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Mar 26

What to do when having a bad day

Categories:

Articles, Personal Growth

by Slavko

Having a bad day is something all of us have to face from time to time. It can interfere with everything; schedule, daily routine, fitness plan, being healthy… And having such a label like “bad day” indicates that this is so broad and there is no definite area in which “things are going down-hill” to specify. No matter what’s causing it, the mood is the one being affected, and the feelings that swoop in are ones often described as lethargic and introvert. So judging at first glance one may say that in such case we lose determination, sense of time and

 

What is responsible for having a bad day?

 

First of all we must realize that “having a bad day” is just a concept that exists in our minds only. The reasons are as broad as the condition itself. Tough schedule, something unexpected happening, something connected with the surroundings, giving up to laziness, not following your “routine”… you name it. Sometimes it can be simply so.

 

As opposed to regular days

 

This is actually the criteria by which we judge what means having a bad day. If you like things organized, then a bad day may represent lack of . If you like going out, than it may be very hard for you to stay home for couple of days for example. If you like doing things a certain way, and then suddenly something interferes- well it can be a bad day for you. Getting sick is always a downer, and also people find it hard for them when they lose motive and determination for something they are doing.
So by this we can see that having a bad day is something that all of us are likely to face from time to time. The question is what to do when this comes?

 

Should you fix it?

Here is the interesting part. Even though having a bad day is something we all try to escape there is a split opinion on whether you should try to fix it or just let it be. Trying to fix it is the first logical thing to do- you do something that hopefully improves your mood, and tilt things up in you favor. But here is a contra argument: It is proven that people get more moody and depressed when trying to fix their mood, and fail in the process. How come? Well trying desperately to turn a bad day into better will most likely result with you realizing just how depressed you are, and that alone can lead to more moody day for some people.

 

There is also another practice supporting this claim- having a bad day can impact you in a way that you will come to realize how well you are doing overall, and even give you more motive and inspiration for slipping into your regular routine tomorrow. That alone will in turn improve your mood too.
So sometimes it’s better to let things be just as they are. But however, if you like to try and improve your day instantly then there are ways for that too.

 

Having a bad day- how to fix it

Allowing to feel bad and doing nothing to fix that is just not the way for some. So here are ways that you can try when having a bad day:

 

• Tidy up your workspace or your room

Having your surroundings organized and tidy can help you feel better in an instant. Even the little adjustments can do the trick. Organize your desk, clean up if you like. Really, sometimes it’s all it takes. Organization makes a huge difference.

• Organize your computer

Living in the coconut of technology implies that it’s part of our lives whether we like it or not. If you are using your computer a lot, then organizing your files and folders can make you feel more on top of things, which will in turn improve your day.


• Exercise

This is always a boost to your mood. I practice it a lot. You see, exercising even for a short amount of time can make you feel better. How come? Well first and foremost you get the feeling you are doing something good for yourself (that always boosts your mood), and another thing that is important is the release of chemical processes inside your body while you are doing some physical activity. The release of endorphin is one of them, and it brings you in a better mood right away. Exercise really does help.

• Make plan

For today, tomorrow, or week ahead- It doesn’t matter really. The important thing is that in the process of planning some aspect of your life (goals, time management, career…) you get the feeling you are in charge, and that in turn makes you less lethargic and more energized. Besides you get the chance to think about days when you will function at your best, and that way you get more objective over your current situation, and you start to feel the need of change right away. The next thing you know- you are done with having a bad day.

 

• Give yourself a treat

Relax, forget about the bad day and the need to improve it, enjoy. Have a nice bath, listen to some music, watch a movie maybe. Make yourself smile even for a second. If so, then the bad day is over.

• Asking for a favor when having a bad day

Asking someone to do something for you is a good remedy for having a bad day. How come? Well, you get some attention and something good done for you. Try and think how this will reflect on your mood. Do not be shy to ask for help. Ask someone to just have a conversation with you, or ask someone to give you a massage. Really, it can make wonders.

 

 

Trying to overcome having a bad day is sometimes tricky. You can sometimes make more damage to your mood instead. So decide whether or not you will try to fix things or just let them as they are. If you do try to make yourself feel better, then apply some of the ways mentioned above. Maybe you have some that make your mood change towards better. Maybe you already tried some of the ones above. We will love to know whether or not you try to solve this, and if so what do you do when having a bad day?

 

 

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Mar 16

Hiking as a way to healthy lifestyle

Categories:

Articles, Sports and Recreation

by Slavko

mountain hikingHiking is not just a recreational activity.
 
It’s more than that. For some it’s a unique chance to get in touch with the nature, to make a habit of further improving your physical, even more your mental state.
 
For some it’s the fun and the social aspect of it that make it so appealing. For some it’s even an idea. For me it’s one of the best ways to lead a healthy lifestyle.
 

Origins of hiking

 
It started as a way to explore and enjoy the nature, the surroundings. And lacking the resources and ways to do that, people turned to something that made the most sense - walking.
 
The actual origins are something that we will not write about here today. Rather than that we will tell you about an interesting story that shows one of the early examples of hiking.
 
It was in the early 20’s of the last century when a Russian immigrant went to live in New York. Feeling homesick and having no money to return home, she chose to walk her way back. Armed with strong will the journey started.
 
She was last seen preparing to cross by boat at the Bering Strait to Siberia, after having crossed Canada and Alaska.
Such examples followed in an increasing fashion. But later on this form of hiking was recognized under the name Thru-hiking.
 
And while this form required longer periods to complete the hike, there was another form of hiking that was rapidly developing, and was more of a shorter, faster kind of escaping the everyday routine and enjoying and connecting with the nature.
 
It started to appeal more and more to people who were looking for ways to have a healthy lifestyle.
 
As the benefits started to reveal more and more in medical studies, and the phase of life became faster, more and more people started to adopt this activity and enjoyed it on more frequent basis.
 
It quickly formed into an idea, and there were whole communities that started to develop. Nowadays hiking is considered to be a valuable contribution to one’s lifestyle and the benefits are numerous.
 

Benefits of hiking

 

hiking in the wood

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos


Starting with the good physical exercise accompanied by great low cardio workout you can say hiking is really a good way to get in shape while enjoying the nature, or maybe even talking with a friend.
 
Also it promotes muscle definition and even muscle growth in the legs area, and knowing that this is the largest muscle group in the body, you can say that this is a great way to look fit. If talking about calories burned hiking and losing some weight while hiking, then you will for sure be able to get into those old jeans of yours.
 
The physical activity and the views that will surround you while hiking will for sure have a great impact on your stress levels. It’s shown that hikers are bothered by stress far less when compared to people who never tried this.
 
No matter whether you chose to hike with a friend, a group of people, or by yourself, the beating your stress levels will take will be guaranteed. You will also feel enlightened in a way. I guess that’s how powerful the mix of bonding with the nature and physical activity is.
 
When talking about preventing diseases hiking ranks as one of the best activities. It’s the gradual progress, and consistency probably that make it a slow, but an efficient way of coping with modern problems and health conditions. Other than lowering high blood pressure and cholesterol it also prevents osteoporosis and hearth diseases.
 
As I mentioned it also promotes weight loss, and muscle growth, and help you fight lower back pain and arthritis. So after all you can say hiking is a great way to enjoy having a healthy lifestyle.
 
This physical activity is a compound one, which implies that this is an all-body exercise, therefore increasing your strength in general, as also increasing production of testosterone (hormone linked not only with sexual function, but also with numerous other areas like cognitive focus, increased mood, increased strength and endurance).
 

Environmental concerns

 

hiking nature views

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos


As hiking became a world-wide phenomenon it became clear that there must be some rules set. Ok, maybe not rules, but rather principles that will guide the new and inexperienced hikers. Principles that were connected more to environmental awareness issues than anything else.
 
The reason for paying attention to this was made clear once hiking popularity expanded. Seeking for beautiful natural environments hikers often find many fragile ones, very likely to be impacted by people. Hikers unintentionally destroy these places (this usually goes for inexperienced ones).
 
While the action of a single individual will not make that much of an impact, the effect made by a mass of people is visible for sure.
 
This resulted with some new practices and philosophies among hikers like the one of leave no trail. It is a way of hiking that suggests hikers not to leave any trail by which other hikers may notice the presence of previous ones.
 
Even though many are not familiar with this practice, a couple of basic principles remain as a cornerstones and hiking manifestos.
 

  • Never leave any waste behind, or if you have to, pay attention not to contaminate the water, or spread some bacterial contamination. This can be avoided by digging “cat-holes” (10-30 cm deep) that are not close to water or any trail, and burying whatever waste you have to leave behind.

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  • Watch for endangered species. Some of them are very sensitive to the presence of humans, so educating yourself about the surrounding may help a lot.

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  • Be careful with any material or tool that may cause a fire. And if you need to start a fire make sure you will be able to control it, and extinguish it eventually.

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  • Leave as much as you can unaltered, as the nature intended it to be.

 

Hiking tips

 
Here are some tips that are most helpful for beginners:
 

  1. Start your hike early on in the day. At dawn even. That way you will have more time not to worry about the way back, meaning you will most likely avoid hiking while it’s getting dark, and the huge change of bad weather conditions that tend to occur in the afternoon.
     
    This also means cooler start, which will in turn result with less effort, less sweating, therefore less consumption of water and lighter load on your back.

    2.  

  2. Go with lighter load. This doesn’t mean that you should forget about the first aid kit, or basic survivor tools, food and water, but remember that more you have on your back, harder and more unpleasant your hike will be. So just leave those unnecessary items behind, try and think what you will need and organize your backpack.

    3.  

  3. Learn about the place. The weather, how quickly it changes, what are the most likely weather hazards that may occur; learn the flora, the fauna.
     
    Their characteristics, the possible help that may come in a given situation. Learn about the distances to populated area, to water sources, to places where you can ask for help. The trail - study it back and forth.
     
    I’m not that much of a hiker although i love to do it occasionally , but being into cross-country mountain-biking I found that these practices showed very helpful when exploring new places.

    4.  

  4. Clothing makes a huge difference. If you don’t know what to wear then you may make your hike very unpleasant. Forget about cotton and wool, but go with materials that are more high tech fibers. Such are: coolmax, utralight mircrofeece, microfiber, tactel, spandex, supplex, gortex, and lycra.
    Many of those allow sweat to evaporate more quickly and you end up with having lighter clothing on you that is dry most of the time.

    5.  

  5. And at the end: always remember to inform someone reliable about where and when you are going for a hike. No matter whether you are alone or with someone else. Compasses and GPS may always come handy, but having someone know where you are is probably the best option.
     
    I practice this always, and if nothing else I always feel secure and relaxed when I go. That way I worry less, and enjoy more.

 

hiking in nature

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

In order not to make this longer, I will wrap it up here. If you haven’t tried hiking so far, just go for it. Enjoy alone, or in the company of your friends or significant other.
 
It will soon become a habit, an addiction, even. It will become the one thing you missed when trying to improve your healthy lifestyle.
 
Since this is meant to help people who are interested to start hiking, or at least are considering the option, come’ on hikers- share some of your experience in the comment section bellow, give some tips and share something with our readers.
 
And for those who are interested- ask as much as you like about hiking, and we will try to provide you with answers.
 
 
 
 

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Feb 24

Work related stress and how to cope with it

Categories:

Articles, Personal Growth

by Slavko

work related stressWhen talking about stress problems, the first thing one assumes is their connection with the work or work environment respectively. And more or less that’s really the case.
 
No matter whether it is only general concern or something more complex, the thing is that every problem that occurs within the work space can affect people more than for example something happening outside of work.
 
So the focus falls on work related stress. Or at least some minor changes in mood that can for sure develop more and more if passed unaddressed.
 
On one hand jobs that are considered to be more complex, important and at some extent more volatile are known to be more stressful according to studies, than jobs that are seen as more laid back and less paid. But on the other hand, the same less stressful jobs are more risky, and more often than not poorly paid.
 

Study shows that less demanding jobs can bring the same amount of work related stress

 
A study published last year in the journal “Occupational and Environmental Medicine” points out that exactly these kinds of jobs are the ones that give high amounts of stress, but in a slightly different way. The risk that comes along with having such poorly paid and supported job is the same as the one of having your head spinning from the efforts you put into high paid and more complex professions. Here maybe not directly, but the job is again effecting your well-being and.
 

Make some changes

 
In order for you to cope with this problem of work related stress management, few things are recommended. The Huffington post advises more free time for yourself. Or in other words, start looking into various effective time management techniques.
 
And i agree completely with that, and may also add that spending time with your family, friends, or only your significant other may help quite a lot in relieving the work related stress.
 
Exercise can also come in handy, and if done on regular basis can in fact diminish your work related stress problems and the excessive amounts of work related stress. In general you should try and change your habits, Improve your lifestyle by diversifying it, try out things that will make you more relaxed. By doing that not only you will change your lifestyle, but rule out stress for good.
 
 
 
 
 

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Feb 20

How important exercise really is?

Categories:

Articles, Fitness and Diet

by Slavko

Now many would ask, what for? Well frankly, everything. Not only athletes and models need to work out. It’s an inevitable part of a healthy lifestyle, habits, and really a complete individual by default.

 

If you are serious about promoting your lifestyle in general, and taking it to the next level, you will not fail to realize that this is something that you should include without question. Nowadays we are presented with the picture of a person working out, jogging, hiking , doing some sports, and many people copy that without ever thinking what is behind all of that. But I guess that’s really OK. However, on the other hand the rest never try to embed this picture in their lives.

 

So it’s important for them, as well as for the first ones to understand how physical activity, especially planed, is something that we should not only incorporate in our lives, but know the benefits from it as well.

 

And there are bunch. Just read ahead and you will see how much you are missing on stuff, if you are not the fan of doing some exercise.

 

First of all we must realize something. Working out, and exercise is NOT doing some heavy bodybuilding as some may think. It doesn’t have to be boot camp hard. It is downright peculiar if you go behind these excuses. It is not true that the more complex the exercise, the more numerous are the benefits. Actually everything that makes your hearth go faster, or breaks you some sweat can go under this category. And that’s really it.

 

It’s something that everyone can do. Not a biggie there. So the excuses of the type: “That is not for me”…forget about them. The lethargic nature of some of us is just trying to lure us furthermore in that circle. You just need to start. The benefits are so overwhelming that this post is not long enough for them to fit here. However, I’ll do the best I can in order to explain some of them.

 

Exercise in lifestyle

 

First of all consider this: Physical exercise is something of a visible achievement. How come? Well, no matter what you do in order to improve your lifestyle, this is perhaps something that is visible the most. You are witnessing your own improvement, your own success just by seeing yourself exercising, and others can witness the change in your lifestyle too. That alone is maybe the most encouraging thing. Every time you have the feeling that you are moving in a straight forward direction. And it just feels great.

There is sometimes a tough line to draw- between going outside of your comfort zone and exploring some new stuff (ones that can in turn change many aspects of your life), or enjoying the familiar and never try to undertake any change whatsoever. If you are now at crossroads thinking whether or not you should investigate how exercise can add up to quality of your life in general, I will advise you to go for the first option instead of the latter, and leave things up to you from there.

 

Now about the health related benefits:

 

Here maybe I should forward you a link to a book, or resend you to Wikipedia. There is that much. But here are some of them that maybe sound more important in a way:

  • Coping with the overweight problem… We all know that all of the solutions here start and end with physical exercise. More calories are burnt, more fat is used, and muscles are toning, thus speeding the whole process.
  • Bad Cholesterol is lowering, the cardio system is having a nice exercise, and by that many hearth related conditions are less likely to occur. It is proven that only with a mild change in your exercise routine, your chances of never having hearth problems are tripled.
  • The lungs are starting to increase their capacity, bringing more oxygen into the body, your breathing is improved in general, and by that you really don’t need antioxidants, your body is taking care for all of that.
  • Hmm, what more? Oh, the immune system of course.
    Don’t let me start on this one. Tell you what, instead of going on and on about how this is affecting your immune system, I’ll try something else. Start with doing some exercise in the comfort of your own home. Or maybe go for a speed walk, or jogging. One week. That’s all it takes. Only one week, and you will see. The ones, who do some physical activity I guess, are probably nodding along now. They know what I’m talking about. Being active, actually keeps me well and healthy during flu season, and throughout the winter when the immune system is more dormant in general. The body will instantly raise its shield and you will come to appreciate the update you’ve just made to your lifestyle.

 

So if after all of this I add things like lowering the risk of osteoporosis, promoting bone health, lowering back and neck pain and many others, you probably get the picture.

 

Another thing that is also worth mentioning is improving cognitive focus. And boy, oh boy, do I like this the most. You will come to realize that with adding some exercise in your daily routine, nothing would be the same again.
 
You will be more alert, all the time at your best. The attention to anything that surrounds you will never go down, no matter if you have to be stuck let’s say in the office for whole day. “Exercise can make you far more alert”-said Robert Brooks, PhD and co-author of “The Power of Resilience: Achieving Balance, Confidence, and Personal Strength in Your Life”. “And I’ve noticed that when I don’t exercise because I’m trying to squeeze in another half hour of writing, I don’t feel as alert.”
 
That’s right; the physical activity actually brings your brain more focus. And what’s more important, it’s on the long run. The effects here are usually visible after just couple of days.

 

However, maybe the most important benefit that exercise has nowadays is the ability to cope with stress. And there is no better remedy for that. The perfect combination of chemical processes that happens during some activity (among which is the release of endorphin in our system), mixed with focusing on the moment and letting your worries drift away is the most powerful weapon against stress, period. Also sound sleep comes along with this one under the same category. You will never, ever have problems with falling asleep. How that sounds?

 

Oh, and the looks. We all like this one. Exercising tones your muscles, burns the fat from your body. It actually keeps you young in a way. And makes you look great. This however is achieved by being persistent and applying this on the long run. But the results are great. It’s worth the while.

 

And just if I haven’t convinced you so far, how about this: We see many successful people adding this to their daily routine. It’s a known fact that most of the presidents of each country have time especially dedicated to some physical activity during the day. And that’s each and every day. And if they can do it, given the schedule they have, than I guess I should say no more.

 

Try it for a week, and you will soon be addicted. You will use every chance you have to go for a quick run, or maybe some tennis session, or workout in the comfort of your own room perhaps. You will enjoy.
 
 
 
 
 

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Feb 14

Improve your lifestyle by diversifying it

Categories:

Articles, Personal Growth

by Slavko

If you really know how to live with a style, than I guess it is already clear to you that it should be all year round. What do I actually mean?

 
Well, for starters, let us mention the healthy lifestyle, the good habits you struggled so much to stick with but finally made it, the physical activities that keep you in shape, the rate of productivity that is constant, enjoying your free hours the way you like, and so on.
There are many other areas in which “Improve your lifestyle by diversifying it” is written.

 
So the list can go on and on, and you just realize that these are the things that define, shape, distinguish and improve your lifestyle, help you organize your life, your character, your persona.
But in order to be at your very best all the time, you must come with terms that it is continuity that does the trick more than anything else, and leads you towards the success.

 
But sometimes it is just too difficult to practice your “routine”, and keep up with all your resolutions, if you know what I mean.
That’s because things like holiday seasons, job overload, harsh weather, bad health, unexpected guests (this is a tricky one :)) and many other obstacles can interfere with your schedule, or the way you want to run things in your life.

 
Most of us usually give up when such difficulties occur, and choose to take some excuse to persuade ourselves, that well, it is not up to us.

 
But you know what? It is.
 

It is, big deal. Why not take the high road? In fact such obstacles can even make you more on top of maintaining your schedule, and make you even more dedicated to living full time. There is even possibility that your lifestyle can become more versatile in general just by adjusting to the factors that surround you.
 

Adjust your lifestyle to the circumstances

 

Imagine that you like going with your bike on the mountain for recreation, and keeping your body fit. Now imagine that you live in a place where there is winter as well as summer season. Temperatures drop, there is snow, and this can serve as a perfect excuse not to be active again.
 

But instead, you can see a great opportunity in this… You see, instead of saying “I’ll wait couple of months” you can try and adjust and improve your lifestyle immediately.
Choose some indoor sport, maybe some swimming in the local indoor pools or visit the mountain, but this time for a hike, or try skiing, boarding or go ice skating. Chances are you will find something you like soon, and then instead of pausing you can continue your lifestyle the way you like it, and even upgrade a thing or two.
 

If there is overload of duties and deadlines on the work place, you can choose to go for a massage after work hours, start learning new language ,or book an hour of your time by going swimming in the evenings just to relax. You can try updating your diet with more vitamins and minerals, or schedule a new meal plan… You get the picture right? Knowing how to live is having the ability to adjust to every aspect of life.
 

The more you have to adjust and diversify, the more you will find the style fitting for you.
Updating is what each and every one of us need. And that is best achieved through going outside of the box for a second and escaping the familiar, just to realize that you are in fact adaptable far more than you gave yourself the credit for.
 

The opportunities are really many, and choosing one will improve your lifestyle, and in turn you will have more fun while keeping the good habits checked.
 

Explore the possibilities, and enjoy being awesome.

 
 
 
 
 

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