Month: April 2016

3 Ways To Create Calmness In Your Life

beautiful young business woman drinking coffee in office
1. Start with a calm morning ritual – Many people rush through their mornings, starting the day out in a stressful rush.… Wake up a little earlier than anyone in the house and start with perhaps a short prayer, meditation or stretches. Or simply just close your eyes and breathe deeply a few times to collect and center yourself. Exercising, even brisk walking for at least 20 minutes will put you at a good start for the day. Personally, after my calm morning ritual, I start writing to organize my day before the noise starts coming in. You don’t need to do the same things, but find the quiet of the morning and make the most of it.

2. Watch your responses to stress – Stress is inevitable. Be ‪#‎mindful‬ of not just what makes us stressed out but also how we cope with it. Many times, when we are faced with stress, we have unhealthy responses — anger, feeling overwhelmed, withdrawing, overeating, eating unhealthy food, drinking alcohol/drugs, buying unnecessary stuff, going to time-wasting sites, procrastinating, and so on. Instead, develop healthy ways to cope with stress. Healthy stress coping habits include: drinking tea (coffee makes me even more hyped up), exercise, listening to music, a trip to the salon for a manicure/pedicure, massage (even massaging your own shoulder and neck should do), taking a walk, drinking some water, talking with someone you care about.

3. Reduce clutter – Our lives are filled with all kinds of clutter — visual clutter, social media, news, all the things that surround us affect our mood and disposition. Start clearing all areas of your life (and that includes relationships that you know are not good for you). To avoid getting overwhelmed, start where you spend your time the most. Perhaps it is your study/work table, dresser, your bed area. Anything that is distracting, you do not need urgently, just remove them out of your sight. For me, the best way to clear clutter is to remove everything first then just put back what I want or need. This way I do not “have to” keep and find space for everything. Everything else I do not need I force myself to decide – keep or give away. Include anything that is in your peripheral vision. Reduce all these things and more, and you’ll create more space, more calmness, in your life.

‪#‎mindfulness‬
‪#‎mindfulliving‬

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8 Ways to Stop Depression

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There are many causes of depression. Building your sense of self worth may help you get out of the rut. Here are some suggestions to stop feeling depressed:

1. Stop comparing yourself – Don’t measure your self worth by what you have (more or less than someone else) in terms of money, looks, etc. There will always be someone who has more than you in one way or another.
2. Build on your talents and follow your passion – Self worth is not measured by your job title. It is measured by how happy you are with what you have made of yourself, your skills, talents and interests. If you find yourself in a job that has no meaning, go ahead and reinvent yourself. You might fail doing what you don’t like, you might as well do something you really like.
3. Stop worrying about what others will think of you – Whether you like it or not, there will be people who will judge you all your life. Please yourself before you please anyone. Don’t live someone else’s life.
4. Trust your own judgement – Don’t fall in the trap of always needing to be validated. Listen to what others may say but always follow your gut. Deep within you know what is right or wrong. Start listening to your own thoughts and feelings.
5. Think bigger than yourself – think less of yourself, your own hardships and your pain. Have gratitude for what you have. Do more of what you can do for other people. When you help other people you will realize your life may not be as bad as you think.
6. Forgive yourself – you know what I mean. When you make a mistake it does not mean you are a failure. Learn from your mistakes then move on. Stop bullying yourself. Have as much compassion, gentleness and understanding for yourself as much as you would extend to others.
7. Be your best self – everyday, do something that will make you better than yesterday. If you are competitive, benchmark against your best self.
8. Keep moving – even walking briskly 30minutes for 3 times a week helps improve your sense of well-being. Emotionally, it is also healthy to keep moving. Move away from anyone who makes you feel down or who drains your energy. If you can’t move away from them, then at least learn not to be affected.