Hello everyone, I hope you have an amazing holiday! I saw this on facebook, and I thought I’d share it with you instead of the usual holiday meme. Just an FYI, I do think Meditation and Journaling are good too!
Happy Easter, and if weather permits go outside for a walk. Fresh air and movement are so good for you!
Hello everyone! I hope all is well with you. It’s my wedding anniversary today, so hubby and I went out to dinner last night to celebrate, so there won’t be a post until next week! Thanks for understanding! Have a great week!
Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’m back today after a busy week at work, writing, and running. By the weekend, the weather warmed considerably. So, for the first time since early November, I was able to get outside and hike.
It was wonderful. I finally got out into the woods. It was nice to chat with a friend and breathe in that forest air. Forest-bathing is a therapy that many therapists prescribe in China. It has been linked to lowering depression and anxiety.
Long before there was scientific evidence of health benefits to hiking, I knew it was good for you. I felt it every time I went on a hike. I’d come back relaxed and more grounded. That’s because the trees and plants release phytoncides into the atmosphere, and we breathe them in.
They boost our immune system and improve our mood. The other benefit of hiking is that you’re moving. I sit for long periods because of my job, so hitting the trail gets me moving which is good for my body. I’m actually improving my chances of having a long life by hiking. I also run, but during the winter that’s an indoor activity.
Hiking is a low impact weight bearing exercise. It improves circulation and cardiovascular health. It also has a positive impact on bone density. This is important for people who may have osteopenia or osteoporosis. It’s a great way to help prevent those diseases, and it’s low cost. You just have to drive to the trail.
Don’t know where to go? Google hiking trails in your state or county. I’m sure there are some near you, and if not, go for a walk around your neighborhood. It’s not exactly the same thing, but it’s better than sitting in front of the TV and eating a bag of potato chips!
Thanks for stopping by and reading my post. How about you? Do you like to hike? Where are your favorite places to go? Leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you!
Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’m back today after a busy week at work, writing, and running. Work has been busy, so writing and running has taken a backseat, but I feel confident that I’ll be back in balance soon. I’m still in the query trenches. It’s slow, but most things in publishing are.
Today, I want to talk about maintaining focus. Distractions fill our lives, and sometimes that can affect our creativity. That’s hard on us creatives because expressing our creativity is part of who we are. I don’t know about you, but when I don’t get the opportunity to work on my project, I grow restless.
Nothing calms me more when I’m dealing with work stress or social stress than sitting down and working on my most current writing project. So, when I can’t, it affects my mood. I can tell immediately when I immerse myself in my story, it’s like a calming balm for me. I’m less agitated, and the stress from work or social interactions lessens.
Sometimes, we need to step back from social dynamics that drain us. Sometimes, social interactions can turn competitive. For example, when your progress in a certain arena activates a friend’s competitive energy, the dynamic can turn unhealthy. I’ve found it’s best to step away from those interactions for everyone involved and focus on my writing.
One way to maintain focus is to spend as little time as possible on social media. I’ve found social media can be a real time suck. I’ve also stepped back from that, using it to mainly message people. I still post occasionally, but I’ve found that some platforms have less interaction. People are using other platforms. I don’t have the time or the inclination to investigate them now.
I’ve found that by narrowing my focus to my family, my health, and my writing, I’ve been able to continue moving forward in my goals. Sometimes, social issues can create distractions and emotional angst, and sometimes the best way to move forward is to step back and refocus.
Thanks for reading my post today, how about you? What do you do to maintain your focus? Leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you!
Hello everyone! I hope all is well with you. I’m taking a break today due to circumstances beyond my control. I will be back next week with another titillating post! Have a great week, everyone!
Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’m back today after a busy week at work, writing, and running.
The days are getting longer. It’s staying lighter later into the evening. I like that. Summer is on its way, even if it’s still cold outside. But enough about that. Since it was chilly out, hubby and I binge watched a show title “Paradise.” It’s on Hulu, and I must say the writing and acting were amazing. We started it a while ago then got busy, so we restarted it. We made it through the first two seasons, and season three starts tonight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCObCpYScdE
It’s the story of a billionaire who wants to save her daughter from the apocalyptic tsunami that scientists have predicted but no one has listened to them until now. This billionaire builds an underground city and calls it Paradise. She picks approximately 25000 people who will live in this city, but like all well thought out plans, things go awry and get messy. The billionaire tries to maintain control through manipulation and murder, and that’s when the carefully constructed city starts to fall apart.
I won’t go into too much more detail because I don’t want to spoil it for you, but it’s a great show. If you need something to binge watch for a weekend during this frigid winter, this show is for you. You won’t be disappointed.
Thanks for stopping by and reading my post. What have you been binge watching? Leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you!
Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I’m back today after a busy week at work, writing, and running. It has turned cold again so I’m back to hanging out in front of the fire with hubby. I’m enjoying these peaceful evenings with him.
My story is going fine. I’m making progress. But enough about that, today I want to talk about balance. It’s important to have balance in our lives for our physical and mental health.
We need a good seven to eight hours of sleep every night for our health, as well as exercise and a balanced diet. The thing is most of us must work to pay the bills. That’s where things can get out of balance. Because most corporate jobs don’t reward you for taking care of yourself. They believe long hours and prioritizing the company over health makes you a valuable employee. So, people are eating quick, high-carb meals because they don’t have time to fix something healthy and skipping workouts because they have to work late.
This type of routine leads to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. All of which are on the rise in the United States. This type of lifestyle is killing us. Statistics show the steady rise in the above diseases also shows a steady decline in life expectancy in the United States. We’ve fallen behind in other countries. This does not bode well for us.
What’s the answer? I know most people aren’t going to like to hear this, but I’ve got to say it. It means developing a routine where we meal prep for the week ahead, so we have balanced meals to eat, we need to carve out time to work out for our physical as well as mental health, and we need to make sure we get enough sleep.
We need to make our health a goal and create an action plan to maintain it. Because we all know our health is real wealth? Right? Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. What are you doing to maintain your health? Leave a comment I’d love to hear from you!
Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I took a break last week to watch the Super Bowl, and it wasn’t quite as exciting as I had hoped it would be. I did like the half-time show even though I didn’t understand the words. I thought it was tastefully done. This week has been busy at work, and I’ve been working on my writing, too. A little less running last week, but every once in a while it’s okay to take a break. But enough about that. Today, I want to talk about social connections.
I read in a Blue Zones newsletter recently that isolation can decrease your life expectancy by thirty percent. That’s the same as if you were a smoker and higher than obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. That’s scary. Humans are social animals. We need connection.
It doesn’t matter how many friends you have, just that you have a few good friends to connect with. It could be as simple as getting together for coffee or going for a hike. This applies to young and old alike.
With the younger crowd, I call it disconnection. This is a factor in most mass shootings. The latest mass shooting was in Canada. A young person was in the process of transitioning from male to female. I can’t think of a lonelier place to be than that. Someone who’s changing their identity so drastically is also losing friends. They are in a period of isolation because they don’t really know where they belong anymore. Just think if she had a community that welcomed her as she transitioned. There most likely wouldn’t have been a mass shooting. I know she had mental health issues. It’s too bad she wasn’t getting the help she needed. If she had been a tragedy could’ve been prevented.
Isolation or disconnection has a dramatic effect on your physical and mental health. At first, I blamed technology because teens and some adults are busy playing video games, but I’ve found many games are interactive. This means you can communicate with other players while you’re playing. That’s social even if you’re doing it from your own home.
We need to bring back community centers. Places where the elderly can spend time with people and connect. These places would be good for our young people too. Not all teens can afford expensive gaming equipment. Connection will increase our life span and make everyday life more meaningful. We all need something to look forward to, and getting together with friends is definitely something to look forward to. Don’t you agree? How about you? Do you feel better when you spend time with your friends? Leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you!
Hello everyone, I’m taking a Blog-cation to watch the Super Bowl! I’ll be back next week!
Hello everyone, I hope all is well with you. I had a busy week with work and writing. It was a productive week on both counts. I’m still excited about my story, we’ve had some positive changes in my company that will definitely benefit me. So, it was a win-win this week.
But enough about that. Today, I want to talk about something I’m sure everyone has experienced during the winter months, and that is, why do I crave carbs during the winter? I mean, I could eat potatoes and pasta all day long and still want more. And the sweets? Don’t get me started on chocolate. What the heck is going on?
Well, I did a little research to answer this question, because I can eat a bunch of chocolate in a sitting when I’m watching TV or working on my writing. Why is that?
I found some interesting facts. During the winter months, we have less sunlight which has a direct effect on our serotonin levels. The more sunlight we have the higher our serotonin levels. So, that explains why we crave carbs and sugar during the winter months. These two foods also increase our serotonin levels which has a direct effect on our mood and emotions.
So, the saying that we’re basically plants with emotions seems to be true. We need sunlight to stabilize our serotonin which stabilizes our moods. Just ten to twenty minutes of sunlight a day can help during the winter.
When you can’t get enough sunlight, it’s best to eat complex carbs like oats, sweet potatoes, or quinoa rice. Other alternatives include protein and fats like Greek yogurt, eggs, and fish.
I know what you’re thinking. Those things don’t taste quite as good as a brownie or a donut, but if you’re watching your weight or trying to maintain your blood sugar levels then complex carbs and proteins are best for you.
Thanks for reading my post today. How about you? What do you do when those serotonin cravings hit? Leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you!
