Learn How To Get More Energy In The Morning

The sounds of your alarm clock goes off. It’s Monday morning. You were up late Sunday night and you have to be at work in two hours. You don’t feel like getting out of bed, let alone completing your morning tasks. How can you get out of bed more quickly and get more energy in the morning? Try some of these techniques:

1. Set your alarm clock to play your favorite music

The sounds of most alarm clocks is miserable and can elicit feelings of anxiety in many people. Thus by using a standard alarm clock, the first thought in your head each day is a negative one. That’s a terrible way to start the day! Instead try setting your alarm clock to play music that makes you happy. The first thought in your head each day be a bright one. Unlike with an annoying alarm clock sound, you won’t even want to push the snooze button! You will just want to dance, and you can’t sleep when you’re dancing… and when you’re dancing, you want to stand up. So before you know it, you’re up and ready to take on the day!

2. Drink caffeine shortly after waking

Often people feel groggy and slow for the first hour or two after waking up. Feeling groggy leads to lower productivity, and means more time spent on certain tasks than is necessary. To eliminate the morning groggy feeling, drink coffee or tea within about fifteen minutes of waking up. It prevents you from wanting to go back to sleep, and will give you the energy you need to get your morning tasks done quicker and get to work on time.

3. Place your alarm clock far from your bed

By placing your alarm clock far from your bed, you will be required to get out of bed to turn it off. Getting out of bed is often the hardest part about waking up in the morning. By getting out of bed faster, you increase the likelihood of starting your day instead of pressing the snooze button. Having your alarm clock next your bed makes it easier to press the snooze button and sleep longer.

4. Exercise in the morning

Some light exercise in the morning will get your endorphins flowing and give you more energy. The optimal duration and intensity of exercise varies from person to person. After a brief workout at the gym, you will feel energized and ready to take on the day. In addition, it leaves the rest of may day open for other activities.

5. Drink water right before going to sleep

By drinking water first thing in the morning, when you wake up you’ll have to go to the bathroom which will make you want to get up and prevent you from falling back to sleep. However, try to avoid excess amounts of water within the few hours prior to going to sleep as at may cause you to wake up in the middle of the night. Try experimenting to find the optimal timing and quantity of water to drink prior to sleeping.

6. Leave your blinds open

Leaving your blinds open at night will allow the sun to enter your room and wake you up. The sun is also a source of vitamin D, which is a natural source of energy.

7. Eat before sleeping

One of the reasons why you feel groggy and slow in the morning is because you haven’t had any sustenance during the eight hours you were asleep. A small snack before bed can help prevent this feeling. Eat a low-carbohydrate, easy to digest, snack, such as cottage cheese, yogurt, milk, and/or peanut butter. Too much food or those that are difficult to digest may prevent you from sleeping, so it’s best to experiment to find the best quantity and types of food to eat before you sleep.

8. Eat when you wake up

A small and easy-to-digest meal in the morning will give you a boost of energy. As discussed above, while sleeping for eight hours you haven’t provided your body with any sustenance. Apiece of fruit, a glass of milk, or yogurt will do good.

9. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day

Keeping a regular and consistent sleep schedule helps your body get in to a natural rhythm. By doing so you will begin to naturally fall asleep and wake up at the same time each day. Waking up will feel more natural and you will therefore have more energy in the morning. In addition you will help you fall asleep earlier. Getting the right amount of sleep will help you feel more energized. Staying up too late when you have to be up early the next morning can be detrimental to energy levels.

10. Do something you enjoy doing in the morning

Stimulating your mind by doing an inspiring or enjoyable activity will give you energy. Knowing that you will be doing something fun will make you more eager to get out of bed in the morning.

11. Schedule something with somebody in the morning

Having “peer accountability” is one of the most effective motivators. If someone is dependent on your for something or monitoring your progress, you will feel motivated to do it. Scheduling a breakfast or workout with a peer will give you a clear deadline to attain to in the morning, thus giving you a kick-start in the morning.

How To Keep Your Brain In Shape

How to make your brain work more productively? Here are 10 popular ways to keep your brain sharp.

1. Physical activity

Physical exercise does not only keep muscles in tone, but also has a positive impact on the overall health of the brain, because intense movements improve the blood supply to the muscles and brain. Exercises when the head is below the heart are particularly effective (such as yoga postures).

2. Drinking water instead of coffee

Many studies show that a morning cup of coffee does not stimulate brain activity but on the contrary, makes people dumber! But if you replace it with a glass of water, the feeling of cheerfulness will be much longer. Drinking water on an empty stomach activates the entire gastrointestinal tract, and, in contrast to the hot, strong coffee, it doesn’t irritate mucous membranes, which in turn gives a sense of cheerfulness.

3. Scents can help focus

As a rule, people do not recognize smells well, which in fact help focus and give courage. Specialists advise to use aromatherapy scents of basil, rosemary, lemon balm, thyme, rose and lavender in situations where the focus is particularly needed.

4. Tranquil environment

It is no secret that in a tranquil environment, any work (especially mental work) is significantly easier to do. However, a quiet environment is a rarity in our society. But if you learn to focus on the bright side, it will certainly increase your productivity.

5. Puzzle solving

An effective workout for the brain is the solving of puzzles, crosswords, word games which in the case of illness even help restore damaged cognitive abilities.

6. Watching TV reasonably

Many people not without reason believe that TV dulls the mind. But if you do not watch all the stupid shows and serials and choose TV programs wisely, then you can learn a lot of informative things.

7. Looking for information online

There are many studies that confirm that the process of looking for relevant information online makes brain work the same or even more than when reading a book. So do it more often, and do not forget to ask the right questions.

8. Healthy nutrition

The surest way to clear the mind and is the well-known “healthy diet” consisting of vegetables and fruits. And, of course, sometimes you can treat yourself to sweets. However, the fact that the human brain needs glucose does not mean you have to eat much sweet.

9. Herbs

Herbs known today to the official medicine and not only, such as ginseng, significantly improve the cognitive abilities of the person and increase stress tolerance.

10. Everlasting learning process

If even the most capable and talented brain is not actively used, it will quickly lose its capabilities. Therefore it is necessary to constantly make the brain work, which can be achieved by doing the following activities: learning foreign languages, painting, cooking, etc. 15-minute cognitive activity every day will be more effective in preventing the degradation of the brain than any medications.

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Learn To Sleep Better

Though sleep disorders are hardly new – even Aristotle wrote about them – our round-the-clock lifestyles, caffeine and alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, stress loads, and a myriad of other factors have conditioned our bodies to stay awake. At times, sleep seems like the impossible dream and staying up is wearing us out.

So is there hope for the bleary-eyed? Is a good night’s rest even possible these days? Absolutely! But first, you’ll need to brush up on your sleeping skills and make a few simple daytime changes so you can sleep better tonight. Here’s where to start:

1. Get into a sleepy-time groove.

Getting up and going to bed around the same time, 7 nights a week, is one of the most important things you can do to establish good sleep habits. Waking and sleeping at regular times reinforces a consistent sleep rhythm and reminds the brain when to release those all-important sleep and wake hormones.

2. Lost sleep is lost.

Going to bed extra early Sunday night after Saturday night’s debauchery won’t help you “make up” for lost sleep. Instead, it’ll throw off your body clock even further, making quality sleep more elusive. Take a power-nap if you really need it (see below) but again, go to bed at your normal bedtime to maintain a consistent sleep routine.

3. Nap like a grown-up.

Toddlers need 2-hour naps. Adults don’t. A grown-up power-nap should be no more than 30 minutes, preferably before 4pm. Long or late afternoon naps damage sleep rhythm, and make it tougher to fall asleep at night.

4. Rest your belly.

To rest easier, eat light at night, at least 3 hours before bed. This will help ensure that the digestive process is well under way and nearing completion before you hit the hay. Eating close to bedtime forces your body to work into the wee hours, digesting when it should be resting.

5. Say no to late night snacks. 

Refined grains and sugars at night can raise blood sugar and overstress the organs involved in hormone regulation throughout the body. This roller coaster can contribute to waking you up throughout the night as hormone levels bounce up and down. Advice? You’ll sleep better tonight if you just say no to late night snack attacks.

6. Dry up your act.

Late night liquids can disrupt sleep with frequent trips to the loo, so cut yourself off about 4 hours before you turn in for the night to extend your bouts of uninterrupted sleep.

7. Deprive your senses.

To sleep better, you’ll need a quiet, dark room. Blackout curtains, an old-fashioned sleep mask, earplugs, plus a white noise machine (optional) will help block out common sleep-disrupters like street noise, streetlights, snoring partners and early morning sun.

8. Chill out, dude.

A sleeping temperature of 60 to 68 degrees is best for most people, even in winter. In hot weather, a fan or an air-conditioner set at about 70 degrees will do the trick. “Chilling pillows” with cooling gel inserts and sheet-cooling devices can also make sleep more comfortable.

9. Prepare to sleep.

It’s important to prepare for sleep with a few day-ending rituals. Start by turning off all screens, computers, iPads and so on, an hour or two before bed. Engage in quieting activities that relax the body and down-shift the mind to begin the transition to a sleep-friendlier state.

10. Banish all electronics from the bedroom.

Their glowing lights and EMFs can undermine your ability to power down at night. Even in seemingly innocuous doses, light can stop your melatonin levels from rising, which is essential to induce sleep and help you achieve the deep, restorative rest your body needs.

11. Use melatonin strategically.

When sleep proves elusive, melatonin, in low doses for short periods – no more than a week or two at a time – can help regulate sleep rhythms. Generally, 1/2mg to 2 mg about 90 minutes before bed will do the trick. Keep in mind however, for some people, over-use of melatonin can actually disrupt sleep, so use it sparingly and follow the manufacturer’s dosing instructions.

12. Power down with calming nutrients.

Instead of sleeping pills or alcohol, try herbs or supplements with calming effects, about a half an hour to an hour before bedtime. Magnesium (300-600 mg) is a wonderful calming mineral and can help induce sleep. Also helpful are the amino acids L theanine (100-500mg), 5 HTP (50-100mg), taurine and GABA, or herbs like lemon balm, passion flower, chamomile, magnolia and valerian root taken per package instructions. 

13. Catch a sleep wave.

If you can’t fall asleep within 45 minutes, get up and out of the bedroom. Keep the lights low and try a calming, screen-free activity, like reading or knitting. Wait about an hour before going back to bed. Staying in bed trying to fall asleep (instead of getting up), will only stress you out more and train your brain to not recognize bedtime as sleep time.

14. Have a chat with your doc.

Do you take prescription drugs? They could be contributing your sleeplessness. Among the more common sleep-stealers are antihistamines; diuretics; anti-psychotics; anti-depressants; decongestants; asthma medications, and some blood-pressure medicines. If you suspect they may be undermining your zzzzzs, ask the doc if you can switch to a more sleep-supportive alternative.

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How To Make Love Last

If you've got the basics covered - like being faithful, remembering to talk to each other and having great sex – you might be wondering what else you can do to make it through the years. Here are seven lesser known ways to keep the spark alive in your relationship.

1. Have Secrets

Everyone will tell you that good communication is vital in keeping love alive, and it is. But it's also essential to keep some things to yourself. If you suddenly develop a crush for the intern in Accounts, don't do anything about it, and also don't tell your other half that you were tempted.  What's more, your partner does not need to know how much you spent on those shoes or that gadget you craved, if you have your own bank account. You'll both be happier, if you forget to mention it. 

2. Tell Lies

Most of the time, honesty is the best policy in relationships, but not always. The answer to the question “Do I look fat in this?” is not “yes” if you want your relationship to survive. And if he's feeling like a loser, there's no need to agree with his assessment, even if you secretly think he could have done things better. It's time for an ego boost, not honesty.

3. Don't Share

Talk about your day, your plans, your dreams, your ideas, your interests – yes – it's important to talk, but don't share every thought and every detail of your life. It's no more fun listening to you going on about the minutiae of your boring day at work than it was experiencing it. And if you have a tendency to complain all the time about every minor thing, that kind of sharing can drag your partner down as soon as you open your mouth.  Unless you have a really bad day (when it's good to get support), share to communicate and uplift, not to offload your frustration. 

4. Lead Separate Lives

Spending time together is important, but there's such a thing as too much togetherness. The more time you spend together, the less you have to talk about, and the less interesting you are. Someone who relies on one relationship for everything, seems needy and less attractive than someone with a degree of independence. If you each have your own friends, interests and hobbies, as well as those you share, you can keep the spark of interest and attraction alive forever. 

5. Be Selfish

Keeping love alive involves patience, tolerance and compromise, and all those good things. But don't give up your own needs entirely, for the sake of your relationship.  While it can feel good for a time to get your own way, no one respects or loves a doormat forever, and especially not a doormat who is unhappy. 

6. Be Irresponsible

It's all very well taking your responsibilities for the kids and the mortgage seriously most of the time, but now and again it's important to shake off your cares, and pretend you are teenagers again. Do something a bit mad (though still legal!) together and laugh like you were sixteen and not forty-six with car payments and school fees. Create memories that will keep you going when you are really old and not able to get up to mischief. 

7. Forget Valentine's Day

It's probably safer for your relationship to actually give a gift or flowers, and book a table on Valentine's Day, if that's the expectation your other half has, but you may hate the commercialism of it all. Made a pact to ignore the whole event and treat it like any other day, though generally laugh and wish each other “Happy Valentine's Day!” Romantic gestures are great now and again, but what really counts is the love you show day in day out. Show it. Mean It. Live it. You can't make up for hundreds of days of ignoring someone with a wildly expensive gift on Valentine's Day.  





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Improve Digestion For Better Health

When we improve our digestion, we can boost our immune system, lose weight, feel less bloated, and uncover hidden food allergies. In other words: when we digest with ease, we look and feel fabulous! Here are five simple tips to improve your digestion: 

1. Slow down. 

Stop and actually sit down when you eat. Your body needs your mind to be calm in order to digest. If you're nervous, your digestive system is in "fight or flight" mode. It cannot work properly when it is stressed. 

Before you eat, remember to take a deep breath. Be grateful for the food you're about to eat. Also, check in with your body. Focus on being present in the moment and have awareness. Don't shove food in your mouth as you're running out the door or eat while standing at the counter. 

2. Chew, chew, chew. 

Digestion begins in your mouth. Remember when you were little and your mother would tell you slow down and chew your food so that you would not choke? That may annoyed me as a child, but Mom had a good point. When you do not chew your food, it sets the stage for poor digestion. Poor digestion opens the door to weight gain, acne, constipation,to name a few. Serious health issues are not far behind. Most importantly, when you do not digest properly your body cannot transform your food into energy. Remember that your stomach does not have teeth!

3. Check out!

Yes, you heard right. Put down the phone, blackberry, and iPad. Turn off the TV and sit down and enjoy the activity of eating. Give yourself some quiet time so you can de-stress and digest! Life gets busy but living and eating this way is causing you to miss the moment you're in. 

Start by taking just one minute out of your day to breathe and think of anything that makes you happy.

4. Get cultured. 

Start adding a good, quality probiotic to your daily routine. Incorporating cultured foods and drinks to your life, such as yogurt, dairy or non-dairy kefir, kefir water, cultured vegetables, and other cultured foods is a great way to improve digestion and overall health. These foods have been around for centuries. 

By adding these foods or another high quality probiotic to your lifestyle, you will lose weight, assimilate your nutrients better, have clearer skin, better sleep, and decrease your body’s inflammation. Preventing inflammation prevents disease.

5. Clean the junk off your plate. 

Eat simple and eat clean. Our digestive system cannot digest junk. When we eat junk, we end up feeling like junk. Simple, right? People often think that they are eating clean, but actually they're eating foods that are wreaking havoc on their body and causing inflammation. Food either gives us inflammation or fuel. Always vote for fuel!

What is the food on your plate really doing for you? Remember that what worked for you at one point in your life may not be working any more. Listen to the cues or signals your body is giving you.

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