Tag Archives: burn

Relaxation For Your Personality Type

We’re all different. And we all relax in different ways! Lately, I’ve been having trouble getting my mind to shut up when I’m ready for bed. Sometimes I distract myself with television; other times I try a relatively simple (but effective) visualization technique: fully visualize (using all your senses) at least one thing for each color of the rainbow. A strawberry. An orange. A banana. A handful of blueberries. Leafy green spinach. A juicy purple plum. Food is easy because it quickly engages all five senses. Not enough to shut your brain down? Try three things for each color. Some … Continue reading →

What Do You Do With Your “Free Days”?

It took me a long time to get used to those days when my kids went to their father’s house. At first, it was just weekends, but after being with my kids almost non-stop for years, it seemed strange, quiet, lonely and (I admit) a bit of a relief to have some kid-free time. Now that my kids are older and it’s been years of single parenting, I have gotten somewhat used to not having them with me all the time, but they are also on more flexible schedules now so I am seldom completely kid-free. But, for many of … Continue reading →

Relax! It WILL Alter Your Perspective

Tension headaches, tense muscles, poor sleep—the stress that often comes with life as a single parent can take its toll on our bodies—and on the way we see the world. I know it might seem incredibly simplistic, but learning how to relax can actually alter our perspectives and change the way the world looks. Stress and tension are not the sole proprietorship of the single parent, but I think that since there is only one of us, we can get locked into a certain “stressed out” perspective. Have you ever noticed how the world just looks different when you are … Continue reading →

Meditation and Family Life

Ah…meditation. We’ve heard all the advice about how important it is to meditate; we know that we will fell calm and peaceful if we only take the time to let go of life’s stresses and learn to focus, meditate, stretch, chant, blah, blah, blah. To be honest, the people I know who are regular meditators are NOT people with houses full of children. They are either individuals whose children have all grown up, or they are childless folks who can not only meditate, but have altars and little fountains of trickling water right in the middle of their living rooms—at … Continue reading →

Sleep On It!

How many times do I need to repeat this? Sleep is good for you. Apparently I have to repeat it a lot… a recent survey by Prevention magazine found that more than 50% of all busy women (that includes stay at home moms, ladies with full time jobs, business owners, and more) make sleep the first thing to go when the pressure is on. But sleep is good for you! Really! A study from Harvard Medical School is demonstrating (once again) that a good night’s sleep can make your brain function better. Folks who volunteered for the study were divided … Continue reading →

P is for Playtime

Do you get enough play time in your routines? We talked about over training yesterday and the danger that poses to your health and overall fitness, today let’s talk about play time. Play time is exactly what it sounds, where you get to go out and be physical, but instead of doing a workout – you’re doing it for fun. Summer Pool Time It’s summer time and whether you have a pool in the backyard, a community pool or a pool at your fitness club or YMCA – the swimming pool is a great place to play with the kids … Continue reading →

Counting Sheep May Not Work After All

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The next time you have trouble sleeping, you might not want to bother calling out the mental sheep. A recent study from Oxford University in England studied the effectiveness of sheep-counting and found the technique lacking. Fifty insomniacs participated in the sleep study, which focused on distraction techniques. One group counted sheep; a second group was asked to visualize a relaxing, peaceful scene. A third group was given no instructions at all. Who fell asleep the fastest? The visualization group was the first in dreamland, by an average of twenty minutes. Why did the good old counting sheep let the … Continue reading →

How To … Meditate

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I’ve talked about meditation here before – but I wanted to discuss more about how to meditate and why I meditate. When I was in junior high, I participated in the drama club and the speech club. We had a great teacher, her name was Mrs. Garza. She was a brilliant woman and she was excellent at coaching us through speeches, dramatic presentations and learning impromptu. One of the things she also taught was guided meditation – in part it was to help cope with stage fright and anxiety. To understand, first of all, the meditations she used were not … Continue reading →

How To Get Better Rest and Have More Energy!

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Too worried to sleep? Listen to an audio book until you fall asleep. The narrative will drown out that voice in your head that’s reviewing tomorrow’s to-do list. Drink enough water. Dehydration can make you fatigued! Be sure to drink eight glasses of water every day. With all the flavored waters out there and powdered, sugar-free drink mixes, you should have no excuse for skipping the water! Ginseng (especially the Siberian variety) can help boost your stamina. It’s been studied in both animals and humans and can give you a serious boost. Just don’t overuse it — your body will … Continue reading →

Try Active Relaxation At Work

Sounds like an oxymoron, right? Active relaxation — is it possible to have one with the other? Try these gentle exercises to help beat stress and increase flexibility. If you spend most of your day sitting at a desk or in front of a computer, these stretches are for you! Wrist stretches. The dreaded carpal tunnel syndrome or repetitive strain injury are big fears for folks who spend a lot of time at the keyboard. Give your hands and wrists a break with a quick prayer stretch: place your palms together, fingers straight and push. All you need is a … Continue reading →