Relaxation Moments

Relaxation for The Mind and Body

Why Sunday Should Be a Day of Rest

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Most people who work during the week, usually try to fill their responsibilities and chores on the weekend. You get extra workouts in, plan family time and weekend trips, do home improvement, take care of cleaning and chores, and many other things that you don’t get done during the weekday.

While it is good to take advantage of days where your work responsibilities are put on hold, trying to do too much 7 days a week is going to lead to a lot of stress. This is why it would be a good idea to use Sunday as the day of rest each week, and adjust your schedule accordingly.

Leave Your Work for the Work Week

If you have a habit of constantly worrying about work whether you are working or not, you are making the stress and overwhelm in your life a lot worse. This is often where burnout comes from, because you are basically working 24/7, whether you are in the office, talking to clients, answering emails, or just can’t stop thinking about work.

The best thing you can do is only focus on work while you are at work. Whether you work out of the home and leave work in the office, or you work from home and need a different workspace, make sure you have a way to distinguish between work and home.

If you happen to work from home, have a dedicated workspace. This makes it easier to switch your mindset from work to being at home. You know that if you aren’t in your office or at your desk, you should not be focused on your job.

Scheduling Too Much Over the Weekend

Another big mistake with not having proper days of rest is trying to schedule too much into your weekend. Weekends are great for doing chores, meeting up with friends, and running errands, but you should not be dedicated your entire weekend to this. If you do, by Monday morning, you are still exhausted and feel like you didn’t get any time to yourself.

You really need to find the right balance between getting stuff done, and have some free time to yourself. Schedule it in if you have to – make it an appointment you have with yourself to practice self-care and get proper rest.

Take a Rest from Everything on Sunday

The best way to find this balance is to have Saturday be your 6th day of work or personal responsibilities for the week, then leave Sunday open for yourself. Sunday should be your day of rest, which means not spending all day running errands, doing household chores, or working. It is normal to want to take advantage of the weekend to get things done, but when you schedule most of them for Saturday, you have more time on Sunday for you.

This doesn’t mean you have to lay around all day, but it is a day where you decide what you want to d with your time. This might be an outing with your family, going shopping, taking a midday nap, baking cookies, or doing crafts at home.

Your Mind and Body Need Rest!

Remember that both your mind and body need proper rest. Even if your idea of resting on Sunday is working on your couch, you are still working. Do not get into this habit! You should have at least one day or even half a day a week with no work, no chores, and no responsibilities. This is needed for proper self-care, stress relief, and just allowing your mind and body to unwind.

Here is an idea of some things you can do over the weekend or on Sunday in order to rest both your mind and body:

Write in a journal or planner. Journaling is a good way to get all those worries and thoughts out of your mind, so that your brain is clear for relaxing and not stressing so much.

Meditate. Meditation is going to relax your body and mind, and help you with your breathing practice.

Go for a walk or hike. Exercise doesn’t have to cause you stress or be something that is uncomfortable. Think of a light form of exercise that is good for your body and mental health, such as a hike with your dog, or walking by the beach or lake.

Spend time with loved ones. It is still okay to be social when you have a day of rest, as long as it is something relaxing that you enjoy. This might mean going out for drinks, having a family game night, or inviting friends over to watch the game.

Take a hot bath. Baths are wonderful for self-care, allow you some time to yourself, and are very relaxing. They allow you to rest both your mind and body, and can incorporate essential oils for some aromatherapy.

Read a book. This is a great way to rest in your favorite couch or lay in bed and read a book. Make it a book you want to read for personal reasons, not work, school, or other responsibilities. This is a good time to read for leisure, depending on what you are most interested in.

Evening Yoga for a Peaceful, Restful Bedtime

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Hoping to increase peaceful feelings in your household as everyone settles down for the evening? If you have a family, bed time can be anything but peaceful. There’s likely a nightly protest from the kids about getting to sleep on time. There could be arguments over having to put smart phones or ipads away; or maybe someone has neglected to finish homework on time.

If you live with a partner, you might have different ideas about what the evening routine should involve for enjoying some peace before bedtime. Maybe he or she enjoys turning up the volume on loud, violent movies just as you are settling in with some light reading. Or perhaps your to-do list is what summons you after-hours, which is stressful.

If you are looking for an evening self-care routine to carry you away from the pressures of family life and make the pre-bedtime hours more relaxing, then think about this series of yoga poses designed to help you relax for a more restful sleep.

Practices these poses slowly and in this specific order, taking deep, cleansing belly breaths throughout. Hold each pose for about 6 deep breaths to release tension in the body.

Mountain pose. Stand with feet positioned hip-width apart. Place arms at sides and press shoulders down as you exhale. Inhale through the nose, letting the chest rise as the feet press down into the ground and the top of the head rises proudly skyward. The trick to releasing tension in mountain pose is planting the feet firmly, and imagining the top of the head spiraling to the heavens as you pull your stomach muscles in and breathe deeply.

Forward fold. From mountain pose, sweep the arms overhead and out to the sides. Then bend down as though you were about to touch your toes. You are folded in half at the waist, with head toward the ground. As you breathe through this pose, pull your abdominals in. Hands can dangle freely, or if you’re more flexible you can try to place them on either side, behind the calves.

Downward-facing dog. From forward fold, step backward with one foot and then the other while planting the palms flat on the floor in front of you. You are now bent in half with feet and palms supporting you. This pose resembles a dog stretching. Tummy pulls in as you breathe and imagine pinning your bellybutton to the back of your spine.

Plank pose. Plank is like a gentler version of a pushup. It’s a great pose to relieve stress from the entire body while engaging all of the long muscles. Lower yourself from downward-facing dog into plank pose. Hands are beneath shoulders, pressed into the floor on either side of you. You’re using your chest muscles to support your body. Imagine you are a plank of wood, everything flat and straight, with tummy pulled in and backside tucked downward. Breathe through plank pose, then move on to upward facing dog.

From plank, come into upward-facing dog by placing your body in the prone position (facing the floor) with palms under shoulders, ready to support you. Next, lift only the torso (your hips stay pressed into the ground). Lift your torso, shoulders, neck, chin and face upward while pressing the lower half of your body (hips, front of legs and feet) to the floor. Rest between breaths and then resume the pose again if you need to.

Child’s pose. Come into child’s pose from plank. Sit on your knees, then lower your head to the floor so that your forehead touches the ground. Arms can be on either side, hugging your knees, or stretched out past your head. Focus on elongating your spine, keeping hips pulled back in their sockets and reaching forward with hands if you can.

This series represents just a few of the basic, relaxing yoga poses that you can do to increase relaxation in the evening hours, relieve stress, and sleep better. Not only will you get to sleep more quickly, but you are more likely to stay asleep through the night. And if you do wake up? Try doing some more relaxing yoga.

Prayer Brings Peace to the Family Home

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If you are thinking about ideas on how to bring more peace to your family life? Prayer is one way to deepen the bond between family members and cultivate a loving, soothing environment at home. How does praying together accomplish this?

Prayer offers hope. Praying as a family reminds us of our shared values, and that we are all in this life together, struggling as we may yet pushing on, encouraged by our support of each other.

Prayer helps individuals be heard, seen and felt. While praying with our children and our partner, we are made aware of what they think about things, what bothers them, what they hope for and what obstacles they face.

Parents and children can set goals for the family and for each individual. During prayer, we can talk about our hopes, fears and challenges, and define what we would like to happen in our lives.

Prayer strengthens our bonds. Along with healthy, open communication and the sense of trust between family members, when we listen to and reflect on what family members wish for both individual family members and for the family as a whole, we feel supported and encouraged.

Prayer helps us love more deeply. When we feel loved, the peaceful feelings grow between us as a family. Loving gestures, affection and kind words increase oxytocin levels in our blood which help us to feel calm and secure.

How to pray even if you’re not religious:

People all over the world and from all cultures and belief systems pray. Whether or not you believe in a higher power and regardless of your ideas of what happens after we die, you can bring spirituality into your family life, and increase peaceful, loving feelings through prayer.

What to pray about:

Pray for strength. Send wishes into the universe, or to your God, that family members can work through their problems large and small.

Pray for success. Success is a subjective concept, but we all have ideas about what we’d like to make happen in our lives. So if you and your family members have set personal goals that will keep you on track with living better and improving the world by way of your gifts, then talk about it and pray about it together.

Pray for health. A weak body means we are unable to enjoy what life has to offer. When we’re robust and full of life, we can engage more fully and do the things we want to do. Pray for the health of your partner and family so that you may enjoy life to the fullest.

Pray for understanding. Many of the conflicts that we experience in our daily lives are rooted in misunderstanding. In seeking to connect with each other through prayer, we can gain better insights into our relationships.

Pray for peace. Set intentions for being more kind, loving and patient, with your partner, within your family, and with the people you encounter every day.

Making Peace at Home Starts With You

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Do you wish and hope for more peace and ease in your daily life with family? Sometimes it feels like our home life is not even close to that vision that we have in our minds of children playing quietly by the fire, family members speaking softly and using manners, and all of the peaceful things we would like in our daily home lives.

One way that we can bring about more peace in our families is to start by offering peace to others. Start with some simple daily changes.

Set the example. If your family members are usually impatience and use rude and disrespectful remarks, you should refuse to indulge in this behavior. Do not reflect a rude attitude back at others. Instead, be firm, patient, and polite. This may take some getting used to, but if you practice what so many preach about peace, you may just find that your calm and soothing ways are catching to other people.

Replace irritation with patience. Changing your entire attitude may seem impossible at first. Tension often builds as we have conflicts with family members over various issues. Even the small things seem to pile up in our heads, much like that never-ending mountain of laundry. But if we become aware of how often we feel annoyed by the very changing aspects of our own family life, we can begin to change our responses.

Keep tension under control. One way to be more patient is by finding release for your stress. If we take time out for exercise every day, including some light cardio and stretching, it will make a big difference in how we react to the little things that come up.

Be peaceful in words and actions. If your thoughts are negative, keep them to yourself. If your actions can cause unhappiness to others, change your plans. Find ways to be peaceful in your daily relations. By doing this, peace will come to you as you give it to others.

What Does Peace Mean to You?

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Peace can mean different things to different people. Generally though, when we think of peace, we think of a calm scene. The picture might include vision of a beautiful nature scenery or a tidy space free of clutter. It might be soft music, or no music at all… or perhaps the soothing sounds of nature.

Are we alone in our peaceful scene? For many people, being by ourselves brings a sense of peace. We can relax and go with our own inner flow. We don’t have to talk with or organize with others, which can often feel like work, and stress.

If we are with other people, then peace might be the absence of conflict. Peace shared with others might feel like everyone is together, but each doing his or her own thing. Just chilling out, and not getting ruffled about anything in particular. Not feeling pressured to talk, explain or defend ourselves, or perform at any given time, could feel like peace to some.

What other words mean peace to some people?

Serenity. Feelings of calm, rest and ease. Absence of expectation or judgment.

Safety. A quiet space to let your guard down and be yourself. A place where there are no threats, either to our physical body or our mental well being.

Freedom. Peacefulness might come from having the freedom to do what you like, when you like. Peace might feel like floating along at a leisurely pace, responding to your own inner whims.

Solitude. Some people consider their alone time a necessary means of finding peace. If you’re something like this, peace to you might look like personal space in which to think, dream, create, learn, or just be.

Quiet, agreeable companionship. Mutual respect and courtesy, living and letting others live.

Harmony. Disagreements without strife. Being able to communicate in a relaxed manner, letting the thoughts flow easily, being okay with whatever is being said.

Relaxation. The opportunity to rest and recharge your battery. Peace, to many people, means getting some time to relax and unwind.

If you’re someone who would like to trade confusion for clarity, calamities for calm, and chaos for quiet in your everyday life at home… then try these tips for keeping the peace in your household.

Seeking Peace for the Holidays

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Wondering how you can share more peace with others during the holiday season? Spreading peaceful feelings to other people can have a positive effect on our overall wellbeing. This is because when we show kindness, patience, tolerance and understanding toward our fellow humans, we activate a sense of calm and it becomes contagious. An easygoing and lighthearted vibe is definitely something that we can pass along to the next person. This works to create a pay-it-forward gesture of peace.

When you think of peaceful holidays and how to go about achieving them, imagine that all people are connected by invisible links. Share the peace… pass it on… don’t break the chain!

Consider this: each time we argue or have a tension-filled exchange that’s punctuated by thoughtless behavior, impatient communication and overall rudeness, we send stressful feelings out into the world and we also invite more stress into our own lives. Just as our strivings toward peace have a ripple effect on the people around us, our lack of peacefulness can also impact those with whom we interact. So when you’re faced with a difficult situation, choose the peaceful response. Remember that a peaceful life begins with you, and the choices you make.

Peacefulness is something that we can strive for in small but meaningful ways. The holiday season is a great time to start sharing peace with others. The peaceful gestures that we offer during this celebratory time can carry us through to the coming year, and offer a fresh start in how we approach our relationships.

Choose peace during the holiday season: here’s how.

Approach holiday plans with an open and flexible mind. Don’t let minor mishaps spoil the day. If a family member opts to bring wine instead of the requested potatoes, let it go. Offer the gift of benefit of the doubt. Perhaps this family member is having a tough year. Next year could be the Christmas that they shine in the kitchen.

Be gracious when it comes to gifts. Gift-giving can be a source of contention around the holidays. One way to keep the present exchange peaceful is by setting a max on spending. Another way is by deciding in advance who will be trading gifts this year. Will it be kids only, or are adults involved as well? If someone buys a gift for you that isn’t quite right, say a polite thank-you and then quietly exchange or re-gift if you must. Complaining about or showing ingratitude for gifts is no way to have a peaceful Christmas.

Likewise, if you give a gift and it’s the wrong size or the person already has one, be the bigger person. Understand that not everyone can always make use of the presents we give. A gift can be passed on to someone who can use it, or it can be returned for cash. One way to avoid ruffled feathers over Christmas presents is to avoid the “how do you like the X that I gave you” follow-up conversation. Once you give a gift to someone, it is not your business what becomes of that item.

Show tolerance for everyone at the party. The merriment of the holidays comes with its share of clashing personalities. Solitude-seeking introverts might feel engulfed by more aggressive types. Your Christmas bash might result in some rowdiness or perhaps a heated debate or two. People are in close quarters at this time of year. The best policy for keeping the holidays peaceful is by keeping conversational topics light, and ignoring the urge to give certain people a piece of your mind. Walking away during an awkward moment is a very good means of retaining the peaceful Christmas vibe.

Meditating Throughout the Summer

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Meditating in a summer environment can help you focus on the continuation of life. There is great beauty to be found in existence, and there is a season for everything. As you work to internalize an innate understanding of nature , you’ll be more likely to feel peaceful, complete, and where you should be in your life. When you meditate, you can use your surroundings to help you. Many people try to block out the world and simply look within themselves when they meditate. This can be very useful, but there are also other ways in which you can practice meditation. While you may want to avoid noisy streets and other distractions, you can certainly use warmth and nature to your benefit.

Warmth and Meditation

In order to meditate more easily and focus on what matters to you, you should be comfortable. That means sitting or lying somewhere that makes you happy and peaceful, but it also means enjoying the right temperature. If you’re too distracted on the fact that you’re too chilly, meditation will be more difficult for you. You can escape that challenge by staying warm and cozy during meditation.

The summer is ideal for meditating because the days are longer and the nights are warm. The soft noises of crickets and other small creatures can bring you peace and make you feel more connected with the world around you. As you start to relax and feel more comfortable, the warmth will help you focus on harmony and joy.

Avoid meditating in the extreme heat, as that can make you feel worse and result in a heat stroke. Instead, find a place where it’s simply warm and comforting.

Evenings in the summertime are often good for meditation, and the pitter-patter of rain can be peaceful as well. If you live in a desert environment, rain can bring about relief, great joy, and a deep appreciation for nature that you can use to help focus your meditation.

Grow and Develop Throughout the Summer Months

The object of meditation is growth, and the summer months provide several factors that you can use to speed that growth along, such as:

  • Warmth
  • Longer days
  • Quiet, restful, peaceful nights
  • Occasional rainstorms to renew and refresh you
  • A break from school or work
  • A stronger bond with nature and existence

There are many ways you can benefit from the warmth of summer when you want to meditate. The longer days are often helpful, and perhaps you’ll vacation, so you may have lower stress levels than you otherwise would. Even if you’re not able to take a break from work or school, you can still use meditation to help you feel better, calmer, and more relaxed.

Focus your mind on the beauty that summer has to offer. Blooming plants, quiet nights, small creatures and insects, rain, and the joy of being part of the cycle of life and existence can all be wonderful triggers for meditation and help bring peace and happiness.

Use what works for you. Everyone is different, and meditation is a very personal experience. The way one person uses the summer might not be the same way someone else uses it. Your meditation time is your own special getaway. Take the warmth, peace, and beauty of summer and use it in the way that feels most comfortable to you.

6 Incredible Health Benefits Of Mindfulness

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By Greg Thurston

Creator of Seven Minute Mindfulness

“Mindfulness” is a bit of a buzz word right now, but that doesn’t mean that you should discredit it. Being mindful is one of the best things you can do for your body and mind!

But you might not be sure what it is. Is mindfulness just being more aware? Or does it mean clearing your mind?

Being mindful, in one sense, is like simplifying things. Normally we try to multitask all day, worrying about 20 things while doing 10. That doesn’t work too well.

Being mindful means focusing on the present moment. Being fully here. It allows you to attend to what’s going on right around you and inside you. So it simplifies things because you can just enjoy the present moment.

You can mediate to be more mindful, and you can practice it throughout your day. Whatever you’re doing, give it all of your attention. Be proactive about putting down your other worries and being present in what you’re doing and who you’re with.

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Mindfulness a gift that we don’t give to ourselves much. In fact, our society teaches that we should be getting as much done as possible all the time, which leads to burnout, stress, health problems, and lower productivity.

Mindfulness, on the other hand, offers the opposite, so let’s take a look at all the benefits of mindfulness.

1. Mindfulness reduces stress

Let’s start with the biggie. In today’s world, we really battle stress from all sides.

If we carry around all the things we have to worry about, our mind never gets a break. That’s why so many people are completely burned out, feeling down, and stressed to the point of panic attacks or needing medication.

This kind of worrying steals away any chance of joy or relaxation in our day. You probably know how it goes: you’re sitting at your desk at work, stressed about a deadline, and also about a disagreement with your partner, and some tension you’re feeling with a coworker, and the company party you’re supposed to attend tonight…

Constantly carrying all of these things and feeling continued stress leads to:

  • Restless sleep
  • A racing mind
  • Low energy
  • Feeling irritable
  • Feeing defensive
  • Getting angry easier
  • Panic attacks
  • Constant panic
  • Headaches, body aches, migraines
  • Jaw pain from clenching teeth
  • Tight shoulders and back pain
  • Depression

As you can see, trying to keep everything on your mind leads to all kinds of problems, resulting in lower productivity and even worse things.

We might even feel guilty if we forget to worry about something. Do you ever do that? You’ll finally get absorbed in something and it feels really nice, but then you remember all the things that aren’t resolved, and you feel guilty for letting yourself have a few minutes.

But you need those minutes!

Being mindful and present will allow you to get absorbed in what you’re doing, give it your full attention so you can do better, and you’ll feel more clear and mentally energized.

Your body and brain wasn’t made to handle constant stress. It’s so much healthier to be present and put aside the other pressing thoughts.

Challenge yourself to be mindful in one activity a day: a walk, mediation, making a craft, writing, drawing, singing, or something else you enjoy.

See how it feels to let yourself be fully present with that one thing and not having thoughts about anything else. And then see how you feel the rest of the day.

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2. Mindfulness creates better health

Being mindful and present lowers our stress levels and also centers us, bringing many health benefits.

You might notice that you’re calmer after practicing mindfulness, your head feels more clear and focused, you’re more productive, and more alert.

Being mindful greatly benefits your mind, and that in turn benefits your body and overall health.

People who practice being mindful have higher brain function, an increased immune function, lower blood pressure, lower anxiety levels, and are more calm.

We’ve heard this for years, but experts were talking about meditation and yoga. Both of those are ways to be mindful!

3. Mindfulness decreases depression symptoms

When you decrease stress and improve your health, that can help with depression.

Mindfulness does that and more. It’s been considered an effective part of overall depression treatment for a long time.

Being mindful often helps people see and acknowledge their feelings, and that leads to better coping. Being mindful and let you say, “I see that I’m feeling that way, and that’s okay.”

Being mindful engages the observant self, so you can notice how you’re feeling, and what you’re thinking, but not get completely sucked into those feelings. You can step back and analyze the situation better.

4. Mindfulness increases Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity is one of those fun words (in my opinion) that show you what they mean. Neuro, or brain, plus plasticity, or being flexible.

Think about how plastic can be soft and pliable.

Being mindful helps your brain increase its ability to change and adapt, which is pretty important to our survival even though we’re not back in the caveman era.

In a simple sense, neuroplasticity refers to how our brain grows, learns, and changes. When we change our mind or learn new things, we actually make new pathways.

But this has bigger scientific implications. When someone has a stroke and has to relearn how to walk, they’re actually learning how to re-circuit their brain around the damaged area.

Imagine how much stronger your brain will be if you practice mindfulness and therefore improve neuroplasticity. That’s a huge advantage for dealing with all of life’s curves and for any brain damage you might suffer.

5. Mindfulness helps you deal with illness

Studies have found that mindfulness helps people with cancer and people with chronic illness-even terminal illness.

I can see why being in the moment more would help someone enjoy life day by day. Research has found that mindfulness helps cancer patients reduce stress while relieving fatigue.

For many, mindfulness increases our spirituality and sense of purpose, and it helps people handle their emotions regarding their illness.

Mindfulness can greatly improve life for people with chronic pain, such as low back pain. It helps patients focus on something other than the pain.

6. Mindfulness helps recovery

We’ve seen all the ways mindfulness benefits our mental and emotional health. It also helps us physically when we need to recover from illness.

This is probably due to all the other benefits of being mindful.

We have better focus, we’re less stressed, we feel more at peace, and so we’re happier.

We’ve talked about some big areas where mindfulness helps. To zoom in a bit, here’s a list of more specific ways that being mindful improves our lives:

  • Better mental health
  • Less stress at work
  • Better emotional regulation
  • Less problems with alcohol and drugs
  • Less depression and anxiety
  • Better performance at school and work
  • Better relationships
  • Better self awareness
  • Less burnout
  • Better able to cope with ups and downs
  • More resilience

We’re just healthier when we’re more mindful, because people aren’t really made to multitask 5 things all day long and always worry.

We can benefit from slowing down and enjoying the present moment. Why let other things detract from what you’re doing? You can give those other things your attention in due time.

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How to Write Your Own Affirmations

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Affirmations are used by many people, and they have the strong ability to lift your spirits to get through hard times. They are also good to set your mindset for relaxation and help ease stress.

Affirmations help us to keep a positive attitude about life. It’s only natural that we’ll get more out of these positive sayings if we formulate them ourselves. Writing our own affirmations makes them personal to us, which can then help us to get through our own individual situations.

When you start writing your own affirmations, keep these tips in mind:

  1. Make them personal. When you write affirmations, it’s important to remember to use “I” in them. They are personal to you after all.
  • Example: “I am having an exceptional day today!”
  • Use the present tense. Affirmations are built in order to change our feelings now, which is why you want to stay positive and strong in this moment. When you use the past tense, you get nostalgic. When you use the future tense, you get hopeful. The present tense helps you feel the difference right now.
  • Example: “I am feeling relaxed.”
  • Be down to earth. This just means to use your own style and try not to make your affirmations too formal or wishy-washy. You want to capture your own voice.
  • Bad Example: “Presently I feel the urge to enjoy my existence.”
  • Good Example: “I enjoy my life.”
  • Be short. Affirmations are meant to be short, simple and sweet. Stay on target and make your affirmation a one-liner. If it’s too wordy, try breaking it up into a few affirmations. The trick is to stick with one simple idea at a time.
  • Example: “I am in perfect health.”
  • Make it positive. Affirmations are positive statements, so avoid negative words like “not.” You’re using affirmations to make a life improvement and positive statements motivate you to make this improvement.
  • Example: “I am at peace with my mind.”
  • Make it believable. You don’t want your affirmation to sound like something out of this world. If it’s not believable, you won’t take it seriously and your subconscious will just dismiss it.
  • Example: “I am choosing to be happy today.”

Believe in the Power of Affirmations

When you say your affirmations, believe them to be true. Affirmations are truly powerful sets of words as long as you believe what you’re telling yourself.

Affirmations alone have been known to help people cure addictions. Women even use them during childbirth to help them stay calm and collected during natural delivery.

First, set your eyes on your goal and then write your affirmations to get yourself there.

Write Them Down

Practice always makes perfect. Write down the affirmations you’re feeling. Then go over the list above and make sure that your affirmations follow the rules. Once they do, start using your affirmations and feel the difference. Say your affirmations to yourself daily. Take deep breaths and keep your eyes on your goal.

Also if need be, tweak your affirmations. These positive sayings aren’t written in stone, so as you change, your affirmations can change, too.

It’s best to keep your affirmations in a place where you can see them. You can simply keep a list in your pocket or you can post them around the house. Paste them on the bathroom mirror, on your computer, or wherever you know you’ll see them each day.

Affirmations can make all the difference in reaching your goals. Give them a try and enjoy the benefits these positive statements can make in your life.

Benefits of Gratitude

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5 Benefits of Gratitude

There are many benefits of gratitude.  Showing your gratitude can be a great way to spread positive feelings in the world around you. When you think about it, reaching your goals starts with a single positive thought.

How do you feel when someone sincerely expresses his or her gratitude to you for something you did? Doesn’t it make you feel good about yourself? These positive feelings can lift you up, boost your enthusiasm, and motivate you to achieve even more.

Feeling grateful for what you have can produce the same good feelings.  Learning to be grateful for your blessings will help you forget about the stressful events in your life and will erase your negative thoughts and worries and will become a part of your relaxation lifestyle.

Here are some of the benefits of gratitude:

  1. Reaching your goals. When you feel grateful, it tends to be a lasting and selfless feeling. It’s much more than just a momentary burst of positive energy; it has staying power that will provide a great boost for you to reach your goals.  When you express your gratitude to others, ensure that you’re open and expressive. People don’t know what you’re thinking; hearing it can make all the difference.
  1. Strengthened relationships. There are many ways you can express your gratitude to your loved ones, including saying, “Thank you,” writing a letter, or giving them a thoughtful gift. When you learn to avoid taking your loved ones for granted, you’ll have a long lasting and loving relationship.  Showing gratitude is a two way street. Learn how to effectively express your gratitude and, just as importantly, to receive it as well.
  1. Improved communication. Gratitude can mean better communication all around. By expressing your gratitude to strangers, they’ll be more likely to show an interest in helping you, too. Gratitude is such a powerful entity that it can even help you communicate with your pets! They should be appreciated too.
  1. More effective constructive criticism. No matter how we express constructive criticism, it often makes the recipient defensive or even angry. No one likes a blow to the ego. In this situation, a grateful attitude can take you a long way. You can express criticism quite effectively when you also emphasize what you appreciate about them.
  1. Preserving memories. You can preserve memories in a positive way when you keep a gratitude journal. You’ll be able to enjoy your memories again and again when you read about these happy times in the future.

Ways to Show Your Gratitude

Showing gratitude is something you can do quite easily and all it costs you is a little bit of time and effort.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Tell your loved ones you care for them.
  • Hug a friend who’s hurting.
  • Smile at a stranger.
  • Write to a company whose product or service you really love.
  • Make time to listen to someone who needs to talk.
  • Spend some time out in nature, appreciating the beauty of creation.
  • Volunteer your services or help someone in need.

You can also show your gratitude just for being alive by treating others well and being kind to yourself. Relaxing and taking time to unwind from the stress of everyday life is very important, and you’ll be happier and healthier because of it.

Show Your Gratitude Every Day

Showing gratitude to others may seem like a selfless act, but it’s something that you also benefit from. When you show your gratitude every day, you change the way you think.

You’ll appreciate your good life when the majority of your thoughts remain positive. Negative thoughts can sometimes be overwhelming, and just because you have them doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. They happen to everyone, but you can strive to keep them to a minimum with the help of a grateful attitude.

One way to show your gratitude every day is to remind yourself of the big picture when a negative thought arises. If a petty argument with your spouse makes you feel angry and heated, take a deep breath and think for a moment. Remember that the argument is not permanent and, instead, feel grateful for the gift of this relationship.

Our days on this earth are numbered so we must cherish the time that we do have and enjoy the benefits of living each day as if it were our last.

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