Low Motivation? 5 Steps To Boost Your Inner Drive
Posted by: lifecards on: May 18, 2011
How often do you get Monday blues? Most people know what it feels like to wake up on a Monday, not having the energy to get the day started. Sometimes, people also get overwhelmed with the many things they have scheduled for the week, and feel a lack of desire to even get up and start the day.
With no instant gleam of an improving economy, it is easy for people to lose motivation and lack the energy to pursue what they want in life. There are people who are so distraught with their financial state that some are simply trying to get their days over with. Some people do not even bother to plan for their future. If you find yourself lacking the drive to pursue your goals, perhaps you can consider these suggestions:
1. Clarify what you want to achieve in life.
Having clear cut goals is one of the best ways to motivate yourself. Make a habit of creating your do-lists to help you achieve the things you want to accomplish. Set a date when you want to finish a project and commit to it. Make a big mark on your calendar, tell your friend or your significant other about the changes that you want to happen and ask them to encourage you to reach your goals.
2. Change begins with small, easy steps.
If you are still reading this article, you must be wanting to create some changes in your life. Remember that no change can happen overnight. It all starts with the desire to change. Once you identify the things that you need to change in order to achieve your goals, think of small steps that can help you make the change happen. Think for example, how much time you have been spending in front of the TV lately. Perhaps those hours can be spent more creatively, more productively. One easy step is to lessen your TV watching hours today.
3. Clear your mind of distractions.
One good way to avoid the Monday blues is to take some time either before going to bed on Sunday night or early Monday morning to plan your day and your week. A quiet time for self-evaluation, meditation and even prayer can help you focus on the things that really matter. This is one way of getting your mind focused and ready for the rest of the day. During the day, you may encounter several distractions – emails, Facebook updates from friends or Tweets, phone calls, etc. When you encounter these, remind yourself that you need to concentrate on the tasks at hand. Keep your mind focused on your short and long term goals and believe in your own capacity to do the things that you deem important.
4. Exercise.
One of the things that can really perk you up is physical activity. If you think you can’t get motivated enough to go to the gym, start with a simple walk outside for a few minutes. Build the habit of waking up before anyone else, do some deep breathing and start your walk. If you work at your desk the whole day, walk around the office, or do some stretching exercises.
5. Reward yourself.
Every time you have accomplished an item on your do-list done, tick it off and give yourself a pat on the back. It may be a simple task such as taking the kids to school or packing a healthy snack for them. No matter how big or small your achievement is, feel good about it. Find reasons to celebrate with a good dinner or a self-treat such as a good massage or a manicure. If you find yourself working too hard, reward yourself with a well deserved holiday.
Although it is normal to experience times when your motivation is low, what is not normal is to constantly lack the energy or the drive to do anything. Remember not to lose sight of your goals. Think of what can really make you happy and go for it!
Earthquake Disaster Safety Tips
Posted by: lifecards on: March 21, 2011
Earthquakes can hit anytime, anywhere. You can increase your chances of surviving an earthquake by always being prepared, and you can do that by learning some earthquake safety tips such as the ones below.
1. If you have little children, show them the safe places inside your home where they can go and which places to avoid. Small children can go under a big desk to protect their heads from dropping objects. They should stay away from mirrors, chandeliers, heavy furniture and windows.
2. Always be prepared by stocking up on some supplies that may come in handy during an emergency. Organize a first aid kit that will have enough bandages, gauze, pain relievers, disinfectants, alcohols and cotton balls. Keep at least a two week supply of food such as canned goods, cereals, chocolate bars, and bottled waters. Keep a stock of blankets, flashlights, extra batteries, extra clothing, cooking fuel and tools that may come in handy such as screwdrivers, hammer, and can openers.
3. Know where your controls are for your electricity, water and gas. Make sure that you know where your tools are in case you need to turn off any of your utilities.
4. If the earthquake strikes while you are cooking, turn the gas/electricity stove off and run for cover.
5. If you are driving, slowly park your car along the side of the road. Do not stay next to trees and power lines and do not park under bridges.
6. Stay away from objects that are likely to fall, if you are caught outdoors when the earthquake strikes.
7. After the earthquake, check on your immediate family, see if anyone is hurt. Call for help immediately if someone is badly hurt.
8. Check your home for damages. If you think a gas leak resulted from the earthquake, immediately leave the area and open the doors and windows. If you know how to do it, turn off the gas and report the leak immediately to the fire department.
9. If there’s a power outage, immediately unplug your appliances to avoid damage when the power is suddenly restored. If you smell something burning, turn off the main fuse box or remove the breakers.
10. Make your home safe, especially for little children. Do not hang mirrors where they are likely to fall on someone in the event an earthquake strikes. Put breakable objects inside cabinets with secured doors.
These are simple tips that can very well save your life. The best thing you can do to protect yourself from disaster is to keep yourself educated. Read more tips on earthquake preparation, talk to your kids about it in a way that will not breed fear. Even the strongest earthquakes only take place for a few seconds, but it is the number of aftershocks that can possibly happen that you would have to prepare for as well.
Quick Dinner Recipes For Back-To-School Kids
Posted by: lifecards on: August 20, 2010
With kids back to school, working moms are again, being challenged to find healthy, but quick dinner recipes for kids. After a heavy day in school and after school activities, your little tots and young teenagers will need nutritious dinners, that do not take too much time to prepare.
If you are a working mom, it will help to plan your quick dinner recipes for the week, and make sure that you have all the ingredients you need before the week starts. Pasta is a great favorite among most children, so you can load up on that and keep your cupboards stacked with ingredients for the sauce, like tomato sauce and cheese. Chicken tenders can be versatile – you can fry them, bake them or add them with your stir fry vegetables. Even minced chicken meat can be easily turned into chicken burgers and fillings for quesadillas.
Soups may not be that popular with little children, but try and sneak in a small bowl of chicken soup to go with their fast dinners. You can prepare a huge stock of chicken broth over the weekend, freeze this in small containers which you can easily thaw during the week. Add some onions, diced carrots, celery and potatoes and you have a nice bowl of nutritious chicken soup!
Kids love tacos and quesadillas, so make sure you have a ready supply of these. Keep your fridge stacked up with ground beef, onions, tomatoes, and cheese. You can even keep ready to bake pizza crusts that you can easily fill with left overs from yesterday’s meals.
Fish fillets are also great additions to your fast dinner list. You can heat them up in the microwave and pour some cheese sauce on top of them, or your favorite dressing. Vegetable salads may not exactly attract your kid’s appetite, but carrot, celery and cucumber sticks are really quite colorful, and may get them interested. Make sure to keep a ready supply of fruits, like apples, bananas and oranges, to teach your kids the habit of eating healthy fruits regularly. Fruit juices are also essential and are better alternatives to soda drinks.
Planning your meals ahead will also help you avoid going to fast foods too often, because you ran out of ideas for a quick dinner. Not only are fast foods costly, most of them do not have the nutrients that your children need. French fries and burgers are not your ideal dinner meal, because they are loaded with calories and some food chains use cooking oil that has a lot of trans fats, which is not good for the health.
Quick dinner recipes for kids are easily found online, and some websites that feature them will even include a grocery list that can help you with your meal planning. You will be surprised with the savings that you will get from planning your meals ahead, and you will also enjoy the fact that you are serving nutritious meals for your family.
Should I Help My Child Skip A Grade
Posted by: lifecards on: August 11, 2010
Skipping a grade may be a good option for some parents, while some may see it as short cutting a child’s education. This is a big decision, one that should consider if a child is ready to adjust to a new environment, where he or she may be the youngest in the class. Skipping a grade usually happens during elementary or middle school and should only be done if a child is willing to do so.
First of all, consult the school’s guidance counselor to know more about the process, and to assess if your child is ready to skip a grade. Usually, schools have a set of guidelines, such as testing procedures to check if the child deserves to skip a grade because of academic excellence.
The regulations differ from one school district to another – while some may be quite relaxed in conducting the process, others may take a strict stance in making sure the child qualifies to skip a grade. Most schools, however, will give a test on comprehension and knowledge level on the subjects that your child may skip. If the student shows enough comprehension on major subjects such as English, Social Studies, Science and History, the child may be allowed to move on to the next level.
Preparing Your Child To Skip A Grade
Parental guidance is necessary if you aim to help your child skip a grade. The child may have to dedicate more study hours to get a firm grasp of the subjects that he plans to skip. You should get a copy of the textbook that the school uses for these subjects and guide your child in his studies.
Skipping a grade not only benefits a family in terms of the financial savings, but it will also give some advantages to your child. It can give him the confidence, knowing that he excels academically. It can also offer more opportunities for him, such as scholarships, and can prepare him better for more challenges in life. The discipline it takes to study on his own and to succeed in passing his tests is a good exercise in life values, that he can take with him as he grows up.
Skipping a grade, however, should only be encouraged if your child is ready for it and realizes the demands of such a challenge. It is a good way to challenge your child, but if your child shows some resistance to it, offer other ways to challenge him academically.
5 Hours Online And Counting!
Posted by: lifecards on: August 7, 2010
The best thing about blogs, they just keep going.. I’ve spent the whole afternoon just reading blogs on motherhood, parenting, family life, work at home, cartoons! Before you know it, I’ve been on the net for five hours already!
The internet is a world by itself, and it’s true we can do almost everything on the web – order food, shop online, get in touch with friends, watch movies, play games, learn a new language, talk to someone thousands of miles away.. You name it, there’ll be a website for it.
What would life be like without the internet? Maybe simpler? What do you think?
Personal Success Tip – Spend Time Reinventing Yourself
Posted by: lifecards on: August 6, 2010
The truth is staring right in front of us – everyone feels the bite of the economic crisis. This is not a happy thought, admittedly, considering that nearly 60% of our population can not work. This includes those who are too young, too old, the disable and the retired. The vast majority of this statistics, however, is the unemployed.
If you are part of this statistics, it is quite natural to feel the helpless and lost, especially if you had been suddenly laid off after decades of service and commitment to your company. You may feel a little betrayed that the company you had served for many years chose to keep younger employees, or those who would settle for a fraction of what you are earning.
However, these negative thoughts will not land you your next job. In fact, they will take you into deeper depths of depression, something that you don’t really need during these emergency situations.
One of the things you could do for yourself and your family is to gain back control. Get over the anger, the frustration and the fear. Think what you can do in order to get out of the rut and move on back to the road of success.
Reinvent Yourself
Some people who had ventured into a new business and had succeeded will tell you that the best thing that happened to them is to lose their 8-5 jobs. They are suddenly faced with too many free hours, that at first they didn’t know what to do with. With constant self analysis, they were able to find another area of interest that they had always wanted to explore. In due time, they were able to make the most of their new interests and turn these into profitable businesses.
This may also work for you. Find the skills that you are good at, see if these skills will put you at a competitive advantage and open new opportunities for you. Many of us had entered careers because of the money offered. However, those who had found more joy and fulfillment in their chosen professions did so because they entered a career that fits what they are really good at.
Search within you and find out what it is that brings joy to you? What do you feel like doing? Do not be ashamed of exploring something that you know you are good at, for example you may have been a car mechanic for many years, but you had also been good at baking. Perhaps you could have a career change, and enter the fascinating world of baking!
Make this time of losing your job a time for reflection and knowing your strengths and weaknesses better. Once you’ve figured out what you can do, improve on that skill, take some night classes, network with people who are in the same field. Keep improving on your talents.
Although you may choose to focus on one skill, during a financial crisis, you would need to discover other areas that you can make some profit of. Find a day job, while working on your new skills. Quit only when you are making enough money from something that you enjoy doing most.
Remember that your success depends mostly on your initiative to overcome some of life’s obstacles. Consider losing your job just one of those challenges, and spend time now finding out how you can reinvent yourself.
Health Benefits of Sleep
Posted by: lifecards on: July 23, 2010
Sleeping is such a part of our lives that we tend to take its importance for granted at times. No one can and should discount the benefits of a 7-8 hour sleep. Getting enough sleep slows the body down and relaxes the mind. It is during sleep that tired muscles and joints get rejuvenated and prepared for the days ahead. Aside from the calming effect of sleep, it is also an important step in our daily metabolism.
There is actually some truth to what others may consider as an “old wives tale” that children who do not get enough sleep during their growing years do not grow as tall as other kids who do. Most of the body hormones that are necessary for physical growth are produced during sleep. There is no substantial explanation yet as to why there is more hormonal activity during sleep.
Recent studies about sleep have established the fact that sleep deprivation leads to several chronic diseases. A person’s immune system can easily fail if he or she does not get enough sleep. Prolonged sleep deprivation does not only make a person lose focus, but it can also be fatal. It can also cause sharp increases in a person’s blood pressure, which if not medically attended can lead to stroke.
When the brain does not get enough rest, it will not be able to conduct effectively some of the ordinary brain functions such as reasoning and remembering. Sleep deprivation often happens as a result of anxiety and depression. In such cases, the nervous system may also suffer and the major neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, which are responsible for mood stability will also be affected.
Although there are many new theories that come about, trying to explain the changes in the body which place during sleep, there are still grounds that need to be covered in sleep research. Given the data that we are aware of right now, it suffices to say that we should never take the benefits of sleep for granted.
Children should always be encouraged to get enough sleep to increase their immunity against common diseases. One thing that can help children reach the needed number of hours daily is not to have entertainment equipment inside their rooms, such as the television and the computer. A good, warm bath can relax a child and get him or her ready for sleep.
Become.com – Time Saver Online Shopping Portal
Posted by: lifecards on: July 1, 2010
Online shopping is supposed to make it a lot easier for busy moms to find the things we need. It just gets frustrating sometimes when it takes us hours and hours trying to find what matches our criteria because there are just too many options available online.
I was out looking for some new jeans for my pre teen daughter the other day, and I thought it will make things simple if I just do a search on clothing options online. But with so many online stores to choose from, I ended up spending hours on the internet and still couldn’t find the right match! I wanted something that will match her fun loving side and yet won’t be too harsh on my pocket. I finally got some help when I stumbled upon Become.com, an online shopping portal that gives the shopper a lot of options in a user friendly way.
The good thing about Become.com is when you do a search for a certain product on their site, the results shown are not just product pictures and prices, but you also reviews about the product, some consumer trends and links to blogs that can help you decide better.
Their search engine brings relevant results that helped me make a choice in such a short time. On top of the pictures on the results page, I can click “more info” and it tells me which store is selling the product I chose. I finally settled for slim stretch jeans made of soft material, that I think my daughter would just love. There’s even a “nearby stores” feature on the site that’s really neat, as it tells me the nearest shop where they’re selling the product I chose!
Unlike before when I end up spending hours making comparisons from different websites, with Become.com, I was able to make a good choice in a few minutes. I think I’ll do this again, now that I’m out shopping for a new laptop bag for my dear hubby.
My Child Hates Me!
Posted by: lifecards on: June 25, 2010
- In: Parenting | Pre-Teens | Teens | Young Children
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As parents, we are happiest when at the end of the day, we can proudly say we had raised our children well. Sadly, there are just parents who, despite their efforts to raise their children in a loving environment still end up with kids who are defiant and disrespectful. There have been many times when I had stared in disbelief as I hear some kids openly shout “I hate you!!” to their parents in public.
Not only is this kind of attitude painful to most parents, it can also cause them to worry about their child excessively, because they fear that their child would not be able to respect authority if they had never learned respect at home.
Most parents would know by now that if a child’s defiant behavior is not addressed at an early age, it will usually worsen through time. It is during a child’s early years that he has to master social skills, because if he fails to do this during his growing years, it may be too late to do so when he reaches his teenage years.
The worst thing that could happen is for your child to grow up thinking he has the power over you and the other people around him. Don’t let it come to the point when you get to be powerless to handle an out-of-control teenager.
Help your child adjust more to the people in his environment, including his own family. Never feel that it is your fault that you have a difficult child. Just do your best to direct your child’s negative tendencies into something more positive.
You need to reinforce the fact that you are the parent and you are the one in control. It doesn’t mean using punitive tactics all the time, but you have to do it in a balanced atmosphere of love and respect. You would have to set an example of respecting the rights of other members of your family – your spouse, your kids, and yes, yourself. If a child grows up in an environment when respect is not evident, it will not be a surprise if he grows up not knowing what the word means.
What your child may be trying to convey to you in his defiant attitude is that he needs your help to reconnect to the good side of him and to be more understanding towards others. He needs to see examples on how you respect yourself and others, most of all, how you respect your own child. Let your child discover the meaning of respect - do it in a compassionate and loving way.
