There’s much more to taking care of your health than meets the eye, literally. Of course, it’s important to maintain physical health, but what many people don’t realize is that caring for your mental and emotional health is just as vital to your well-being. What’s more, issues with your mental and/or emotional health can extend into the physical realm, contributing to a variety of physical conditions, ranging from a common cold to cancer. Fortunately, there is a lot you can do to nourish your non-physical self so as to protect your physical self and, ultimately, treat the entirety of your well-being. Here are some tips to treating yourself with care: five ways to rejuvenate.

Exercise

It may seem counterintuitive to think that exercise can actually calm your body and give you more energy at the same time, but it’s true. That’s because exercise releases your body’s feel-good chemicals, countering stress, anxiety, depression, and all that bad stuff that builds over time if you don’t take the time to care for yourself. Read the rest of this article →

Getting to know someone is hard enough but when you throw the holidays into the mix it can be a recipe for disaster. With all the surrounding pressures, you will want to deflect as much stress as possible. Planning beforehand is essential because you do not want to have any surprises when it comes to gifts, family or travel. Below are a few ideas of how to handle your first holiday together and if you are lucky you just may be able to get through it unscathed.

Talk it Out

Everyone has their favorite and least favorite parts of the holidays. Before approaching all the different aspects sit down and hash out what it is that works for the both of you. This can include traditions, religious meanings, office party attendance and throwing your own party together. The more you are on the same page the smoother it will go. Read the rest of this article →

Vegetarianism is a worthy idea to consider, not because it is the fashionable thing to do, but because it does bring about a lot of benefits. I am not out to convince you to become a vegetarian. People who are actually engaged in the practice are in a better position to do that. However, I do know that one of the challenges of turning vegetarian is in finding dishes that will satisfy both the tastebuds and the appetite, while at the same time sticking to vegetarian-friendly ingredients.

Of course, you can always go for your favorite veggies and tofu, but after a while, don’t you want to try out different flavors and textures? If you cook a lot (well, let’s say enough to have to look for new recipes), and you want to make your shift to vegetarianism a tad easier, I’ve got something up my sleeve. Being vegetarian does not have to equate to less tasty food. In fact, you can have things that look (and taste) this good!

Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps

The secret? The right “tool”! Read the rest of this article →

Here’s a confession – I’m not a natural optimist. I’m not one of those people for whom the glass is always half full. I have to really train my mind not to focus on how empty it looks. It’s not easy, I can tell you.

One thing that I’ve found particularly effective in recent times is practising gratitude. At the end of every day I sit and write down a list of five things I’m grateful for. Sometimes it’s easy and I can think of more than five, whereas other times I really struggle, but I make sure I complete the list. By focusing on the good things that happened in the day, or just the positive things in my life, I find that I feel happier and more optimistic.

photo credit: LexnGer

You don’t even have to write them down – it’s the process that’s important – so instead you could list them in your head as you’re getting ready for bed. If this sounds difficult, why not enlist a friend or partner to help you? You could send each other a daily gratitude email or text.

Incidentally, there’s research to back this all up. In one 2003 study a group of individuals wrote down five things they were grateful for each week, for 10 weeks. At the end of the trial this group were 25% happier than a comparison group who just wrote down five things that happened in the week.
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Have you heard of the term energy vampires? I think it’s a particularly apt phrase used to describe people who sap you of energy and positivity, leaving you feeling drained and downbeat because of their negative mindset. A friend of mine likes to call them “vibe suckers”, whilst Liam O’Connell, author of Don’t Feed The Ducks, calls them “mood hoovers”. Whichever way you refer to them, I certainly know a few people who dampen down my mood and I bet you do too.

photo credit: Shandi-lee

People’s moods and energy are infectious. Associating with happy, positive people will do wonders for your state of mind – you can’t help but be influenced by their upbeat nature. But hanging around with negative, downbeat people will inevitably rub off on you and drag you down. It’s a bit like when someone walks into a room and the atmosphere changes – either for better or for worse – because of the vibe they give off.

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