Archivi delle categorie:Mind

Work-Life Balance

Our well-being should be our priority. But nowadays the society we live in often puts pressure on us so that we reverse priorities in a way that can seriously compromise our quality of life and our physical, mental and emotional health.

According to the international classification of diseases, burn-out is considered to be a work-related phenomenon but this is not the only cause.

With the increasing cost of living and the bills that accumulate, we are increasingly inclined to work harder and harder to earn a salary that allows us to live a decent life. However, this leads us to put aside other fundamental needs.

We spend many hours a day working for a company, or for ourselves, reducing the time for good meals, for resting, for spending time with our family and we do not understand the impact this can have on our life.

Certainly, many among us cannot afford to work less because they are responsible for their family and they shall provide for their needs.

However, even in such cases, a work-life balance should be found, because life is much more than our work.

The excessive time spent at work and the short time dedicated to ourselves practicing sports, walking in a forest or simply being lazy, in the long run will harm our health up to a level that it would be difficult to recover.

More and more often people suffer from post-traumatic stress, over-fatigue, nutrition problems, relationship difficulties due to exhausting and stressful days spent at work that do not leave us time to live and do activities that really make us happy.

If you think you are in this situation, you should understand one thing: no salary is worth your health, no benefit rewards you for the wear and tear you have at the end of a working day that has drained off your energy and your joy of living.

If you currently have no other choice than continuing with your present work, try to do something that is good for you every day to find your work-life balance. If everything you do daily is stressful and exhausting, the time will come when you won’t be able to go on any longer and the consequences will be more serious. It will take you longer to regain your optimal well-being.

Work is an important part of life but of course life is not just work. As you know, there is more: family, friends, health, in short, enjoying life. Don’t let work be your whole life!

Nothing is worth your being unhappy. Your work will continue even without you, while relationships and health must be taken care of, and followed up carefully.

You can find another job, but you cannot replace your family, your friends and above all your health. Remember to take care of yourself in order to live a better life.

Seven tips for Winter Time

With the arrival of the winter season, we change our clothes and also our habits would need to change. 

These tips are easy to follow and will help you to cope with the coming winter.

Our daily habits contribute to our happiness, well-being and health. That is why it is important to adapt to the season ahead, as it has an impact on our body and our spirit. 

Scientific studies have shown that seasonal fluctuations such as daylight, temperature and weather have a significant impact on us. Our mood, our metabolism, our balance and our biological clock change with the changing of the seasons.

Therefore, it is important to changes our habits so to restore the harmony between our body and the environment that surrounds us.

It is not as difficult as it seems. Here are some tips that you may want to follow for your health and well-being this winter.

  1. Walk more, drive less

There is nothing as good as an outdoors walk. Replacing journeys by car with a walk is ideal for taking your dose of fresh air, natural light and exercise. It also saves you from stress caused by the traffic. To benefit from the best of the walk, you could also listen to a guided walking meditation.

2. Take hot baths

Preparing a bath with hot water and jumping into it is the best way to relax during the cold weather. Create an ideal environment, putting bath oils in the water and some of your favourite music.

3. Adopt an evening routine

The winter season corresponds to a natural resting period. As the days get shorter and the exposure to natural light decreases, we feel less dynamic because our body produces less melatonin. To fight against the fatigue and the melancholy of winter, try to sleep eight hours a night and go to bed at about the same time each evening. Do not heat up your bedroom too much to avoid waking up sweaty in the middle of the night.

4. Eat properly

With the lowering of the temperatures comes the time to warm up with delicious and nutritious food. To prepare winter soup with relaxing effect, use warm and healthy ingredients, such as chickpeas, carrots and potatoes.

5. Take care of your skin (especially your hands)

Cold temperatures put a strain on your skin, so it is important to take care of it. To reduce dryness, use a good moisturizing and nourishing cream. In particular, the hands are more exposed to cold and need more attention and protection. To always have soft and well-groomed hands, keep a hand cream with you and use it when you need it.

6. Put your mobile aside

Due to a lower outdoors activity during winter, we are inclined to spend more time on social media. As you know, looking constantly to the mobile (or any other device) is not a good thing. Your mobile forces you to look within yourself and this may cause you a winter depression. Moreover, it disturbs your sleep. From time to time it would be better to put your mobile aside and read a good book.

7. Play games with friends

Sometimes when the evenings are particularly cold, you may want to call your friends to your place to play games. This activity is not only perfect to fight winter melancholy and apparent social isolation but it is also useful to improve your intellectual abilities. A study published by the New England Journal of Medicine has shown that playing social games keeps the brain young and active and would protect from senile dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

What about you? Do you have your own winter routine?

Four Tips for Fitting Self-Care Into Your Busy Schedule

No matter how busy you are, it is important that you take a little time for yourself. This is called self-care, and far from the extravagant images the phrase may call to your mind, the practice is about providing you with the energy and stability to live your best life every day. This often consists of the basic needs you may take for granted (and often skip past after a stressful day), like taking breaks and getting enough sleep. The good news is it can be easy to incorporate self-care into your busy life, whether you use a device to track how many steps you take in a day or take a quick nap during your lunch break. Here are some ways you can incorporate self-care into your day in a way that will actually help you when you need it the most.

  1. Enhance Your Fitness with a Tracker
    Many who lead busy lives believe that there just isn’t enough time in the day to exercise. The reality is you can squeeze it into your schedule, and you should. Exercise can make you feel more relaxed and less stressed, and it can provide an energy boost to help you get through your day. If you don’t know which workout to try, start by adding more walks into your schedule. Take a stroll through your neighborhood after dinner, or park farther away from the supermarket. Be creative and look for more ways to walk and take the stairs instead of driving or riding the elevator.
  2. Make the Most of Break Time
    Breaks are critical for your emotional health throughout a work day, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice a portion of the time you have to accomplish your tasks each day. Instead, use the time you already have set aside as a time to do double duty. Most people take the time, whether it is a quick 15 minutes or an extensive hour, to have a healthy lunch in the middle of their day. You can take this one step further by using your lunch break as a break in the larger sense of the word. Do not take a work project to the deli with you, and don’t bring back a sandwich to eat while you make the finishing touches on a report. Instead, use your lunch break as a time to distance yourself from work and clear your mind.
  3. Use Your Breaks to Evaluate Your Workload
    Your daily breaks can also help set you up in the right position to be healthier in a well-rounded kind of way. Taking breaks from the constant stream of work can give you an opportunity to go over your current workload in a more analytical way. For instance, if you feel like you never have enough time to spend time with family or friends, or even to take care of yourself, you may need to practice saying “no” more frequently at work. Saying “no” is not intrinsically a bad thing, in fact, it can be very healthy, as turning down projects means you are self-aware enough to understand you cannot take on any more projects without sacrificing your health. If you constantly feel stressed, there is a chance you are trying to do too much.
  4. Support the health of your gut
    Finally, when you cook your meals each day, you can make them even better for you by focusing on the health of your gut. Gut flora, the bacteria that live inside your digestive system, are critical for maintaining healthy levels in your body. You can help keep them healthy and support good bacteria by eating (or abstaining from) certain food or by including certain supplements into your diet. Bacillus coagulans, for instance, support intestinal health, while
    saccharomyces boulardii protect against harmful microbes.

By making the most of your break time and regulating the amount of work you take on each week, you can help take care of yourself without even changing your schedule.

Dealing with Difficult People

Starting from the assumption that each of us can be a difficult person to someone, there are big categories of difficult people to which you can relate in different ways.

Let’s start with what we can call  the “tanks“. What are the characteristics of these people? As the name suggests, they are people who crush others. How? For example, flinging pointed barbs and making bitter jokes. They decide instinctively and become impatient easily. They attack to intimidate, they claim to be right and threat the others. How can we react to similar behaviour? You can try, for example, to stand up to them without claiming to be right. It may be useful calling them by name to get their attention, asking them if they are serious, trying going beyond the joke to understand the intentions behind this behaviour. Another technique may be to be friendly, that is behaving in a diametrically opposite way to theirs. You could also manage the pauses and try to confront them alone to unmask them without humiliating them.

A second type of difficult people are those that can be defined as “explosives“. They are people who easily lose control and tend to offend. They generate silence in the interlocutor who should try to look them in the eye to make them understand that we are taking them seriously. To calm them down, you could look for a moment of intimacy, like having a drink together, to clarify what is wrong and offer your help.

A third category of difficult people are those who always complain. Who doesn’t know anyone like that? These are people with an external LoC, that is with little control over their lives. They put their problems on others and often use “but”. The antidote to use with these people is listening to make them know that we understand but without showing solidarity. We need to stimulate them to find a solution by themselves and ask them if they have ideas on how to solve the problem.

We then have “silent” people, who are closed and barely react . They could be confused because they don’t understand but at the same time they don’t dare to ask. In reality, by remaining silent they could gain an advantage, as silence offers them protection. With these people, you may try to show empathy, looking at them in a friendly way and going into informal conversations, out of the usual context.

A fifth type is represented by the “unreliable” people, that is those people who, in order to please, make commitments knowing that they will not be able to comply with. You would need to make clear with them how things are and offer a compromise on an equal level, to find a win win solution for both.

Then there are the “negativists“, that is those who say no to everything. They also have an external LoC and often tend to be distressed. The antidote for this type of people is based on a positive and realistic opposition. It is better not to discuss with them but to propose alternatives without offering solutions, to allow them time to make informed decisions.

The seventh category of difficult people is that of the “experts“. They are divided into two groups. True experts and fake ones. The first have the right answer for everything. If you tell them that it is not true they may become upset. They feel strong and think they don’t need anyone. With this kind of people it is important to repeat what they say and ask precise questions to get operational answers. The fake experts are those who are informed but do not go deeper. You would need to explain things as they are to these people but in a face-to-face context so they don’t lose face.

Finally, the last category of difficult people I have identified are the “indecisive“. These people do not have clear ideas and are blocked by excessive concern about others’ sensitivity. They are emotionally involved and think that problems would disapper on their own if you let some time pass. It is important to help these people make things clear, offer them a solution and support without putting pressure.

And you, have you found a category of difficult people besides these ones? Let me know!

9 Reasons to Practise Mindfulness

Today we speak a lot about Mindfulness. Do we really know what it is and why it is useful?

Let’s start with a small definition. Mindfulness is a mental training that makes you aware of your actions and bring focus on what you are doing in the present moment. It is a concept taken from Buddhism but it has lost the religious component and it is not limited to meditation, though meditation is part of Mindfulness.

Today’s life is sometime difficult and often very busy. We find ourselves more and more exhausted and breathless. Our mind is forced to focus on several tasks at the same time (the so called multitasking), at the expenses of our mental and physical well-being.

Practising Mindfulness helps us for sure with finding a bit of quietness and copying with events’ life differently, both in the work environment and at personal level. Mindfulness helps us with finding our own human and spiritual intimacy.

Practising regularly Mindfulness has a positive effect on stress and anxiety and it also helps us in developing useful mental skills that build capacity for:

  1. Focus
  2. Mental Clarity and Agility
  3. Collaboration
  4. Creativity and Innovation
  5. Emotional Intelligence
  6. Empathy and Compassion
  7. Resilience
  8. Happiness
  9. Overall Well-Being.

Try a simple exercise: eat slowly a fruit, trying to taste it fully, to understand the consistency and find out the feelings it gives you. If you eat like that once a day, you will be on the good path for being mindful!

Lessons Learned from Cats

Most likely you are asking yourself: “What can I learn from cats’. Well, if you have ever lived with a cat, you know that those fury pets that sometimes stare at us have a lot to teach.

They are quiet and discrete animals but they know a little secret that helps them surviving and that made them earn the reputation of having 7 lives.

As you may know, cats walk also for high and narrow passages, jumps from one place to another, as an acrobat would do.

When those behaviors are part of your life, on of your main problem will be falling down.

Knowing that falling down would be a big problem in their life, cats have developed a skill that let them fall safely, regardless from the way they fall.

By falling, they send their back paws to the side so that the front ones will rotate on the opposite side and will touch the ground first.

So, no matter the way they fall because their front paws will touch the ground first and not their back or their head.

Cats have solved a problem by making it irrelevant.

They have made falling irrelevant by accepting that it is part of their life and therefore they don’t care about why and how it happens.

They accepted that falling is something that happens if you walk in weird places or jump all the time. The only thing they do is focusing in making sure that their front paws touch the floor first.

Which lesson can we learn?

Setbacks may occur but in any case, you shall always focus on your goals and your wishes, without dwelling on the obstacles: you will fall on your feet each time.

Life offers you what you need at that moment, even if it doesn’t seem to you. An Italian song by Fiorella Mannoia says:”…Life is perfect also when it seems absurd and complex. It seems inconsistent and stubborn, but when you fall life waits for you…”

This is what successful people do. They fall and get up, without making drama. They jump and walk on high and narrow paths as cats do, but they consider irrelevant if they fall.

So, what is the lesson?

Learn to fall and you will be able to get up without being hurt.

It is all about changing your mentality and believing in your abilities. Over time, you will see that this mentality will prove to be effective because you will be able to make obstacles irrelevant and you will always fall on your feet.

It might seem difficult, but this is the biggest secret of successful people.

The Benefits of Yoga

Do you know yoga can do more than just strengthen and tone your body? Recent research shows it can have a powerful effect on your health—making it a perfect remedy for several diseases, from high blood pressure to anxiety and depression.

For years, yoga was considered part of the New Age. But today you can find yoga classes all over, and people are giving it a try.

You may already be familiar with some yoga moves such as downward dog and mountain pose, but yoga is more than that. It’s a total mind-body workout that includes: postures, breathing practices, deep relaxation, and meditation that helps improve your health in several ways.

Some health benefits:

  1. Yoga helps you improving your balance, flexibility, strength, and coordination
  2. Yoga can help reduce your risk of heart disease
  3. It may be the perfect way to relieve migraines and fight osteoporosis
  4. Yoga can undo the harmful effects of stress
  5. Relaxing breathing techniques you can practice anywhere so you can stay calm and release tension

Plus, the meditation component of yoga may even help to delay the beginning of Alzheimer’s disease and fight age-related declines in memory.

Why not give yoga a try and see how it can help your health?

Problems vs. Opportunities

What is a problem? A problem can be defined as a matter or a situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and finally overcome. 

A problem for someone, is an opportunity for someone else. Every problem has an opportunity in it, and every opportunity has a problem in it. Isn’t opportunities and problems the same thing only with a perceptive change? Doesn’t it come down to how we view the situation? It could be a problem or it could be an opportunity. A problem may be an opportunity waiting to happen. Some problems may be essential to finding opportunities, as they show us that something is not working as it should.

It is how you address a problem that can generate an opportunity: An undesirable event is just what it is, an undesirable event. The difference is how you approach it, in a positive or negative way.

The more time you dedicate to analyse the situation, the more likely you are to find more opportunities than problems. Some problems are huge and the potential for opportunities may seem limited. But if you don’t look for opportunities, you are unlikely to find them. 

Seeing something as a problem or an opportunity is definitely about personal perception. And you can always learn something from a problem by transforming it into an opportunity.

Get Your Energy Back by Following These 5 Tips

Spring brings back light. The short winter days are now a memory. It is the perfect time to recharge your batteries and repair your body, your spirit and your soul. Find your energy to get a good start.

Spring is the season of renewal. Every spring day is a new departure. Each morning represents a new chance to reach your goals and follow your dreams.  

To get the best out of this spring spirit, here are 5 tips to regain your well-being.

1.Take care of yourself and adopt a healthy sleep pattern. Sleep is essential for physical and mental well-being, specialists recommend sleeping between 7 and 9 hours per night. Feeling rested after a good night’s sleep allows you to better manage your energy during the day.

Tips: Plan your day the night before. In the evening, do restful activities. Create an environment favourable to rest by eliminating strong light and screens (TV, computer but also mobile phone) in your room. Practise yoga or meditation exercises.

2. Energy is on the plate. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. With it, you establish the blood sugar level, avoid the cravings during the morning and give your body the energy it needs to function. Beware of some foods that could be counterproductive. Too sweet food gives you an immediate energy boost but, when over, they will leave you more tired than before.

Tips: Avoid sugars and caffeine in excess and favour food that makes you feel full, such as bananas or apples. Drink large quantities of green tea (which also helps weight loss and prevents cells aging). Buy fresh fruit and vegetables and try to eat less refined food (whole grains would be great). Make the menu of your week and fill up the fridge to avoid coming home hungry and having nothing to eat. By doing so, you will eat what you have and will not order food to be delivered at home. Establish a regular daily meal pattern. Have you ever thought about learning to cook?

3. Meditation is useful for your well-being. We live at high speed. Sometimes this rhythm of life prevents us from fully living the things we do and focusing on them. Many activities can help us take better advantage of the present moment and meditation is at the top of the list. Before going to work, focusing on the rhythm of breathing (inhale / exhale) can help you face the day more calmly. Meditation has beneficial effects on the brain and the general well-being.

Tips: Meditate every day at the same time: wake up your senses by disconnecting yourself for a few minutes. You do not have time? Try meditating in the shower or while you are on the bus or on the metro! It is enough to breathe with awareness. Relax while remaining alert. Follow your cat’s example, if you have one. But don’t meditate while driving!

4. Move to reduce your fatigue. Even if this statement may seem contradictory, sport is the best way to lighten your spiri up, remove your anxiety and regain your energy. Physical activity can stimulate the mitochondria, which are the generators of the body’s energy. So what are you waiting for? Put your sneakers on!

Tips: Walk at least 10,000 steps a day (I know, they are a lot). Try the sun salutation, a sequence of yoga positions that helps you release endorphins in the blood and then help you be in a good mood and spirit and energised. Practise yoga, Pilates, take a bike ride or a walk with your colleagues. Walk with awareness, focusing on each one of your steps and trying to feel the contact with the ground from the top of your heels to the tip of your toes.

5. More balance for more energy We often overlook the importance of emotional balance in everyday life. The harmony of the senses can help us feel better and improve our relationships with others. Pay attention to your emotions and learn to manage them. Do not prevent yourself from expressing them, in the appropriate ways and occasions, of course, otherwise you risk that they would become too intense and then you will no longer take control over them. Take full advantage of positive emotions and try to accept your feelings in moments of sadness or distress. Emotions have their reason for being: they are the ones who determine our actions.

Tips: Try looking at things from a broader perspective: everything in life is useful, even if it does not seem like that. Try not reacting immediately, breathe deeply and remind yourself that it will go away. If you really have to take a position, count up to ten before speaking. Set goals regularly to get the best out of yourself by living again your feelings or thoughts.