself to get even better in that area. It’s a great way to spend your time, especially if your talents lie in areas that you don’t get to visit often.

·         Pick Up A New Language

It’s very difficult to learn another language, especially if you’re getting on in years. But in your boredom, if you have lots of time to spare, this is one of the best times to learn something new. If you’re not already bilingual, you can even benefit from the many positive effects of knowing more than one language, especially when it comes to cognitive ability.

·         Learn From Mistakes

Is there an error you made recently that’s been haunting you? Now that you have the time, you should reflect on it. Think about why it happened, who it affected, and how you can improve.

·         Take A Class

There are all sorts of classes available in the world for virtually every single subject imaginable. Take one! You can sign up for virtual or in-person lessons depending on your needs and situation.

·         Learn Anything New

Really, what this boils down to is learning new things, no matter what they are. Read a book on an interesting subject. Check out a video, documentary, or article you’ve had your eye on. Read through an interesting article that caught your eye. Pick up any new skill. Really, as long as you’re learning, your boredom is being used well.

2.    Check Your Schedules

It can sound drab, but when you’re bored, that’s the perfect time to look over your schedules and check if there’s anything you’ve missed, forgotten, or can even do right now. It’s a very productive way to spend your time, and most studies find that planning is great for improving your stress levels, positive thinking ability, and general improvement and goal-achievement. Here are some ways to check your schedules when you’re bored:

·         Review Daily Tasks

What is on your to-do list for today? How about tomorrow? How about for the week? Is everything in order? Reaffirming what you have to do in your mind lets you mentally prepare for them. You might also find things you want to add, remove, or swap around as your review!

·         Plan Ahead

Not much of the planning kind? Start now! Think about big tasks you need to do and try breaking them down into smaller ones, each one with a set deadline. Or start trying to organize your days based on your errands, chores, tasks, and more.

·         Review Future Schedules

Think about the next few months. Do you have big events to prepare for? Is there a trip you want to take? If there’s something you want to do next year, in what ways can you begin prepping in the closer future? You might have new ideas by thinking about the things you’ll be doing later on!

·         Add A Routine To Your Life

Routines are a great way to stay organized and do a number of tasks in quick succession without thinking too much about it. Try adding a morning or evening routine to your life and plan it now, while you have the time and boredom to do so. Try implementing it over the course of the next several weeks, until it becomes a natural habit!

3.    Train Your Brain

Your brain needs to be exercised in order to stay mentally strong, and since you have the time, this is a great way to spend it. No matter your age, you can benefit from training it. It’ll help you make better decisions, allow you to learn things more easily, slow cognitive decline, and just make you a quicker thinker in general. Here are some great ways to train your brain while you’re bored!

·         Use Your Opposite Hand

If you want your brain to benefit from using both sides of its structure, try training your opposite hand to do tasks. If you’re right-handed, for example, try training your left hand. You can attempt to write, play an instrument, draw, or open jars with it. Just make sure not to use dangerous tools designed for a specific hand on the wrong hand!

·         Do Some Number Puzzles

Number puzzles like sudoku can have innumerable positive effects on the brain, keeping it young, sharp, and healthy for longer periods of time. You can opt for word or jigsaw puzzles, too, but number puzzles provide the most benefits!

·         Ditch The Calculator

In a similar way to number puzzles, trying to do calculations without a calculator can strengthen the brain. Sure, tough Math isn’t for everyone, but practice makes perfect – and what better time to start than when you’re bored? If you’re struggling, try simple equations first and work your way gradually towards tougher ones.

·         Practice Memorization

Memorizing things is a skill that can come in handy if you tend to forget things easily. You can try to memorize anything, from phone numbers to email addresses and from poems to random details of objects. Need some help? Try looking up memorization methods, like using a mind palace or mind map, and see if that works for you!

screen fatigue

Avoid screen fatigue with these easy tips.

4.    Go Somewhere Enriching

If you’re bored and have the ability to travel, it’s a great idea to spend your time going to an enriching, educational, or special location. It doesn’t have to be an expensive trip or even require more than a few hours. Sometimes, a change of scenery is all you need to help bust the boredom, and changing the scenery productively is a fantastic move. Here are some ideas:

·         Visit A Museum

Museums are probably the most enriching place you can go to. No matter what they’re about or how big they are, there’s always something interesting to find out about from them. Learn about all sorts of things at a museum and you’ll have spent usually boring time in a productive and powerful way!

·         Visit A Library

Libraries have this wonderful, productive atmosphere to them that can make you feel motivated to just do things. Whether you read, bring some work along to do there, browse the shelves for books to borrow, or make use of their informational facilities, libraries are a great way to spend some extra time.

·         Go Camping

If you have a lot of free time and you’re very bored, plan a camping trip. You’ll be close to nature, which will boost your positive thinking and reduce stress levels, and you’ll get to practice some rugged skills. Ideally, you should have some camping knowledge before going on a spontaneous camping trip, but you can still do this as a beginner – just bring someone along or opt to camp in a safer spot. Even just pitching a tent in your own backyard can be wonderful!

5.    Organize Your Computer

Your computer is likely where you do a lot of your work (and if your personal computer is pretty barren, then you probably have a work computer that’s getting cluttered). In everyday working life, it’s tough to find the time to just slow down and tidy up. When you’re bored, this is a useful way to while away the hours! Here are some ways you can organize your computer:

·         Update Your Passwords

If you’ve been using the same passwords for months, if not years, it may be time to change them. Try going through your most commonly used sites and updating them!

·         Clean The Desktop

Is your desktop a mess of too many icons and temporary files you saved there for easy access? Time to delete some shortcuts, throw out screenshots you don’t need anymore, and make it all neater!

·         Organize Files

If you can’t easily locate your files, what’s the point? A computer should be organized to cut down on time, not so that you spend hours looking for a file you’ve named with a keysmash and put in a random folder! It may take a while, but try organizing everything that you can!

·         Clear Spam

Head to your emails and check your spam folder, then empty it of everything you don’t need. If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t delete emails, it’s probably time to do so. Mass-delete all the ones you don’t need, “star” the important ones, and update your contact lists, while you’re at it!

·         Update Your Computer

Have you had an update pending for a while? Well, now that you have nothing to do, you have no excuse not to get around to it! As a bonus, updates run in the background, so you can do this and still have time to do lots of other productive things. You may also contact a pcb solutions company to upgrade your computer hardware with new circuit boards.

·         Clean Your Whole Computer

Computers get gunky and dirty because you use them so often. If you haven’t cleaned your computer in a while, you should get around to trying it! Use a special cleaner or just give your monitor a wipe, your keyboard a clean of the crumbs and dirt, and – if you know what you’re doing only! – open up the inside and give it a nice dusting.

boredFinal Thoughts On Some Useful Things To Do When You’re Bored

There are so many ways to occupy yourself when you’re bored, most of which simply couldn’t fit on this list. Finding useful ways to spend “boredom time” is a great way to improve yourself and make your life better. Just make sure that you’re also getting enough time to rest!

10 Ways Priorities And Boundaries Make Your Life Stress-free

by

You’ve probably heard time and time again about the importance of setting boundaries and priorities. You’ve also probably heard about how not having these things in life can have extremely negative effects on your wellbeing. But how?

There are far too many ways that these aspects can benefit your life, but one of them is through a decrease in stress levels. Here are 10 ways priorities and boundaries make your life stress-free.

1.    It Reduces Conflict

Conflict is a huge source of stress for many. A lack of clear boundaries or well-decided priorities can increase the chances of a conflict. This is because having no boundaries means there are many potential spots for resentment to begin to form. Things that may potentially escalate to conflict due to building resentment include:

  • Feeling taken advantage of by those who know you lack boundaries
  • Being expected to hold everything up at a high-priority level
  • Repeatedly saying “yes” when you would rather say “no.”

But when your boundaries are clear-cut, and you enforce them well, these problems won’t arise. You’ll have your time and space respected and will be able to say “no” to things when your plate is full. Without priorities and limits in place, relationships can go sour quickly with the contempt you may begin to harbor.

priorities2.    It Prevents Burnout

When you don’t have priorities, you’re stretched thinner and thinner, forcing yourself to perform a lot more work because you’re incapable of picking out the most important tasks. This can quickly lead to burnout, which is a form of mental exhaustion that leaves you incapable of performing your usual tasks at a preferable speed and quality level.

According to a study published in the New Directions for Youth Development journal entitled “Establishing and maintaining boundaries in teacher-student relationships,” teachers say that setting boundaries in their work can help them remain in their profession for longer as they manage to dodge burnout. The ability to set and maintain healthy boundaries made them feel more fulfilled, reduced their stress levels, and added a positive influence on their personal life.

3.    It Maintains Healthy Emotional Energy

People think of physical and even mental energy with a little more seriousness than emotional energy. But it’s just as possible to become exhausted emotionally due to a lack of boundaries. As mentioned previously, having no limits can lead to a buildup of resentment. This can often impact your identity, self-worth, self-esteem, and even your confidence for self-advocacy.

You need to set boundaries if you want to have any energy left over for yourself. More importantly, emotional boundaries can shift depending on your current emotional state, and you need to be able to communicate that with others. For example, when you’ve just been through a breakup, you’d be much less likely to want to listen to a friend rant about family troubles than if you were in a happier state of mind.

4.    It Makes You More Compassionate

It’s a common and unhealthy misconception that it’s mean or rude to set boundaries. While it’s true that boundary-setting can make some people a little uncomfortable, especially at first, the fact is that boundaries will make you the opposite of cruel!

As a matter of fact, boundaries can actually make you more compassionate. This is because you’re respecting other people by being direct with them about where your limits lie, and you’re more likely to respect their limits as well. It can seem harsh, but it’s a kind act that ensures no one will be kept guessing with you.

But what does compassion have to do with stress? Well, kindness is a kind of prosocial behavior, which has been known to:

  • Boost positive thinking
  • Aid in stress management
  • Help reduce perceived stress
  • Improve emotional balance

So, basically, setting boundaries is a sign of compassion, and compassion can help reduce your stress levels!

trust your intuition5.    It Reduces The Risk Of Codependency

Codependency refers to behaviors in relationships that involve mismatched priorities, a lack of boundaries, and unhealthy attachment styles. It can occur in any relationship, whether romantic, platonic, familial, professional, or anything else. Codependency involves:

  • Lowering your own needs in priority levels
  • Becoming too preoccupied with other people’s needs
  • A lack of limit-setting for healthy emotional space
  • An absence of autonomy, independence, or self-sufficiency from one or both parties
  • The subconscious belief that only others can provide you with self-worth

A lack of boundary-setting can cause people to form codependent attachments. Someone with a codependent personality may have further difficulty setting these limits, to begin with, adding fuel to the fire. If you don’t set boundaries, it’s possible that you could become attached to someone codependently or become the attachment of codependency.

Codependent relationships are toxic at their core, depleting positive thinking, energy, and identity over time. On the surface, it’s clinginess at its worst. It’s a surefire way to end up stressed out and even traumatized on a deeper level, especially if this occurs in a close and personal relationship. Being able to set boundaries and priorities will prevent this from happening.

6.    It Helps Keep Your Life Balanced

When you don’t set boundaries, you tend to accept more responsibilities than you can handle. The same goes for lack of priorities. Without a clear idea of what to focus on, you wind up heaping too much onto your plate, unable to say “no,” and juggling way too much at once.

That sounds stressful, doesn’t it? Well, obviously, that’s because it is! A lack of boundaries means you don’t get to balance your life – you’ll always have something to do, even when you don’t have anything left to give.

Setting boundaries means being aware of your limits and how much space you have to accommodate others, whether physically, emotionally, or mentally. You’ll know when it’s time to put your foot down and turn someone down and when you have the capacity to add more to your to-do list. It’s a good way to maintain a stress-free balance.

pop meme7.    It Gives You Space For Vulnerability

Vulnerability is a surprisingly valuable trait. Bottling everything up and putting on a brave face in front of everyone, even your closest friends and partners, is often not healthy. This doesn’t mean you should throw tantrums whenever something goes wrong – and you certainly shouldn’t! But that’s where boundaries come in.

Having boundaries means you will feel safer when you talk to friends, family, and others. It means those close to you will understand what you need when you are vulnerable, and you’ll also know how far you can go before you overstep. It basically means you get to show those softer sides without worrying about harming yourself or others.

Vulnerability is a key factor in talking about emotions, seeking help from others, and being honest about struggles. If you’re not doing these things, your stress levels will mount as you receive no support and have to keep somehow all your feelings tucked away within you. It’s not healthy!

Do note, of course, that there’s a difference between being vulnerable and simply oversharing. It would be best if you did not overshare to make others uncomfortable, and this should be prevented by firm boundaries regardless.

8.    It Gives You Space For Self-Care

Caring about yourself is crucial, but you can’t do that in a positive way if you don’t learn to set boundaries. Without self-care, you’ll be more and more stressed out, burning yourself at both ends without ever stopping to make sure you’re alright. Having strong boundaries and prioritizing your self-care means:

  • You’ll have time to rest and recuperate, reducing your stress levels by evening out your schedule
  • You’ll have more energy and time to do the things that you love and enjoy without feeling guilty
  • Your needs, whether mental, physical, or emotional, will be healthily expressed and met by those closest to you
  • You’ll be able to organize your time so that other people don’t monopolize your life

9.    It Can Help Strengthen Relationships

It’s not uncommon for people to feel a little uncomfortable or even slightly offended when you first communicate boundaries. To those who have known you for a long time, the inclusion of boundaries suddenly in your relationship can be a cause for concern.

But if you explain your need for boundaries well and communicate in the clear, positive, and kind manner, in the long run, having priorities and boundaries makes your relationships stronger. This is because boundaries will do these things:

  • Stop unsafe and toxic patterns in relationships, such as codependency, taking each other for granted, and overextending.
  • Allow all parties in a relationship to feel comfortable with putting themselves first when need be
  • Prevent relationships from becoming overwhelming, especially new ones
  • Communicate differences in love language, comfort, and preferences in a healthy and direct way
  • Show you who your real friends are, who you can trust, and who to cut out from your life.

A stronger social support system of healthy relationships reduces stressful conflict and can help you better manage your stress levels. You may not realize it, but having good friends often means having a good circle to keep you afloat in hard times!

10. It Defends Your Rights

As a human being, you have many rights that you could be pushed aside due to a lack of boundaries. But these rights are the bare minimum for your mental and physical wellbeing, and without them, you’re sure to fall victim to problems related to stress and other struggles. For example, with boundaries, you know that you have the right to:

  • Respectful treatment from others
  • Make mistakes and learn from them
  • Say “no” without being made to feel ashamed, selfish, or guilty
  • Define your own expectations, without the influence of others
  • Put your needs first

These rights and boundaries are ones that are often missing in the lives of those who don’t know how to protect their priorities. If you want more positive wellbeing, make sure you have boundaries that allow you to enjoy these rights!

prioritiesFinal Thoughts On Some Ways Priorities And Boundaries Make Your Life Stress-Free

Stress is a typical part of daily life. There’s no real way to escape from the clutches of something like stress. But making sure that you have priorities set and boundaries in place could significantly help keep your world a little bit more peaceful!

Cosmic Views for January 2021

by

Happy New Year! This is one year we’re all happy to see the end. The cosmic views for January 2021 promise that the year ahead has promise. But before things get back to normal, we’ll need to go through a transition. The Full Moon occurs on the 28th, eight days past the presidential inauguration. It happens in Leo, and it will square Uranus and oppose Jupiter. Put on your seat belts. A lot will be going on the first week. Saturn and Jupiter are conjunct in Aquarius, and they bring structure to the government and our lives.

The Saturn Jupiter conjunction happens every twenty years, but they have not been this close for 400 years. Aquarius rules freedom, rebellion, friendship, and humanitarian causes, and as we all know, too many Americans need financial help.  On January 14th, Uranus stations direct and squares the JupiterSaturn conjunction bringing about a change in authority.  Wherever you have Aquarius in your chart, you will experience change.

I glanced at the U.S. chart, and Saturn and Jupiter made a grand trine, so this conjunction brings good things to the U.S. and certainly better communication. Mars enters Taurus on the 7th and conjuncts Uranus for the rest of January 2021. Be careful. This combination creates accidents or sudden happenings. Take things slowly and don’t be in a hurry. MarsUranus is dangerous because it speeds everything up. The trine between Mars and Venus until the 23rd helps to keep things flowing without much effort.  Neptune square Venus diminishes reality and gives power to your ideas for the first week. Hope will be high.

Mercury goes retrograde on the 31st, and communication will be off, so check your appointments. For now, hard work and the practical side of life is needed to advance. Whatever you have, be grateful, and that gratitude will help you advance and attract abundance and opportunity.

Aries (March 21st – April 20th)

January 2021 cosmic viewsFor an Aries, the last few months have not been easy. Your ruler, Mars, has been in your sign since July. That’s almost six months, and it was retrograde for a major part of it. The good news it enters Taurus on January 7th, 2021, and you get some relief. However, it does conjuncts Uranus, the planet of the unexpected, immediately. It will be there for the rest of the month, so life will not go as planned.

The zig-zag is the pattern, and it’s happening to keep you off-center. And in so doing, it forces you to connect to your instincts and your deeper truth. Listen to your heart, not your fear, and all will be fine. You are headed in a new direction, and you can’t fight it. If you do, you’ll just hold yourself back. Don’t be afraid of the unknown. It’s the place of greatest possibilities. There is a relief.

Venus and Mars are in trine until the 23rd. This brings peace and ease in accomplishing what you desire. Mercury goes direct on the 31st, so if you have contracts to sign, try, and do them before it begins. Mars squares Pluto and brings up your anger.

However, that’s only because you won’t let go. Don’t hold on to the past. Look ahead and start to create a new vision of your life. Fantasies are strong until after the 7th, when Venus moves past Neptune. You can’t build on delusions, so look for the truth and hold on to it. On the 9th, Venus enters Capricorn, and your social life improves. You won’t be alone if you don’t want to be.

If you’re in a relationship, things are difficult. But if it’s a good relationship, it will survive. If you’re single, you may fall in love from a distance. There’s a part of you that’s afraid of opening up your heart in January 2021.

 Taurus (April 21st – May 20th)

Taurus is a sign of love and luxury, and it is the generator of our desires. You begin January 2021 with Venus square Neptune, so a word of caution. Don’t let your dreams and fantasies take you too far away from the truth and reality. Keep your hope high, but don’t take your feet off the ground.

Reality returns on the 7th, when Venus separates from Neptune. The Mars-Venus trine lasts until the 23rd, and it allows you to get things done with ease. Mars energizes and activates your motivation, and Venus makes it an enjoyable experience. The Saturn Jupiter conjunction in Aquarius and your 10th house brings attention to your career.

There’s a major change when it comes to your profession or goals initiated by you. Get out of your routine, and the world takes on a new glow. Venus enters Capricorn on the 9th and makes a trine to Uranus. You’re open to a new path. Chances are, you’ve been playing with those thoughts for a while.

The Full Moon in Leo activates the home and those living with you. If you have issues with anyone, it will arise now. Don’t get angry — listen. Once someone is heard, they will listen.  Uranus stations direct on the 14th. The change you’ve been working on is in motion. Embrace it with confidence.

When you’re committed, nothing stops you. Mars squares Pluto, ruler of your house of relationships. If you’re in one, for the moment, it’s challenging. Pluto doesn’t budge even when it’s wrong, so have patience if you want things to work. If you’re single, it’s not a good time to connect to someone new unless you don’t expect much. The block won’t last for long, and when the door opens, you won’t have trouble getting attention.

Gemini (May 21st – June 20th)

Geminis are communicators, and they make great middle-people. You are that person who pulls everything and everyone together and gets the job done. January 2021 starts with challenges. With your ruler, Mercury, caught between the Sun and Pluto, you feel boxed in and unable to do your magic. Everyone wants things their way. Of course, you prefer to follow your instincts and should, just don’t talk about it.

With Uranus stationing direct on January 14th 2021, so it makes a square to Saturn and Jupiter in Aquarius. Your ideals, or what you are aiming for, is changing. Who you want to be or become is taking on a new shape. Perhaps you’re more in touch with yourself because you are aware of what’s in your heart. Embrace it.  When you come from your truth, the magic happens. Venus begins this month with a square to Neptune and a trine to Mars from the 9th to the 23rd.

Don’t be misled by the ease with which some things happen. The square from Neptune can be misleading. Fantasy is strong, and so is delusion, so proceed with caution. However, the tine to Mars makes things work without effort. The Full Moon on the 28th in Leo affects siblings and communication. If there were problems that were not discussed, they could arise at this time. With Saturn and Jupiter in your 9th house of ideals and truth, you may find yourself questioning old beliefs — update them.  As you change, so does everything else.

If you’re in a relationship, it’s been transforming. Uranus shakes things up without your permission. When things settle down, you’ll have a new vision of where things stand. If you’re single, it’s a great time to experiment and date many different people. Pay attention to what you like and don’t; it makes life easier in the future.

Cancer (June 21st – July 22nd)

Cancers are sensitive, creative, and internal. It’s not easy to get this water sign to trust, at least not quickly. You’ve got to earn your way into their inner circle. With the Full Moon in your 2nd house of finance and values, on the 28th, your attention is on your finances.

Your earning power is improving. Uranus trine the Sun, ruler of your 2nd house, makes whatever you need to know very clear and unavoidable. Act quickly. Things are not static. With Jupiter and Saturn in the 8th house, you are the catalyst of change, no one else. There’s a part of you that yearns for it, and now you won’t have a choice.

Venus this month is square Neptune and trine Mars. The square to Neptune exaggerates your fantasies and ideals. However, the trine to Venus helps you get things done with ease.  Keep your feet on the ground, and you’ll be fine. Uranus stations on the 14th in Taurus and squares the Jupiter Saturn conjunction. The struggle is to bring uniqueness out into the world and integrate it into your personality. It’s time to expose your true nature and stop protecting it. You have so much to offer. All you need is confidence.

Uranus trine the Sun early in the month brings change. Venus enters Capricorn on the 9th, and relationships improve. Venus finds a way to connect, no matter what’s happening. If you’re in a relationship, it has not been easy, either because of the challenges you both have faced or because one or both of you are not the same. Take your time to figure things out. If you’re single, you want a relationship. You want to connect and have someone who cares about you. If you love yourself, you’ll attract love. Stay positive.

Leo (July 23rd – August 22nd)

Leos love to work, and in January 2021, they won’t be disappointed. With three planets in their 6th house square Mars, there may be more than you can handle. Try not to overload your schedule with what’s not essential. Keep your time free for what needs to get done. Pluto square Mars makes something important to you feel stuck. Someone or something won’t budge. Don’t push too hard. They’ll just dig in deeper. You’ll have a better chance of getting your way if you wait until the energy shifts.

Uranus stations direct on the 14th and squares the Saturn Jupiter conjunction in your 7th house of partnerships. Your work conflicts with your personal partner if you have one, and partners, in general, may be an issue now. They may be too demanding, or you disagree with the vision of where things are going. Neither of you wants to compromise, and that’s a problem. Neptune square Venus makes you idealistic, come back to reality, and compromise.

With Mars trine Venus, you get a lot done, but it won’t be everything the way you want it. However, certain things will flow, and it makes your life easier. Mars enters Taurus on the 7th and sets off your house of career. Your focus is on getting work done or finding the right job to make you happy. As it conjuncts, Uranus around the 18th, whatever you thought was going to happen, doesn’t, at least not the way you thought. Things change. And that’s not a bad thing. Get past your disappointment and see what the universe brought you.

With Saturn and Jupiter in your 7th house of relationship, you’re getting a mixed message from partners, both business and personal. Don’t trust what’s not clear.

Relationships are challenging, and you need patience.  If you’re single, get ready to meet new people that will both excite and confuse you. Have a good time. Clarity will come with time.

leoVirgo (August 23rd – September 22nd)

Virgos love to be in control, but with the Full Moon in your 12th house on the 28, that’s not an option. Expect the unexpected in January of 2021. How you respond to whatever happens will determine the outcome. Remind yourself that you actually love chaos – it helps you become focused.  Just trust your instincts, and you’ll do fine.

The SaturnJupiter conjunction in Aquarius in your 6th house of work brings a change in that area. The pressure is to expand and consolidate. Slow down and realize that you can do both if you know how to discriminate or subdivide.

Uranus stations direct on the 14th and makes a square to the SaturnJupiter conjunction. Don’t make an important decision until after this date. How the month begins is not how it ends. Expect your schedule to be crazy, but you’ll be fine. Life is being reorganized, and the only way to cope is to accept the change. Mars enters Taurus on the 7th and trines Venus on the 9th when it enters Capricorn. It’s a fabulous aspect for getting things done with ease. Yin and yang are in harmony. Neptune is square Venus for the first week of the month and fantasy rules, not logic.

Try and postpone important decisions until after the 7th. Mars squares Pluto until the 7th and creates opposition — don’t accept the challenge. They’re stubborn and won’t budge if you wait until things get better after the 7th.

If you’re in a relationship, it is idealistic for the first week. However, things could shift drastically after that. It doesn’t have to be difficult, just more practical. If you’re single, you could fall in love the first week of the month, but if it’s not the right person. You won’t listen to that inner voice because you’re infatuated. Learn from it all.

Libra (September 23rd – October 22nd)

Libras struggle with their ego. You either rule the world or feel you have nothing to offer, and both feelings are experienced in the same hour. Your confidence is based on the faith you have in yourself. When you believe, others do too.

The Saturn Jupiter conjunction in Aquarius is in your 5th house of children and your sense of authority. Are you in charge of your life? Have you given your power away to others? If you have, it’s a good time to take it back. Owning your power doesn’t mean you always choose to do things your way. It means that you know what you want, and the choice to give or receive is yours, not someone else’s. Uranus stations direct on January 14th, 2021, and squares the Jupiter Saturn conjunction.

What changes is how you feel about yourself and how you handle power. See your flaws so you can fix them, but don’t judge yourself. Support yourself. Single or married, new people are coming into your life, and they instigate change. Home life gets a lot of your attention.  You will be focused on your comfort and where you live. Someone in your life causes you anxiety because they’re stubborn and won’t budge.

You’re stubborn, too, so make sure your position is worth the lack of harmony. With Neptune square, Venus, idealism reigns for the first week. Don’t get too lost in fantasy, or you’ll crash when reality reenters and changes the picture. The Full Moon in Leo is on the 28th, and it shakes up your house of friendships. Someone you care about is in a crisis and needs your help.

If you’re in a relationship, your partner is very stubborn and refuses to hear what you have to say. If you’re single, you’re going to have a good time, but some things make you wish you had the right partner.

Scorpio (October 23rd – November 21st)

Scorpio sees below the surface. It’s why they make great psychologists and detectives. With the Saturn/Jupiter conjunction in your 4th house, what needs examining is your home-life. How private are you, and how much are you willing to change things if others desire that change? It may be time to unlock one of those closed doors.

Communication during is essential throughout January 2021. You are totally capable of getting your ideas across when you need to. The square from Venus to Neptune, the first week of the month, puts you in a state of fantasy. Don’t let it influence your decisions. After the 7th, your feet will be back on the ground.

Uranus stations direct on the 14th and squares the Saturn Jupiter conjunction. Change is happening within you and without. Don’t fight it, adjust. Since Jupiter rules your 2nd house of finance, you may change how you’re investing your money. It’s important to examine this area of your life and see its strengths and weaknesses. Scorpios are masters at finance when they want to be. Your ruler, Pluto, has had a lot of company, but it is now alone to finish up its journey through Capricorn.

This month Venus will keep you company, but then it moves on. Pluto moves slowly and digs up what’s hidden s you know what’s going on and who you want to stay in touch with. When you want to get involved, you do. With the Full Moon on the 28th in Leo, your 10th house, your goals and career will be highlighted, and an opportunity may present itself. However, it’s not possible to accept without change.

If you’re in a relationship, partnerships continue to be challenging. But that’s because nothing stays the same for too long. If you’re single, you’ll feel vitalized and eager to meet new people and enjoy yourself. And the good news is, I think you will.

Sagittarius (November 22nd – December 21st)

Sagittarius is the sign of the seeker. What it’s seeking is the truth about itself. When you place yourself in a strange environment, it separates you from others, and you’re forced to see yourself with new eyes. Wisdom comes from encountering differences, and that’s why travel is so satisfying.

The Saturn Jupiter conjunction happens in your 3rd house of communication. This is a time in your life when what you say gets the attention of others. Uranus stations direct on the 14th  and makes a square to the Saturn Uranus conjunction. It sets off your values and your finances, forcing you to pay attention to the changes that need to be made.

It’s easy to get lost in routine, even if the pattern annoys you. Change is a lot more difficult. It takes thought and risk. However, it is happening with or without your consent. Mars is moving to conjunct Uranus, and from the 18th to the 24th, you could be outwardly angry. Not a bad thing if you don’t take it out on an innocent party. Your vision is clear, and you are operating closer to the center of yourself. When you come from that place, everything becomes clear.

The Full Moon on Januar 9th,  2021, in Leo brings issues of ideals and goals to a head. You’re not willing to move forward without clarity, or it could be a waste of time.

If you’re in a relationship, you will meet an obstacle early in the month and then move beyond it if you have patience. Yes, you’ll be tested. If you’re single, you’ll be occupied with personal issues and not have the mind for new experiences. Too much on your plate – at least until after January 2021.

Capricorn (December 22nd – January 19th)

Capricorns are moving toward a major change in how they earn their living. With Saturn and Jupiter in their 2nd house of finances, change is inevitable in square to Uranus. The battle is more about expansion vs. safety. Find the balance between taking a risk and playing it safe.

What it indicates is the battle to expand and do it safely. Jupiter is expansive and takes risks. Finding the balance between these two energies is always a challenge. There’s a comfort zone, and you’ll feel it. Mars square Pluto and Mercury make moving forward challenging. The world you encounter is not fluid. There are old patterns, fears, and set ways to overcome – and that’s in others, not just yourself. However, overcome them, you will.

Be careful from the 18th to the 24th when Mars is conjunct Uranus, a very accident-prone or angry time. Get the tension out through exercise, don’t drive fast or text when in the car. Pay attention. It’s only for one week so that you can do this.

Venus is square Neptune until January 9th, 2021, and idealism is high. You could be in the clouds and not grounded. Nothing wrong with fantasizing, as long as you don’t make any important life decisions. The trine of Venus to Mars from the 9th to the 23rd gives you ease with projects and things that need to get done.  When these two planets are in harmony, life flows. The Full Moon in Leo on January 28th, 2021 brings investments from others to a head.

If no one is investing, then it can take a supportive expression. Don’t let the negativity of others get in the way of your goals.

If you’re in a relationship, it’s you that has trouble being present, not them. You’re busy, and if you want a good relationship, take some time to be present. If you’re single, it’s the same advice. You’ve got too much going on to worry about meeting someone. But then that’s exactly when you do.

Aquarius (January 20th – February 18th)

Aquarius gets attention for the next six months. With Saturn and Jupiter conjunct in their sign, they are at the center of change. The square these two planets make to Uranus, your ruler, indicates that change is not easy, and you know what has to be done. Do it. This is your time. The challenge of the moment requires one to let go of the past and be in the present.

There are times in our lives when a reset is not possible. You have to begin from where you are and work forward. With Venus trine Mars from the 7th to the 23rd certain areas of your life advance without effort.  When these two planets are in harmony, yin and yang work, and magic happens.

However, Mars squares the ruler of your career for the first six days of the month. Nothing moves. Once Mars enters Taurus on the 7th, the energy changes, but it also has an explosive quality. It makes a conjunction to Uranus, the planet of the unexpected. For the rest of the month, things may happen suddenly and beyond your control.

Don’t rush ahead. Slow things down. It’s important to move forward with caution and play it safe. Mars and Uranus are explosive when they get together and can cause accidents, so drive slowly. The Full Moon in your 7th house brings relationships to a head. Any hidden tension will find its way to the surface. Don’t avoid the problem. Deal with it, or it will just come up again.

If you’re single, life is crazy, exciting, but not steady and sure. Enjoy meeting people and have fun. What happens, happens. This is not a time for long-term plans.

january 2021 cosmic viewPisces (February 19th – March 20th)

Pisces is challenging because of what you believe you create. Thus, the challenge is to think positive and have faith in yourself and the universe. If you lose your faith, you close the door of possibilities. The Saturn Jupiter conjunction happens in your 12th house, the house of the unconscious.

Whatever happens, January 2021 is beyond your control and difficult to understand. Give it time. You seek certainty, but as a Pisces, the only certainty exists through faith. Thus, you must believe in yourself and your destiny. To become a creator, you have to play with life, participate, take risks, and see what happens. When you conquer fear, it’s fun.

Mars enters Taurus on the 7th and conjuncts Uranus. This adds to more unpredictability to the moment. It lasts for the whole month. Don’t make too many plans and don’t be in a hurry, because accidents are more prevalent with this aspect. Be careful, and don’t speed. With Neptune square Venus for the first week of the month, fantasies are high, and it’s easy to escape into dreams.

On the 9th, Venus enters Capricorn and makes a trine to Mars. This helps turn uncertainty into good outcomes. Mars square Pluto for the first week of January 2021 creates opposition when it comes to friends and your ability to express what makes you special. Someone is in the way, but it shouldn’t stop you. Don’t let anyone determine who you are.

If you’re in a relationship, things are intense and challenging for the moment. It’s not an easy time for both of you. If you’re single, you may find yourself hanging out with friends. You want to feel the connection, not have to make one.

6 Ways Being Grateful Helps Us Stay Fit And Healthy

by

When you think about staying fit and healthy, you likely think about exercising, eating well, and going to the doctor. But as it turns out, there are other ways to keep fit, and those methods are all mental! And one such way of this variety is through gratitude.

Gratitude, often referred to as optimism, involves a readiness to show thankfulness and appreciation to those around you. But it’s not just limited to others! You can be grateful for the things you own, the person you are, and the life you’re currently able to live.

As a positive emotion, gratitude has been found to have numerous effects on health. For the most part, though, people assume its health benefits relate to the mind alone. But it’s actually, surprisingly, a much more powerful trait than that. Here are 6 ways in which being grateful helps us stay fit and healthy.

1.    It Improves Sleep

being gratefulIt can be tough to see the links at first, but it makes sense that gratitude and sleep are linked when you think about it. After all, many people who struggle with falling asleep are plagued by anxieties, stressors, and all sorts of troubles. As such, gratitude can help relieve that mental anguish. But is there science behind it? As it turns out, yes! Here are three studies confirming the benefits of gratitude on sleep:

  • “Counting blessings versus burdens: an experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life” published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (2003). This study found that individuals who kept a daily gratitude journal had an extra half an hour of sleep compared to those that didn’t. Participants had chronic pain conditions, as well.
  • “Gratitude influences sleep through the mechanism of pre-sleep cognitions,” published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research (2009). This study found that, in healthy individuals, those who had higher gratitude scores on a test they were given also experience better sleep. They enjoyed a better quality of sleep, longer sleep durations, and had quicker abilities to fall asleep. Plus, they had an easier time staying awake during the daytime.
  • “The impact of a brief gratitude intervention on subjective well-being, biology and sleep” published in the Journal of Health Psychology (2016). This research paper involved the use of a two-week gratitude intervention. During this period, participants enjoyed a better quality of sleep.

2.    Your Mental Health Improves

Mental health is a part of staying fit and healthy. You can’t have a healthy body if your brain isn’t healthy, too. When you’re more grateful, your mental health can benefit. Studies indicate that gratitude can keep your mind on positive thinking, decreasing depression, stress, and anxiety all at once. More specifically, gratitude can:

·         Improve Self-Esteem

When you’re grateful, you start feeling better about your life and appreciating yourself, your abilities, and who you are just a little bit more. Therefore, those who complete gratitude contemplation programs are likely to find improved life satisfaction levels and significantly higher self-esteem, say studies!

·         Make You Feel Happier

Just the act of keeping a gratitude journal. According to studies, writing in it for a mere five minutes daily can lead to a whopping 10% long-term happiness increase. This is because noticing the good things in your life can lead to a more positive mood overall.

·         Enhance Experiences Of Positive Emotion

Alright, so gratitude makes you happier. But it also makes you feel that happiness even more! Basically, the more grateful you are, the more likely you will experience all sorts of positive emotions at a higher level of intensity.

·         Reduce Suicidal Desire

Those with depression can practice gratitude to benefit from its protective factors. Basically, gratitude is a positive coping mechanism that can reduce thoughts of suicide and lower the risk of such attempts. However, do note that if you are experiencing regular suicidal thoughts or ideation, you should still speak to a mental health professional if you are not already being treated for them. Gratitude cannot cure these thoughts on their own without help!

·         Boost Your Psychological Well-Being

No matter what your personality type, studies indicate that practicing gratitude regularly at high levels means your entire psychological self benefits. This means that living a grateful life can already significantly improve your mental health on a big-picture level.

3.    It Improves Immunity

Gratitude may not be able to cure disease, but it can make your physiological function significantly stronger. It’s common knowledge that positive emotion can help improve health, even just a little, and sometimes a little is all you need. Here are some ways that gratitude keeps your immune system strong:

  • “Optimism is associated with mood, coping, and immune change in response to stress,” published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (1998). This bit of research revealed that positive thinking – specifically with gratitude and optimism – allowed for a better immune system response to stress and difficult situations.
  • “Coping with a breast cancer diagnosis: a prospective study” published in Health Psychology (1993). This study had surprising results, revealing that individuals with higher levels of gratitude and optimism would recover more quickly from breast cancer and find that their immune system function remained more positive during and after the fact.
  • “Lifestyle and dietary correlates of dispositional optimism in men: The Zutphen Elderly Study” published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research (2007). This study found that optimism and gratitude were linked to a decreased need for doctoral visits among elderly individuals.

But why, exactly, do people achieve these results? Well, when you are grateful, you activate a part of your body called the parasympathetic nervous system. This activation brings down stress levels, allowing your immune function to remain strong. On the other hand, stress occurrences can mess up body functioning, whether the immune system or even more complex parts like the hypothalamic-pituitary axis.

thankful quote4.    Being Grateful Gives You More Energy

Staying fit is difficult when you don’t have the energy to do so. Many people like energy levels and vitality only to physical factors, like sufficient rest. In reality, there are many sources that you can derive energy from, and one of them is through being grateful.

In “The grateful disposition: a conceptual and empirical topography,” a study published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 2002, some interesting findings relating to gratitude, energy, and happiness. Here are its results:

  • The study, involving 238 people, found a significant correlation between gratitude and vitality.
  • This correlation remained even after the experiment was controlled for several different factors. These included agreeableness, social desirability, extroversion, and neuroticism.
  • High-energy individuals and high-gratitude people tend to share similar traits, leading to a lot of overlap.

But why, exactly, does this happen? It can be tough to determine whether gratitude or vitality must exist first to get these results. But if you harness them well, you should wind up in a positive cycle of both of them, no matter which you start with.

5.    It Lengthens Your Life

More research needs to be done in this area. But plenty of pre-existing studies seem to indicate that gratitude and optimism can predict someone’s mortality. That’s because more optimistic individuals live longer than pessimistic ones. The positive thinking of gratitude can increase one’s lifespan by anywhere from a few months to a few years. Here are some studies on the subject:

  • “Optimists vs. pessimists: survival rate among medical patients over a 30-year period” published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings (2000). This study found that those with higher pessimism and lower gratitude levels had an increased mortality rate of 19% compared to those who are more optimistic.
  • “Positive emotions in early life and longevity: findings from the nun study” published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (2001). This study found that those who experience more positive emotions in their early life are more likely to enjoy a longer lifespan, with a 2.5-fold difference.
  • “Prediction of all-cause mortality by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Optimism-Pessimism Scale scores: a study of a college sample during a 40-year follow-up period” published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings (2000). This research found that individuals with higher pessimism and lower gratitude had decreased longevity rates by a hazard ratio of 1.42.

6.    It Can Improve Recovery

If you’ve experienced some form of threat to your health over your life, then being grateful may actually help you recover. Even for those who are trying to regain fitness and health, it seems that gratitude can still provide its benefits! Here are some ways that being grateful boosts recovery progress:

·         Depression

This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s still pretty interesting to note. In a fascinating study, an individual with depression could utilize gratitude as a method of recovery. This furthered her ability to overcome these mental health struggles. So it’s a bit of an unorthodox form of research. However, other studies also agree that similar practices lead to such results.

·         Coronary Health

Individuals who have experienced any form of coronary disease, including acute coronary syndrome, can benefit from practicing gratitude. Those who are more optimistic and have this positive thinking can have a faster quality of life, decreased anxiety and depression, and faster recovery.

·         Substance Abuse

Addiction program participants may find that they improve their development, growth, improvement, and overall journey through gratitude. Researchers have found that people recovering from substance misuse are more likely to develop their strengths and overcome their struggles if they have positive thinking and gratitude on their side.

·         Trauma

Post-traumatic recovery occurs at a faster and more positive rate when paired with practices of gratitude and optimism, regardless of the kind of trauma. This also can include physical trauma, such as from an injury or disease.

being gratefulFinal Thoughts On Some Ways Being Grateful Helps Us Stay Fit And Healthy

Gratitude is an amazing trait and can be a powerful tool in your life. It has so many shocking benefits that it’s evident how underrated it is! Start implementing gratitude in your life for better mental health, improved sleep, more energy, a stronger immune system, and faster recovery. Of course, each of these benefits may also lead to a longer life.

Need help fostering your gratitude levels? Try keeping a gratitude journal where you write down at least three things you’re grateful for every day! Before long, you’ll naturally seek out things to be grateful for. You can seek more help via counseling or seeing a mental health professional if you need extra assistance!

Researchers Reveal the 10 Most Common Psychological Disorders

by

Psychological disorders are common, but still not acknowledged enough. Many people suffer from mental illnesses whether it is hereditary or acquired. It is important to bring these symptoms to light.

Today, it is average to have mental instability. Factors of the pandemic and with poverty being at an all time high, it is regular for anyone to be in a bad headspace. According to John Hopkins medical experts, 1 in 4 people is suffering from mental illness.

Most individuals do not talk about psychological disorders. They are not aware that they have it. Below is a list of ten of the most common types of psychological disorders that a person may have.

10 Types of Psychological Disorders

psychological disorders1. Depression

Have you ever had the feeling that you want to stay in bed all day or be anti-social? Perhaps you’ve had a general rush of sadness? Feeling this way every now and again is okay but once these symptoms present themselves for an extended period, you can say you have depression.

Psychologists identify two frequent types of depression: postpartum and seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Depression is one of the most researched psychological disorders in the scientific community because it seems to disproportionately affect the BIPOC community. There are many theories as to why this occurs. One of them is that the BIPOC community receives substandard medical treatment, so they either don’t report the depression or cannot get treatment for it.

Studies show that BIPOC people seem to suffer from acute depression less than Caucasians, but they suffer from chronic depression at a much higher rate. Socio-economic status sees to be a major reason this occurs.

2. Anxiety

Michael Stein, Psy.D. defined anxiety as anxious thoughts and emotions with nervous behavior. Another way to define it is an excessive feeling of fear or nervousness that gets a person to a to the point of not being able to function. It stems from an environmental stimulus or it can be genetic.

Anxiety is normal and there are over 3 million cases of it in the United States alone. Anxiety is the way your brain alerts you to be cautious. It’s a part of the “fight or flight” system in your brain. However, when it negatively affects your quality of life, it crosses over to being a psychological disorder.

Once anxiety begins to affect your everyday living tasks, it is common to seek help. A doctor can analyze this psychological disorder through talk therapy and sometimes medication can also be used. An interesting fact about people suffering from anxiety is that they also have high empathy.

3. Bipolar Disorder

This type of psychological disorder occurs when a person has a dramatic shift in their moods. If you witness someone who shifts from excitable to unhappy almost in the blink of an eye, they may suffer from this disorder. The lowest of these moods could result in severe depression.

Bipolar disorders can affect behaviors, sleep patterns, and the train of thought. There are three types of bipolar disorders: bipolar 1, bipolar 2, and cyclothymic.

Bipolar 1 happens when a person has severe mood swings from mania to depression. Bipolar 2 happens when the person suffers from milder versions of mania followed by major depressive episodes. Cyclothymic occurs when the person has severe hypomania episodes followed by milder depressive episodes. It is important for a doctor to identify the type because they all are treated differently.

4. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is one of the most common psychological disorders. It usually presents itself by the time a person hits puberty. It’s characterized by obsessive organization and a need to control almost everything surrounding the person’s life.

Many of these behaviors of a person suffering from OCD make no sense to the average person. An example of an OCD behavior would be washing your hands five times in a row. Another one would be checking the locks in your house every five minutes. To people with this disorder, they justify repetitive behavior.

Doing these repetitive behaviors in a specific set of numbers is also characteristic of this psychological disorder. For example, the person that washes their hands five times in a row may also need to have five washcloths on the shelf, five chairs around their table, and five pairs of socks in their drawer.

5. Phobias

Everyone is afraid of something. Some people handle these fears well while others have trouble pushing through their fears. A phobia is a psychological disorder that gives a person extreme or exaggerated fears that debilitate their actions.

Anxiety usually goes hand in hand with phobias. The same symptoms of anxiety can occur when you have a sudden rush of fear.

There are hundreds of phobias, and psychologists are continuously identifying new ones. Harvard Health identifies three categories that phobias are sorted into:

  • Specific phobia, also called simple phobia. This is where the person has a specific fear. It’s the most common type of phobia and is often genetic.
  • Social anxiety disorder is more than being shy. It’s a severe disturbance caused by interacting with people.
  • Agoraphobia is the fear of being in public places where there isn’t a quick exit. This can be accompanied by panic disorders.

schizophrenic6. Schizophrenia

This psychological disorder is the most difficult, as it alters reality from fiction. Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that gives a person delusions and hallucinations. Most people who suffer from this disorder inherited the disorder.

The most common type is paranoid schizophrenia. Paranoid schizophrenia is lifelong condition and comes with paranoid delusions. Some people with this type of schizophrenia can be aggressive.

This type of schizophrenia is managed with medication. As long as the individual takes medication, they can function normally in society. However without the medicine, symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia may become so acute that an individual may end up in a mental ward.

7. Eating Disorders

It may be hard to believe that eating disorders are psychological disorders. Pizza, burgers, and wings can be addictive. For some people, they suffer from unmanageable eating. Other people may not want anything at all. When a person has strange, reckless, unhealthy eating habits, they are suffering from an eating disorder.

Eating disorders are disruptions of eating habits that alter a person’s mental state. Types of eating disorders include:

  • Anorexia nervosa – the most common; characterized by believing they are overweight when they are not.
  • Pica – eating things that are not food.
  • Binge eating – when a person eats an unbelievably large amount of food in a short time without being able to control their eating.
  • Bulimia nervosa – when a person binge eats, then causes themselves to vomit, so they don’t digest the food.
  • Rumination – a newly recognized disorder; characterized by a person who regurgitates previously eaten food, re-chews it, then either swallow it or spits it out.

8. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological disorder that occurs due to some traumatic event that the person experienced or witnessed. This is common in people who have been in the military or abusive relationships.

Common symptoms of the disorder are nightmares, being on edge, startled responses, and even flashbacks. Triggers could come from everyday stress. Even simple things like loud noises could be a trigger.

PTSD can severely debilitate a person’s normal functioning so doctors recommend quick evaluations for the afflicted person. If it isn’t too severe, therapy could help the person function normally.

9. Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

In children, hyperactivity is an anticipated trait. That trait can be diagnosed as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when combined with inattentiveness and impulsivity. This disorder is most commonly diagnosed in children and can be diagnosed as early as three years old.

While there are several risk factors for ADHD, scientists and doctors aren’t sure what causes it. It appears more frequently in females and is a life-long condition. However, it can be managed with medications and therapy.

10. Dementia

Dementia is often considered a mental illness rather than a disorder. However, in some cases, it can be considered a mental disorder in some cases when it affects mental health. It’s a thin line to understand the difference.

Think of it in this way: it’s a mental illness because it can shrink the brain and kill the brain cells. This is the physical manifestation of the illness. The mental manifestation which causes it to be considered as a disorder shows up in the form of memory loss, communication issues, confusion, and more.

psychological disordersFinal Thoughts on Common Psychological Disorders

The first step to getting a handle on psychological disorders is recognition and acceptance. This information helps you with that step. If you realize that you are suffering from one of these disorders, know that you are not alone. More people than you realize has experienced at least one disorder in their life.

It is healthy to not only recognize your psychological disorder but have the ability to control it as well. If you have people in your life who are suffering, you should help them come to terms with their disorder so they can seek treatment. Although the disorders can be difficult to maintain, it’s not impossible to lead a normal life with some help.

footer-logo.svg

Every day is a day to shine. Shine on!

  • Copyright Power of Positivity 2025

Quote Remedy — Positive Energy+ — Faith Remedy

Like-img.png
Twt-img.png
Skip to content