lyndsinreallife

5 Ways To Tackle Alcohol Abuse

August 7, 2020 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

Alcohol abuse is one of the biggest hindrances to living a healthy and happy life. Unfortunately, the ease with which it is available has made alcoholism a huge societal problem. Alcohol and its abuse are responsible for so many different kinds of negative effects on the body and brain. And aside from the fact that it causes so many health problems, alcohol also affects a person’s social lifestyle as well as their relationship with their family and loved ones. However, it is one thing knowing you need to quit drinking, and quite another thing knowing how. So, in this article, we will take a look at the latter.

Don’t keep alcohol at home

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The first rule, when it comes to dealing with a bad drinking habit, is to make sure that you do not come into contact with alcohol in your home. It is almost impossible to overcome a drinking problem when alcohol is readily available, only a few feet away. The first thing to do is to get rid of all the alcohol you have at home. It doesn’t matter how you get rid of them – pour them down the drain, give them away, or throw them in the trash. Once done, immediately replace them with health drinks or juice.

Join a support group

It can be very difficult trying to quit by yourself. For most people, it is almost impossible to quit drinking without any form of support. This is why joining a support group can be very beneficial. You will be in a company of people whose success story will encourage you as well as people still struggling with the addiction. Regardless of the severity of your addiction, having a support group to lean on can reduce your chances of depending on alcohol, which, in turn, will help quicken your recovery journey.

Make friends with people who don’t drink

One of the easiest setbacks when it comes to trying to tackle alcohol abuse is hanging out with friends who will encourage you to drink. So, find out if the friends you have are making it more challenging for you to stay sober. If they do, then it is probably time to make some new friends. It is easier to recklessly drink when you have people around that enable you. Non-drinking friends will be better placed to put you in check.

Find help

If you are convinced that you need professional assistance, then find out which professional organization near you offers assistance for people with alcohol addiction problems. There are different kinds of organizations, depending on your location. A simple search online should reveal the options available to you. Thanks to technology, there are some techniques you can use while you seek professional help. For example, you can try using stop drinking hypnosis to help put you in the right frame of mind to start your battle against alcohol abuse.

Know your limits

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According to experts, low-risk alcohol consumption can be equated to four drinks or even fewer in a single day. However, this does not necessarily apply to people who have a drinking disorder. Thus, based on one’s age or weight, it is important to know what your limits are.

What are some ways you think could be helpful to cut back on drinking?

Thank you for reading!

Fitness Health

4 Ways to Treat Sports Injuries

August 6, 2020 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

Sports injuries can occur while playing a sport or while training, and they can occur at whatever age and fitness level. Anyone who has had a sports injury in the past will understand just how annoying it is – one minute you’re doing the activity you love, the next you have to go to the doctors for treatment. Often, sports injuries are a result of causing damage to ligaments, stretching them or even tearing them. While it can be a frustrating time, there are a lot of things you can do to help heal your injury and increase your chances of getting active again.

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Quick Response

No matter what the injury – sprains, strains, muscle swelling – a rapid response can make all the difference. Use the common treatment of RICE, which stands for:

Rest
Ice
Compress
Elevate

This treatment is most useful for those with mild injuries and is most effective in the first 24-48 hours of an injury. If you see no improvement in the injury after 36 hours of RICE, contact a medical professional.

Rest Up

Perhaps the most annoying part of a sports injury is that rest is often crucial. For a sporty person, this can be really, really difficult. So, keeping your mind active and positive can be as much a treatment than the rest prescribed by a doctor. Consider taking up some helpful daily practices, like meditation or yoga. There are a number of apps and programs that can help guide you.

Cutting-Edge Therapies

If you have a chronic injury that you’re struggling with, it may be time to consider some cutting-edge therapy to help the healing. There are several options, such as regenerative medicine, which repairs damaged tissues with healthy tissue. By doing so, it stimulates tissue repair naturally, without surgery. Practitioners of regenerative medicine can offer platelet-rich therapy – which increases blood flow – and amniotic cell to promote tissue repair.

Complementary Treatments

If you’ve suffered from a sports injury recently, or you’re struggling with one that’s recurrent, finding yourself a physiotherapist may be one of the best things you can do. They will be able to guide you through treatment and help you recover. Additionally, alternative therapies such as osteopathy and acupuncture can effectively treat many sports injuries, in non-invasive ways.

Prevention is Better Than a Cure

Some sports injuries are beyond control and will happen no matter how many precautions you take. However, some injuries can be prevented by taking specific steps, like always warming up your muscles before strenuous activity. By warming up, you increase blood flow to the muscles, and they become more flexible. This is particularly important after you’re recovering from an injury – light activity will help you get ready for the sport, and it will also allow you to test the muscle or joint for pain before you start.

While sports injuries can be painful and downright annoying, there are a number of ways to treat sports injuries that can speed up your recovery.

Thank you for reading!

Kids/Nannying

Baby Under The Weather? Here Are The First Steps You Should Take

July 31, 2020 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

If you have a baby that seems under the weather, it’s natural to want to make them feel better as quickly as possible. However, there are some first steps you should take to help your baby and give yourself peace of mind. Read on:

Give Them A Fuss

Your baby could be any number of things – hungry, sleepy, or teething (depending on age). Give them a fuss, swaddle them in their favorite blanket, and see if they begin to relax. They may need a little milk to help them relax depending on their last feeding time, so you may also want to see if a little extra helps.

Give Them A New Toy

Your baby might be distracted by something colorful that makes noise. A new toy might give them the novelty that they need to be distracted from crying. If they are teething, then a teething toy might be just the ticket. Sophie the Giraffe is a very popular teething toy for babies.

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Make Sure They’re Not Sick

If your baby is under the weather suddenly, it might be best to double check that they are not sick for your own peace of mind. Check their temperature and make sure they don’t have a fever, and have a quick look for a rash, too. Try not to panic, as it could be any number of things and your baby is likely fine. If you’re unsure, visiting a pediatrician or trying to get your baby a doctor’s appointment might be best. They may prescribe some baby cold medicine to help, or simply give you advice on how to proceed. It’s always better to have peace of mind.

Send Them To Sleep

Send your baby to sleep to see if a nap soothes them. This can be tough if they are really wound up, but rocking them in a chair and playing relaxing music could help. If not, you could always try taking them for a drive in the car, as many babies love the gentle rumble.

Try Baby Massage

If your baby is tense and cranky for no apparent reason, baby massage can actually be a wonderful method to help both you and them to relax. You need to make sure that your touch is firm enough not to tickle them, but should still be gentle enough to soothe them.

Sing To Your Baby

Sometimes, the only sound that will soothe a baby is the gentle singing voice of their mother. You don’t need to be Mariah Carey to soothe your baby – they love you and your singing voice even if you’re out of tune. They are very biased. Try singing some lullabies to them to see if this helps.

Having a baby who is feeling under the weather can be very stressful. You want to make sure you don’t overreact, but you also want to make sure you’re doing what is right by your baby. You know your baby the best, so make sure you take further steps to ensure they are ok if you feel something else may be at play.

What helps to soothe your baby?

Thank you for reading!

Health

The Basics of Gut Health and What You Should Know

July 30, 2020 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

Gut health is a complex topic, but for many, a bad gut can seriously affect day to day life. Making sure you know how to take care of your gut effectively and avoid problems in the long run is key to a healthy life. Below, you’ll find the basics of gut health and what you should know. Take a look:

What Are The Signs Of An Unhealthy Gut?

There are many signs you can look for in an unhealthy gut. If you’re regularly experiencing an upset tummy, constipation, diarrhea, and unintentional weight changes, then it’s likely your gut needs some TLC. Many people with poor gut health also experience sleep disturbances and fatigue, and sometimes skin irritation. If you have to deal with these symptoms more often than not, then your gut could definitely use some help.

What Can You Do For Gut Health?

If you know your gut needs some help, what can you do? It doesn’t all involve medication, and you will need to be willing to put some effort into your gut recovery.

Reduce your stress levels – find ways to reduce your stress levels. You can do this with methods like meditation, walking, gentle exercise, massage, spending time with friends and family, and anything else that helps you to feel more relaxed and at peace.
Get plenty of sleep – uninterrupted, quality sleep is crucial for every aspect of a healthy life. Try to get 7-8 hours a night for the best results. That being said, an unhealthy gut can disrupt your sleep, so you may need to work on other methods of healing your gut.
Eat slowly – don’t wolf down your food. Make sure you eat slowly, chewing your food properly, and putting your cutlery down in between bites.
Stay hydrated – stay hydrated with lots of water. Aim for 2-3 liter s per day.
Check for food intolerances – it could be worth having a test to see if you’re intolerant to certain foods. You might be surprised at the food that is giving you a bad stomach.

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Depending on the issues you are having with your gut, you may be able to find medication to address the issue. Your doctor or GP might prescribe tablets to stop diarrhea, for example, which can be a huge relief. However, it could be worth working on things the holistic way first. See if you can also reduce the amount of high sugar, high fat foods you eat, and make sure you’re also eating a diet that is high in fiber, onion and garlic, and fermented foods.

Another thing you should plan on doing is visiting a primary care doctor regularly. Only visiting a doctor when there is something wrong means never being able to visit a doctor that knows what you look like when you’re healthy! This sort of doctor won’t be as helpful when it comes to diagnosing your problems. By having a primary care doctor that knows you when you are healthy, you will more effectively be able to combat issues with your gut and health in general.

Thank you for reading!

Health

Proven Ways To Deal With Lower Back Pain

July 28, 2020 By lyndsinreallife 1 Comment

There’s nothing worse than waking up one day with back pain and realizing that you’ve somehow hurt your back. You begin hobbling around and feeling sorry for yourself, wondering why this sudden onset of back pain has appeared. While there are many reasons for back pain to happen, it can be difficult to pinpoint precisely what has caused it this time, especially if you’ve not done anything strenuous that could have triggered any pain. It’s a frustrating time, but there are many things that you could do to ease the pain, both long term, and short term. Here’s a guide on how to relieve lower back pain so you can get on with your day.

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Short Term

NSAIDs

You’ve probably come across the term NSAIDS before, but for those that don’t know what it means, it stands for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These are basically paracetamol and ibuprofen. While they might not take all of the pain away, they will undoubtedly relieve some of it so that you can try and continue your day. Try to take them at different intervals so you can make the most of having pain relief in your system. Remember though to follow the guidelines on the packet.

Back massage

One of the easiest and quickest ways of relieving pain is by massaging the area, so why not get a loved one to give you a gentle massage on your back? You can also buy vibrating back massagers that will also apply heat to the area, providing more relief. You can use this while watching television or sitting up in bed. They’re relatively inexpensive, but are without a doubt worth the money that you pay for them! They are also useful to have even when you’re not experiencing back pain, because you can use them for a short while daily, and this might eliminate the onset of back pain, to begin with!

Hot and cold compress

As mentioned above, applying heat to the affected area can help soothe the pain, but using ice packs will also have a soothing effect too. Ice helps to eliminate any swelling in the area that could be causing you pain, and will also numb the bottom of your back. Try alternating hot and cold compresses so that you can get the most out of the pain relief.

Keep moving

While your back pain might be making you feel like you don’t want to move, it’s important to try and keep your mobility up so that you don’t end up seizing up again when you come to move. Also, moving will warm up your muscles and help relieve the pain naturally too, just make sure that you’re not doing anything too strenuous to avoid damaging your back even further.

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Long Term

Know when to speak to a GP

Having back pain doesn’t always mean that you need to see a Doctor, sometimes simply following the short term methods above will get you back on your feet in no time. However, if the back pain doesn’t subside or you’re experiencing other symptoms with it, then you should make an appointment to see your GP. Symptoms like incontinence or fever might mean that you have an infection that is causing the pain. So, if you’re experiencing anything other than the pain, it’s time to make an appointment to help get to the bottom of the problem.

If you have spoken to your Doctor regarding your back pain, they may have prescribed you stronger painkillers. Remember that it’s essential to follow the dosage instructions correctly. Misuse can lead to much bigger and much harder to cure health problems, including organ failure and addiction.

There’s also a chance that when speaking to your doctor about your back pain, they’ll recommend going to see a Physiotherapist, and it’s definitely something you should consider! Physiotherapists will help you change small things that may be contributing to your back pain, such as your posture, the way you walk, the way you sleep, or even something as simple as which arm you hold your handbag. These changes, along with exercises they will give you, will help relieve your back pain over a longer period. However, the effects of this will be much longer-lasting than any short-term solution.

Keep yourself fit

Being fit and healthy is important in ensuring that your health is good in general, but it can also contribute to eliminating your problem with back pain. Exercising often so that you can build up muscle strength in your back and your abdomen is important. Sometimes a lack of muscle strength in your abs can be the reason for your sudden onset of back pain. You can do some exercises at home, which can strengthen your core and hopefully avoid this problem happening again. If you have been to see a Physiotherapist about your back pain, try performing the exercises they have recommended. While they may not be giving you a strenuous workout, they’ll help support your back in the long run.

Lose weight if needed

Another major reason for people experiencing back pain is because they need to lose weight. The spine is a strong bit of bone, but it can only hold up and support so much weight. Women with large breasts often struggle with back pain, too, because of the weight that the spine needs to support. Consider losing some weight, not only to eliminate the chance of back pain occurring, but for your general health, too.

Unfortunately, there are no magical cures for your back pain. There are no ‘hacks’ that you can try out; it’s just taking care of yourself, plain and simple. Remember that if you’re experiencing anything other than just the pain, see a GP. Keep yourself fit, healthy, and within the right BMI range and you will notice that your back problems might virtually (if not wholly) disappear!

Thank you for reading!

Health

3 Tips To Help You Lead A Life Of Happiness And Health

July 23, 2020 By lyndsinreallife 1 Comment

We all know that following a healthy diet and getting enough exercise and physical activity is beneficial to your overall health, but they are far from the only things you can do to stay healthy. There are plenty of things that you can do to improve your physical health and your mental health, too, and stop you from turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms.

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Get a good night’s rest

Sleep is essential for maintaining both physical and emotional wellbeing. However, these days, it is not given the priority that it deserves. We are so busy working and caring for others and doing everything else that our active lifestyles demand that we tend to fall into bed exhausted and wake up feeling pretty tired still.

Try putting your sleep first for a while and see how much happier and healthier you feel. It is recommended that you get seven or eight hours of sleep a night, but of course, some people need more, some people need less. Try to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning to get your body into a routine. Cut out or reduce caffeine in the run-up to bedtime, drink plenty of water, and put down your cell phone and other technology devices for at least an hour before bed. Spend this period doing something relaxing and let your body and mind rewind. Some people find warm, milky drinks, or a hot bath can help them.

If you still wake up feeling tired after all of this, take a trip to your doctors. It may be that there is something that is disrupting your sleep cycles. The good news is that there is sleep apnea treatment available and other sleep disorders.

Start saying no

There are only so many things that one person can do. Not only is there only a certain amount of time in a day to do things, but everyone has a mental and physical capacity, and when that is full, anything else can lead to exhaustion and mental health stresses. The best way of dealing with this is knowing when to say “no”. Whether it is turning down an extra hour or two of overtime at work or declining a social invitation so that you can get a good night’s sleep, learn to say no to things that will take you over your mental and physical capacity.

Reach out to others

Loneliness and feeling isolated are two of the biggest causes of depression and other mental health issues, so if you do feel like you are struggling, reach out. In an age where we are surrounded by technology, it has never been easier to communicate with other people, whether that is face to face, via video call, social media, or email. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a friend or family member. There are support groups available for almost everything and online groups and forums where you can chat and make friends if doing it in person is a challenge.

•What are your tips for living a healthy and happy life?

Thank you for reading!

Health

Looking After Your Hearing Health

July 21, 2020 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

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Have you ever stopped and wondered what it would be like to lose your hearing? Your hearing is an important sense. It gives your brain so much information about the world around you. It warns of danger, and it brings you pleasure in the form of sounds that you enjoy such as music, birdsong, or the sound of the voice of a loved one.

So what would you do if you lost your ability to hear?

Hearing loss is something that affects many people in their lifetime. It can affect you at any age, it is not just something that is reserved for older people.

Taking care of your hearing is essential. Here are six ways that you can take the best care of your hearing.

Get Your Hearing Checked Out

If you think that you might be experiencing hearing loss, then it is important to go for an audiological hearing test so that your audiologist can get to the bottom of the problem.

There are many causes of hearing loss. It is essential to identify the causes so that the right treatment can be put in place. Your audiologist will start off your hearing test by asking you about your lifestyle and any existing or historical medical conditions that you may have. This will help them to narrow down the root cause of your hearing loss.

Once they have done this, they will test your hearing. This will often involve having a series of sounds played to you. You’ll need to indicate when you have heard the sound. This will give the audiologist an idea of the extent of your hearing.

From this, they will be able to recommend treatment or that you get a hearing aid.

Avoid Loud Noise

There are lots of places where there are loud noises, nightclubs and concerts will typically play their music very loud. In these situations, you should avoid being too close to the speakers. Think about wearing ear protectors such as earplugs to help dampen the sound.

If you work somewhere particularly noisy such as a factory or a construction site, you should be cautious. Make sure that you wear any ear protectors provided. These might include earmuffs and earplugs. If possible, limit your exposure to loud noises by working in a different area.

Listen to Your Music at a Safe Volume

If you enjoy listening to music, particularly through headphones, then the volume that you listen to may have an impact on your hearing health. Listening to music too loudly can cause serious longterm damage to your ears. If someone else can hear what you’re listening to through your buds, it’s too loud!

Consider using noise-cancelling headphones that will prevent the sounds outside coming through. This will give you a clearer listening experience without having to turn your music up to the maximum volume level.

Many modern devices have safe listening levels set. Pay attention to any warnings that your device gives you and make sure that you keep the volume of your headphones down to a minimum.

•How do you protect your hearing?

Thank you for reading!

Health

Show Self-Neglect the Door

July 20, 2020 By lyndsinreallife 1 Comment

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Most people assume they take adequate care of themselves, but self-neglect can occur in many different ways. If you’re not making your health a priority, you’re not motivated at work, or you’ve lost interest in your hobbies, it may be a sign that you’re neglecting yourself. Fortunately, there are effective ways to reignite your zest your life.

To make a start right now, take a look at these top tips for banishing self-neglect!

Make your health a priority

When you’re feeling down or despondent, you don’t tend to prioritize your health or wellbeing. If you’re overdue for a medical check-up or you haven’t got up-to-date hearing aid products, make an appointment to see a professional. With routine checkups and assessments, you can ensure your physical and mental wellbeing is a top priority.

Be responsible

Self-neglect can be the start of a vicious cycle. When you stop taking care of yourself, your mindset change, rather rapidly. Before you know it, you’ll feel like you’re not worth making an effort for and then your self-neglect will worsen. But recognizing that you’re worthwhile and capable of making positive changes gives you the power to enhance your life. By taking responsibility for your mood, outlook and mindset, you give yourself the power and freedom to change them.

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Be more active

If you’ve neglected your usual workout routine or stopped going to the gym altogether, now is the time to start a new fitness plan. Small daily goals will give you an achievable target and get you back into the routine of working out regularly. As you begin to accomplish your initial goals, you’ll start to enjoy the process of pushing yourself further and achieving more.

Modify your diet

Eating an unhealthy diet is one of the most common forms of self-neglect. When you don’t have the energy to prepare a healthy meal, it’s easy to order junk food instead. If you don’t get the right mix of vitamins and minerals, your physical and mental health can suffer. By committing to eating a healthy diet and incorporating more fruit and veggies into your meals, you can enhance your mood and increase your energy levels.

Be kind to yourself

Recovering from a cycle of self-neglect isn’t always straightforward. You may be breaking patterns that have been in place for months or years, so be kind to yourself. If you fall back into unhealthy habits, don’t waste time chastising yourself. Instead, recognize it as a bump in the road and find ways to switch to healthier options.

Recognizing Self-Neglect

When someone stops socializing, gives up work and fails to maintain their appearance, it’s easy to spot that they’re neglecting themselves. However, self-neglect manifests itself in many different ways. If you’re not taking enough time for yourself, prioritizing your own needs or constantly taking on too many responsibilities, it’s likely you’re in a spiral of self-neglect too. By recognizing the signs, you can commit to taking action before things get worse, and begin enhancing your quality of life right away.

•Do you tend to neglect yourself? How do you try to fix that?

Thank you for reading!

Fitness

8 Things That Could Be Holding Back Your Progress In The Gym

July 17, 2020 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

After months under lockdown, many of us are feeling less than confident in dressing for the summer. While you may already have booked appointments with your favorite nail technician, hair stylist, or beautician, you’ve also reached the limits of what working out from home can do for you. You know that it’s time to (safely) hit the gym again. As more and more gyms reopen their doors, you’ve likely already started getting back into the swing of things, pumping iron and pounding rubber on the treadmill.

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But for a lot of us, returning to the gym also means returning to familiar frustrations and roadblocks. You may have hit a plateau both in terms of your motivation and your progress. You feel that something, somehow is holding you back… but you can’t put your finger on it. You’re showing up to the gym regularly. You’re steering clear of the tempting fatty, sugary and salty treats when you go shopping. You’re trying to make healthy choices. Yet, you can’t help feeling that you’re going nowhere.

Hitting a Wall? Or Self-Sabotaging?

First up, it’s important to know you’ve hit a wall rather than thinking you’ve hit one. Our perception is the lens through which we view our reality, after all, and when tel, ourselves we’re not taking progress our bodies start to reflect our internal expectations. This is why it’s so important to weigh, measure and take photos of yourself regularly. These activities (while they may be uncomfortable for you) will give you hard data against which you can measure your subjective experiences. So you can know for sure whether you’re hitting a wall or just listening to the self-saboteur (who we all have living in our minds) that keeps telling you to give up, hit the sofa and order pizza.

If, on the other hand, your progress at the gym has begun to stagnate, you need to ask yourself some serious questions about what’s really holding back your progress. It could be one of these 8 common culprits!

Two Little Words… “I Can’t!”

It’s easy to underestimate the power that the mind has over the body. But the Mind Muscle Connection is something that’s been validated by scientific study. The more we concentrate on engaging our muscles during our workouts, the more likely we are to push through performance barriers and see the gains we want in our health and appearance. Be honest with yourself, now. How often have you actually been thinking about engaging your glutes when you dip into a squat? Or thinking hard about what your biceps are doing when you curl a dumbbell? If you’re not thinking about what you’re doing and engaging your mind as well as your body, you may find that you’re coasting your way through your exercises.

Worse still, your mind can start actively working against you. Especially when it utters those dread words to you… “I can’t”! The mind will always give up before the body. And achieving great results often means drawing on the little reserve of energy and willpower that you never knew you had to push past your limitations and keep going.

Your Competitive Streak

That said, you can go too far the other way; pushing yourself a little too hard in all the wrong ways. The most common and egregious example of this is when your competitive streak stops providing you with motivation and actually starts to harm your progress. Yes, a little healthy competition can bring out the best in us. But if we focus too much on what other people are doing (whether it’s our friends posting their achievements on social media or comparing ourselves to the person working out next to us in the gym) we can do ourselves a huge disservice.

When you get too competitive, you stop thinking about your own goals and it all becomes about appearances. You want to appear to be lifting more or running further than everyone else. And this inevitably means you take shortcuts. Of which, sloppy technique and poor form when lifting weights are the most common. You pile on the weight and invariably sacrifice technique for the sake of appearances. Not only will this fail to engage the muscles properly allowing them to develop, it can also put you at risk of injury. Never lift so much weight that you can’t perform the full motion necessary in a controlled way.

Your Clothing

Speaking of range of motion, it’s absolutely essential that your clothing allows you to move freely so that you can carry out the movements necessary for all your exercises. This may mean that you wear different clothes depending on what you have planned for each workout. Yet all-too-often we choose our clothing based on its appearance.

Don’t let your desire to look good at the gym inadvertently hold you back in your workouts. Choose clothing that give you flexibility and breathability, so you can walk the fine line between form and function.

Your Diet

It’s been said time and time again… you can’t out-exercise a bad diet. Nor is a gruelling workout a good enough reason to treat yourself to a big bowl of ice cream or a bacon double cheeseburger. Yes, cheat meals are a thing. No, you shouldn’t chastise yourself for falling off the waggon every once in a while. Nonetheless, you need to remain disciplined in your dietary habits if you hope to see the progress that matches your efforts in the gym.

Of course, in an age where there’s so much advice on dieting (most of which is just thinly veiled advertorial advocating a specific product or fad diet) it can be hard to know what constitutes healthy eating. Especially when there are so many foods that are marketed as healthy yet contain all kinds of hidden sugars and artificial ingredients that do our bodies way more harm than good.

But if you’re looking for a good rule of thumb:

Eat food (not processed food-like substances)
Don’t eat too much
Eat mostly plants
And don’t forget to keep your body hydrated

While you may need to change your macronutrient intake in line with your changing goals, the above is good advice for everyone.

Image by Pixabay via Pexels

Your Insomnia

A good diet and regular exercise are cornerstones of good overall health. But in your zeal to lead a healthy lifestyle, don’t forget the importance of rest. Sleep is extremely important, not just for exercise, but in maintaining a healthy mind and body. While you’re asleep your body is hard at work carrying out countless repairs inside and outside. Including rebuilding muscle and other tissues damaged in exercise so that they can grow back stronger.

Without a good night’s sleep, your gains may be limited. And you’re also much less likely to feel energized and motivated to work out. If you’re struggling to sleep, there are numerous natural ways in which you can help yourself to nod off without resorting to sleeping pills.

Your Independence

You’ve always been fiercely independent and a true autodidact. Why rely on someone to help you, when you can teach yourself to do virtually anything. But while this may have stood you in good stead throughout your life and career, trying to do it all on your own may be self-defeating.

If you’ve plateaued when exercising on your own, maybe you need the advice, support, expertise and motivation of a personal trainer. They may be able to identify where you’ve been going wrong, help you to better plan for success and make you more accountable for your own progress. If your budget won’t extend to PT sessions, however, enlisting a friend or colleague to act as your gym buddy can help by making you more accountable.

Boredom

If you’ve been sticking to the same exercise regimen week in and week out for the past 6 months, there’s a good chance that your workouts have become boring. And while you may think that you’re getting stronger and fitter (because they’re so much easier now) the reality is that you’re just coasting through your exercise regimen. It’s time to shake things up and try something new. Will it be uncomfortable? Yes. Will you be sore? Maybe. But it’s the best way to prevent yourself from lagging in motivation and progress.

Your… Discipline?

No, that’s not a type, dear reader. In your efforts to be disciplined in your diet, don’t lose sight of the fact that food is supposed to be enjoyable. There’s no point preparing perfectly nutritionally balanced meals if you have to choke them down. You’ll find yourself gorging on fast food within a fortnight. Instead, work on finding the balance between food that excites you and food that nourishes your body. And don’t be afraid to throw the odd cheat meal in there.

It might provide just the kick your metabolism needs.

Thank you for reading!

Personal

15 Ways of Honoring Your Lost Loved Ones

July 9, 2020 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

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Losing someone that you’re close to can be a heartbreaking and overwhelming experience. You may feel considerable loss, and grief can affect all of us in many different ways. But there are ways that you can honor the life of those that you love and care about after they’ve departed.

Here are 15 ways that you can remember your lost loved one.

1. Have a Bench Dedicated in Their Honor

Is there a favorite place that your loved one liked to spend their time? Maybe a view that they particularly enjoyed, or a park that they liked to walk through?

Everyone has their favorite places. If there are park benches anywhere around their favorite place, see whether you can have one devoted to them. Many park owners will allow plaques to be added to their benches.

2. Plant a Tree in Their Honor

Many people take comfort in the idea of the circle of life. The idea is that when one person dies, another is born. Planting a tree is representative that life goes on and new life will grow. You may not get your loved one back, but having a tree growing in a favorite spot will be something that will help you remember them.

Pick a tree that will flower. Then, every year when the tree flowers, you can go and take trimmings from the tree to decorate your home with, that way you can remember and honor them continually.

3. Scatter Their Ashes in Their Favorite Place

Work out where your loved one enjoyed spending their time- it may have been a town or somewhere in the countryside or maybe the beach. Take family and friends on a trip out there and remember your loved one as you scatter their ashes in a place that held significance to them.

4. Get a Cremation Ring Made

If someone was close to you, you may want to carry them with you forever. You can do this by having rings for cremation ashes made. That way, you can think of your loved one every time you look at the ring and they’re never far away. There are also necklaces that can be made that hold ashes of someone you loved.

5. Have Some of Their Clothing Framed

Is there a piece of clothing that they wore often that really said something about who they were, or reminded you so much of them? If so, you could have it framed and put on your wall. That would be a fitting symbol of their importance to you in your life.

6. Have Their Ashes Pressed into Vinyl

Was music important to your loved one? If it was, you could consider having their ashes pressed into vinyl. Think about their favorite songs and have their ashes made into a recording of it. You could either have the disc framed or you could enjoy listening to it on your record player.

7. Wear An Item of Their Clothing

There is a comfort in wearing the clothing of a deceased person that you loved. Even if it is just a small and symbolic item, when you wear it you’ll get flooded with fond memories of that person.

8. Send Their Ashes Into Space

There’s something that can be done with your person’s ashes, and it’s pretty “cool.” You can have their ashes sent on a journey of a lifetime into space. By adding their ashes to a giant helium balloon, you can send them into space.

9. Get a Tattoo in Memory

A popular way of remembering someone that has died is to get a tattoo for them. This could be a portrait of them, or it could be an image that is more personal to you and your loved one.

Think for awhile about what you want before you have the ink put to your skin, and make sure that you go with a tattooist whose work you are happy with. It would be very disappointing to have a memorial tattoo ruined because you went with a bad tattoo artist.

10. Have Your Loved One Literally Tattooed Into Your Skin

Some people will opt to have a tattoo of a deceased loved one’s face tattooed onto them, but there’s also another option. You can have your loved one’s ashes added to tattoo ink. This way, you can have a tattoo that is made of their actual ashes.

11. Have a Portrait Painted

Why not commemorate your loved one with a beautiful painting of them? You might have a favorite photo that you want turned into a piece of artwork that you can enjoy forever.

12. Have Them Made into a Fireworks Display

If you want to have a spectacular send-off for your loved one, you might want to consider having their ashes made into a firework. You could either opt to have the ashes scattered during your own private fireworks display (if fireworks are legal where you are), or you could approach a professional company and ask if you can have the ashes scattered there.

13. Have the Ashes Added to a Paperweight

If you don’t like the idea of an urn holding your loved one’s ashes, you might consider something that is a little more useful and ornamental at the same time. You could choose to have their ashes made into a paperweight.

14. Have Their Favorite Clothing Turned into a Teddy Bear

If you want to be reminded of your loved one by the way that they dressed, you could have their favorite item of clothing stitched into a teddy bear. Having this piece of comfort around will allow you to hold their memory close.

15. Hold a Party Once a Year in Their Honor

Remembering your loved one, and celebrating their life and the time that you had together, is an important part of grieving. Having a party in their honor every year, either on their birthday or on the day that they passed away, can be a beautiful and fun way of keeping their memory alive.

In many cultures, remembering the dead is not a somber occasion, but a joyous one where you celebrate the life that you had together.

•How do you remember and honor your deceased loved ones?