First impressions and body language speaks volumes. Sometimes we don’t even realize what we’ve done or said until it’s too late and we can’t take it back. When was the last time you said something ridiculously stupid and wished you could erase your words the second they slipped out? You’re not the only one this has happened to. We are all guilty of the proverbial flub.

So what are some of the ones we don’t even realize we are making?

1. The limp handshake.

This one tops the list because as we know, a firm hand shake and looking right into someone’s eyes while doing it is a clear sign of trust, sincerity and shows you are caring and genuine. All the traits we seek in others. Give a limp handshake and you’ve lost the other person immediately. Pay attention. Don’t let this one slip, ever.

2. Looking away when talking.

People like you to look at them when you are having a conversation with them. Not through them or around them or behind them. They want your undivided attention. Don’t give it to them and they will instantly feel you are not interested in talking to them anymore. It clearly shows lack of interest.

3. Folding your arms across your chest.

That’s the back off or back away body gesture that keeps everyone at a distance. If this is not your intention, then make sure you become aware of it immediately and unfold your arms. It also gives off a bit of a smug attitude. Another trait no one likes.

4. Fidgeting.

This is a nervous gesture that shows anxiety, lack of self confidence, shows you are uncomfortable, worried or stressed. It’s also extremely distracting. Try to be aware of this. Maybe try putting your hands in your pockets instead. If you are suffering from extreme stress or anxiety you should definitely look into controlling or eliminating that.

5. Serious eye gazing.

Staring right into someone’s eyes while they are talking is ok but to do it in almost a maniacal manner is totally not ok. It makes people feel uncomfortable and actually is a sign of aggression. Relax your gaze. Staring deep into someone’s eyes and not breaking your gaze is something that should maybe only done with a partner in an intimate moment?

6. Nodding.

Nodding in approval is a good sign but when you start to look like a dashboard bobble head, then there’s a problem. It’s annoying. The person you are talking to gets that you understand and agree with a simple nod or two. Continually nodding shows weakness. A need and desire, almost an urgency to be liked so you nod endlessly.

7. Chewing gum.

Do it on your way to the event or party. Once yo u get there, spit it out. There is nothing worse then trying to listen to someone talk while they are chewing gum or worse yet, trying to talk to someone while they are chewing and snapping gum. Get it out of your mouth before you get there.

8. Animated gestures.

We get it. The fish was that big. Or the house was that wide. If you are an exaggerated animated gesture maker, people will do anything to stay away from you. It’s annoying and obnoxious. You can make smaller gestures, if you need to animate your story, and still get your point across. Try it.

9. Leg or toe tapping.

While sitting at in a chair or at a desk. You know the kind where the whole table shakes. This is probably nothing more than a simple little nervous habit you have had for as long as you can remember but it’s extremely annoying. Stop doing it.

10. Checking your watch all the time.

Are you in a hurry? Are you late for something? Do you need to go somewhere else? If you answered to no to all of these, stop checking your watch. It’s rude. People will think you have better things to do than spend time talking to them. Don’t wear a watch if you can help it.

These are just a handful of things we all do and don’t realize the impact they make on other people. pay attention to your body language next time you are talking to someone and see if you are guilty of doing any of the gestures on the list and then try to control them.

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We all have a certain degree of stress in our lives at any given time. Some of us stress over rather simple mindless things such as what to cook for dinner while others stress over major life decisions like when to leave your full time job and become self employed. Yes, stress comes in all shapes, sizes and forms. But how do we know if you have too much stress in our life?

Stress is something that can definitely be managed. There are many tips, tools and tricks available to help you get through and over stress but at what point do we realize that we actually need help? What’s considered a normal amount of stress and when has stress taken over our lives (yet we think we have control over it and pretend to function normally).

1. Trouble falling asleep.

Though this may seem almost common sense, it’s not. Many people will blame this on something they ate, or they aren’t tired enough, or perhaps it was that coffee at 8 pm. It very well could be a combination of any of these things, or other things, but the truth of the matter is, if this is a nightly problem, your stress level is too high. Plain and simple.

2. Snapping for nothing.

Are you finding, lately, that you are starting to snap back at people all the time, and it’s usually for nothing really. Just the sound of their voice or their opinions is now grinding on your last nerve, where it never did before, and you are snapping at them. This behaviour is actually surprising you too. This is stress. It’s taking its toll and playing a huge role in your mood swings. Which leads us to number 3.

3. Mood swings are out of control.

You’re happy, sad, angry, crying, laughing, snapping and quiet, all in the matter of one day. Stress has finally got the better of you. Oftentimes when we think we have it all under control, it will show up in our emotions or our moods. You aren’t experiencing all of these mood swings just because the moon is full. If this is a daily and common occurrence, then the bigger picture says it’s your stress.

4. Trying to control everything.

As stress takes over and clouds our focus and our lives, we try to control the things around us. That could be people, things, even your pet cat. We have no control over the things going on in our life and we can start to feel all our situations and dilemmas spiralling out of control. As we lose control of ourselves, we desperately grasp other things to control, and that always ends up being the things around us, especially people.

5. Physically ill.

You are calling in to work sick more often. Headaches and stomach troubles occur more frequently. Chest pains, low energy and other forms of physical illness seem to happen more and more, come from nowhere and appear to be totally unexplainable. Stress will take its form physically as well. As we lose control of our thoughts and our behaviour towards certain things that are happening in our lives, we suddenly become ill. All the pent up negativity and stress inside of you will come out as some sort of sickness.

Stress is not a fun thing to have to deal with and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Many people who have too much stress can be victims of high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks and much more. When you start to feel that stress is taking over your life and you have any of these warning signs or others, it’s time to have a serious look at your life and see where some action needs to take place. your life is a precious gift and should be treated as such. Take care of you and get that stress under control, or better yet, tossed right out the window.

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When your house is full of things you don’t need, and a little on the messy side, it can feel a little claustrophobic. Even enormous houses can feel small and lacking in space if there’s stuff everywhere, and if your house is on the small side, you will feel even worse.

Often we leave things until our house is so full of rubbish that we reach breaking point, and go on an epic tidying mission. Of course it’s far more sensible to clean things, throw out unwanted stuff and tidy up as you go, but unfortunately it doesn’t always happen. Life gets in the way and you put off going through that messy cupboard or your cluttered wardrobe.

Sometimes when your house is extremely cluttered, it can be difficult to know where to start. Don’t stress, you can get your house back to normal in no time, you just need to have a plan. Here’s six easy steps to help you declutter your home.

1. Collect all the clutter and organise into piles

The first thing you need to do is go around each room of your house, and pick up all the clutter. Grab everything that’s lying around and put everything into organised piles. For example, things that need to go into storage, things that can be put away, things that need to be thrown away and things that can be recycled. You will immediately feel relieved once you have gathered and organised everything.

2. Get rid of things you don’t need

One of the things people find the hardest about decluttering is being strict with getting rid of stuff. If you aren’t strict, you will end up with far too much stuff to organise, and not enough room to store everything. Go through each item, and consider whether you really need it or will ever use it. You might want to go through the clothes in your wardrobe too to free up some space.

It sometimes helps to go through stuff with someone else who can help you decide what you do and don’t need. Once you have decided what you are going to throw out, organise things into relevant piles, ready to be taken to the tip or to your local recycling centre. Don’t just throw everything away, consider whether you can give some things to charity shops so that other people can benefit from your unwanted stuff.

3. Visit your local rubbish/recycling tip

Load up everything into your car and take it to your local rubbish or recycling centre. Some people fail at this point and leave bags and boxes lying around their home. This will only stress you out and make your home feel even more cluttered. As soon as you have stuff ready to go, get rid of it. You will instantly feel much better and can return to a home that feels a lot less cluttered.

4. Give your house a deep clean

As well as clearing things out, it’s a good idea to also give your house a deep clean. Tidying up will help to declutter your home and make it a nicer place to be. There’s no point decluttering if your house is still dirty and messy afterwards.

5. Reorganise things

While you are cleaning, try and re organise things. You may want to invest in some smart storage, which will help keep things tidy and out of the way. Sometimes by simply rearranging a room you can make it feel bigger. Try rearranging your furniture, or putting things in a different order to see if it makes your home feel less cluttered.

6. Keep things tidy!

Lastly, all you have to do now is keep things tidy. Don’t ruin all your hard work by letting your house quickly return to what it used to be like. Get all household members on board and make sure everyone puts stuff away and tidies up after themselves.

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Life has been moving along pretty nicely for awhile. Work, home life, kids, outside interests. Day in and day out, life goes on and for the most part, it’s been pretty good. Suddenly you start feeling different. Things are shifting. Your days suddenly seem like they are missing something. There is something funky going on and you can’t quite put your finger on it. You could be on the edge of a major shift.

According to research and human studies, every 7 years we go through a new life cycle. This could be a growth spurt, a mindset shift or anything else of that nature. You might be right at the very edge of your own major life shift. But how would you know for sure?

1. You’re starting to feel antsy.

Your work, your career, the way you make money, and everything else to do with your job and your income is suddenly up for question . You’ve had this job for awhile and you’ve been satisfied with it, for the most part, no major complaints but for the last few months now, something is off. It just doesn’t feel right anymore. You feel like you should be doing more or something else.

2. You are no longer interested in hanging with your group of friends.

You are realizing that they are stagnating and you are progressing, if even only in your mind right now. Your thought processes lately are very expansive. You are looking into bigger and bolder things in life. You are more interested in personal development or growing as a person spiritually or maybe even professionally and your friends just aren’t on that same thought pattern.

3. That feeling.

There is some commotion going on in your gut. Almost an anxiety or restlessness that you can’t quite put your finger on. It’s been stirring for awhile now and it’s almost forcing you to take some sort of action, any action. Nothing sits right anymore and anything you want to do or try to do just doesn’t seem right. The things you used to do that seemed normal suddenly feel useless and like time wasted.

4. Your interests have changed.

It used to be loads of fun to go in the park and fly a kite. For some reason, it just doesn’t interest you anymore. Whatever that thing is that is stirring in your gut is constantly reminding you and telling you that things are changing and you need to start rolling with the changes. Things that you never used to give any thought to whatsoever are suddenly coming up for you as things you might want to explore.

5. Research and read.

You are finding yourself spending more time on the internet surfing sites and in the library reading up on different things. different countries, different people, different lifestyles. You have acquired some unexplainable thirst of knowledge for things. cultures, people, things, food, animals, you name it, your mind is wandering. Something is going on. You are on a must know journey.

That feeling mentioned in #3 is very undeniable. It gnaws at you, poke s at you and will not leave you alone for one moment until you address it. When we are on the edge of a shift, we feel it at a vibrational level as well. The energy around you, your body is real and you feel it. That’s the energy that is telling you to move. It is trying to bring awareness to you that you need to move and until you do, it will continue to vibrate, quite loudly, until you act upon it. To explain it simpler, it’s that gut feeling, magnified. Pay attention to it, address it, find out what it is and act on it.

There is something shifting in you and around you and it’s your life. It is calling to you for change. Major change. Don’t fear it, embrace it.

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