Once or twice, we find ourselves in a dark place in our life. When this happens, we all know how difficult is to see the light at such times. Everything seems impossible in the midst of these situations.

Here is a list of life-changing tips that can help us achieve a level of happiness and peace. They can help us throughout the dark times and make us stronger and more willing to fight for what we deserve.

Begin with some small, simple positive changes, and later on, make your own life philosophy.

Priorities

Learn how to prioritize effectively. We need to be deliberate when choosing what we want instead of what we need. All we human beings want is being respected, having enough money, and being healthy.

From the moment we have all these things, we can achieve a level of happiness. We will have the ability to concentrate on other things to improve our life.

Get to know yourself

We need to have quality alone time for ourselves to identify what makes us happy. We can use our free time just to sit alone with our thoughts and focus on finding ways to improve our life. 

Seek guidance

We should never be ashamed to ask for help. When it comes to important decisions, we need to make sure we are executing the right ones. Talk to a trusted friend or contact a professional in that area and discuss your feelings and thoughts. A sounding board is always welcome.

Accept your flaws

No one is perfect, period. Everyone has flaws. We need to face them and embrace them. When we are curious and creative, making mistakes is normal. Those mistakes are the ones we can learn from.

We should never feel bad if we are different. Being different is what makes us special.

See Also: Self-Acceptance: The Key To True Happiness 

Work on your confidence

It depends upon our attitude of how we perceive the universe. Not only do we need to start believing in ourselves, but we need to work on our confidence. We need to establish the things that we love about us and all the skills we have. If we believe in ourselves, nothing can break us.

Spend quality time with friends

Social activities are a must. Such activities make us feel like we belong. Be aware that having good friends that care about us is a privilege. If we have some friends we don’t enjoy hanging out with us, we need to approach such issue with positivity.

Eat amazing food

Eat healthy, fresh and unprocessed food that is good for our mood and wellness. We should enjoy all the pleasures and benefits that healthy food can bring.

Food is not just something we consume to produce energy. We need to start thinking about food as a treat, not just a need.

Get quality sleep

Make sure that you are able to sleep well and soundly. This tip has an important impact on our overall health and happiness. Quality sleep can make us feel more energized and centered.

Our image is important

The way we present ourselves in front of others is really important. Sadly, not everyone is able to show their real selves to the outside world. Instead, they project an image that is far from their real selves because they are affected by judgmental remarks and what others think.

It’s important to be confident in who we are, love oneself, and be unafraid to present ourselves to others as we really are. If we want others to respect us, we need to respect ourselves first.

Make yourself happy

Concentrate on doing things that make us happy. We need to concentrate on doing the things we love doing, things that make us more prosperous and more relaxed, and things that make us feel less stressed.

See Also: 10 Things You Should Know About Creating Your Happiness

Such a journey will require strength and courage. We need to find a way to manifest all these life-changing tips to better our lives and become a happier person in the long run. We can, and we all deserve it.

 

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So you want to level up your earning potential, move towards work that’s more fulfilling, and do more with less effort. That’s awesome.

Over the years, I have kept up to date with all the productivity apps and some have stood the test of time and actually produced results. However, more and more new apps pop up every day.

It’s my duty to sift through the noise for your to find out which ones are actually worth your time. Is it the simplistic one? Or is it the complicated and hard to use one? Is it the free version? Or the paid version?

So let’s begin. Here is the master guide to productivity with the best twenty productivity apps I have come across:

1. Momentum App

This browser extension is a life saver. A lot of successful people emphasize the power of focusing on one task. This app greets you and asks you what your main focus is. Each time you open up a new tab, the app pops up and reminds you to stay on track. It replaces the browser tab that is there by default that usually tempts you to go to unproductive websites.

2. Harvest App

This browser extension measures your time. Being successful means being brutally honest with how you spend your time. You can set a timer for each activity you do and label what you are doing. At the end of the day, you can check how long you spend on each activity and adjust from there. What’s great about this is that it syncs in with other productivity apps like Asana.

3. Forest App

This is an extension that uses the power of the Pomodoro Technique and gamification. When you start the timer, it will grow a tree from a seed. Your goal is to focus on one task for 25 minutes until the tree is fully grown. It makes productivity more fun. It’s customizable so that you can change the 25 minutes to whatever you want.

I recommend the free version because the paid version is unnecessary. It just gives you more pretty trees to choose from and lets you use this on your phone.

4. Site Block

This extension does what it sounds like. It blocks the websites you do not want to visit. One day, I tried logging how much time I wasted on social media websites. I thought it was nothing. It felt like five or ten minutes here and there. But it turned out to be a huge chunk of my day. These websites psychologically suck you in so that one quick video turns into ten. This site blocker has been so helpful.

It also tells you how many times you visited that site while it’s blocked. This has opened my eyes to how often websites like Facebook and Youtube are almost a reflex to me when I get bored.

A lot of people say they will not use this because they are scared to see how much time they waste. So they sit there in ignorance and continue to waste massive amounts of time. I suggest using the Nibble technique to get over this qualm. You do not have to get rid of hours of wasted time at once. But what about starting at just one less minute?

5. Time Tracker

This extension does what it says as well: it tracks your time. What’s great about this one is that it logs every different website you go to. You can check it out in detail to see where you spend your time. You will be surprised sometimes how much a certain website sucks your time and adjust.

6. Timestats

Similar to Time Tracker, but with a twist. It graphs out your time into a pie chart. It’s very accurate and the interface is a lot cleaner. One problem it has though is how it bunches all the activities under 1% under a single category.

7. Ad Blocker Plus

Do you know there are free extensions that block all ads that play on a website or video? This has been available for so many years and yet I am still amazed how many people still do not know about it.

This has probably saved me years of my life. I still cannot believe it exists.

8. Pomodoro Timer

One of the most well-known productivity techniques is the Pomodoro Technique. Basically, you focus on just one task for 25 minutes and then take a forced 5-minute break. This extension is just like the Forest App but there is no animated tree involved (just a timer).

9. Evernote

No productivity list is complete without Evernote. But what is it?

It basically lets you write and store documents, sketches, memos, pictures, and more online through the cloud. You can access it on your phone or on a computer. I like to use Evernote for storing important work-related documents, notes, or pictures. Usually, these are long-form material and what’s great about it is that I can pull it up on my phone or any computer and continue to add to it.

See Also: 8 Top Productivity Apps for Your Smartphone Can Help Make Your Life Easier, More Productive and More Organized

10. Google Keep

This is a new one I just found, yet so useful. It’s available and accessible on your phone or your computer as long as you have a Google account. It’s a great way to store quick notes or voice memos. I jump to this every time I have a quick idea for an article, song, or video. This has helped me save so many ideas I would have forgotten about.

What’s great about it is that it’s stored online so if you lose your phone or computer, it’s safe. It’s also accessible anywhere with Internet access. And the best part is that you can color the notes, share them, and they organize themselves in a pretty manner.

It’s intentionally made to be a very simple platform with few options. Therefore, you cannot format your text in any way.

11. Buffer

For me, I have always had a huge dislike for any “social media automation” tools. Like many “productivity apps”, they end up being more of a waste of your time and a drain on your cash. But one exception is Buffer.

What makes it so awesome? It’s simple and easy to use. There are not so many choices that it gets confusing. It does what you need. You can schedule out a queue of posts and randomize the order if you want.

12. Slack

I hope you have heard of Slack. Because everyone (at least in the tech, personal development, and business world) has. It’s evolved into a replacement for email between people who want to talk to each other in a company.

The problem is that email gets really messy when the conversation starts getting long. You have to dig through tons of nested emails to find what you need. Plus, sending documents, attaching files, or communicating with a group of people makes it worse.

Slack solves this by being something in between email and instant message. Messages and files sent to a group of people or a single person are neatly organized and clear as day.

On top of that, there are customizations you can add to make it your own. You can have it alert your phone with the app or pull up a GIF if you’re feeling funny.

13. Pocket

This app has been all the rage in the last year. It’s known as the app to brain dump the articles you want to read later and have them read out loud by a computer if you are extra busy.

It’s very simple. When you find an article worth reading. You hit the button and it saves it for offline use. When you are free, you can return to an article on your list on your phone or computer.

It is available as a browser extension, an app for Mac, for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, WebOS and more.

14. Do Nothing For 2 Minutes

This website is crazy simple. Want to destress after a tough moment? Go to the website and listen to free music of natural waves. If you move your mouse even slightly, it resets and tells you to try again.

Everyone needs a quick break once in a while to recharge.

15. Basecamp

The rival to Slack is Basecamp. And while Slack can be used for free without having to upgrade to a paid plan, it’s harder to use Basecamp without signing up for a monthly subscription.

It is web-based, but you can also check how you are doing with their mobile-app. It gives you a clear and easy to understand dashboard when you log in. You can add discussions, to-do lists, documents, and more. Of course, you can collaborate and talk to coworkers while using this as well.

16. Instapaper

The Internet is filled with interesting, crazy and new information (and sometimes so much we cannot handle it all). Driven by curiosity and personal development, you can spend a lot of time at work reading trivial articles. If you want to fix this, Instapaper is worth looking at.

With one click, you can save it to be read later. It also suggests topics and articles through what you have saved already.

17. Writeroom

Available for the MacOS, Writeroom creates a completely distraction-free setting for you to do your best writing. For Windows users, try a similar app called Zen Writer.

18. Remember the Milk

With a name as interesting as that, you just have to read on.

This is a popular productivity app that puts your tasks in a to-do checklist. It has its following of diehard fans. It lets you share your tasks with friends and leverages the power of checklist.

The book The Checklist Manifesto really explains why checklists are so useful. Check it out for further reading, but essentially, it walks through top achievers like surgeons and architects who made crucial mistakes by not using a checklist.

19. 1Password

Don’t you want to pull your hair out when you forget a password? And don’t you want to kick yourself when you use up all your attempts and have to wait twenty minutes?

The worst part is that you cannot have a universal password because that’s how all your accounts get hacked. So how do you save all that wasted time?

You have a secure app and extension that stores all your passwords and remembers which one it is for which site. I have tried a lot of apps and extensions like this and all of them had their problems. Some of them required you to have a really long master password that you would always forget. Others would require really clunky photo and thumbprint verification on your phone to get in. This one is moving in the right direction though so try it out.

20. Sleepyti.me

Have you ever wondered if you are being less productive than you could be because you don’t know much about the science of sleep or sleep cycles? If not, it’s true.

This site solves this problem for you by letting you know when you should sleep and wake up based on your personalized sleep cycles. If you don’t like this one, there are plenty of other tools and apps that do similar tasks. Sleep is a crucial but often overlooked part of everyone’s life. Having the right amount can literally double your productivity.

See Also: 4 Free Business Productivity Apps To Help You Grow Your Small Business

Conclusion

There is some truth to the idea that “productivity apps actually make you less productive.” There are a ton of apps and extensions that waste you more time and money trying to set them up, learn how to use them, navigate through it. But some productivity apps can help.

In this world of information overwhelm, it’s important to wade through the garbage to find the few apps that actually use technology to help us. Do not get overwhelmed by this list. Instead, pick out the one or two that you would find the most use in.

Now, I have a question for you. What’s your biggest issue with productivity and what’s your dream situation? Be as specific and detailed as possible. I’d love to hear your answers and I’d be more than willing to help you out in the comments below.

 

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Trust is foundational for any relationship, whether business or personal. When trust breaks, a fracture occurs in the relationship. These fractures weaken the foundation of the relationship, with more fractures creating an overall unstable relationship.

If you want to maintain strong relationships, here are three behaviors that help retain a healthy trust and reduce fractures:

1. Match your words and actions

How would you respond to the question, “Which tells the true nature of a person — words or actions?”

Around 99.9% of people I have asked this question to have said, “Actions.” When you say one thing and then do something different, there is a break in trust because you have created dissonance in your behavior that does not ring of authenticity. When your words and actions match, there is not a question of which is your true nature.

See Also: How To Know Which People Truly Care About You

2. Think in terms of no judgment of good or bad, or wrong or right

There is a difference between saying (or thinking)- “That guy is stupid.” versus “I do not care for the way he did that work.” You put barriers in place by trying to determine the value you have to another person and what you believe.

When you assign judgment of good or bad or wrong or right to another individual, you reduce the open ability for other people to be creative and innovative thus stifling the wish to build a relationship with you. It is a subtle difference in thinking that plays a significant role in building trust.

3. Keep the focus on the goal, not the problems

If you have a certain amount of time and energy in your life, then you have to decide where you want that energy to go. Think about how much time you spend talking about how bad something or someone is at work or home. You can either put that time and energy into keeping everyone focused on the goals (happy marriage, work plan, etc…) rather than chipping away at the fractures.

See Also: 6 Reasons Why You’re Still Single

Building trust is an investment in your life and the life of your relationships. If your goal is to maintain healthy relationships, these three behaviors can help cement your relationships and help keep your life’s foundation firm.

 

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Are you feeling drained and listless at work? One of the biggest reasons we find ourselves frustrated from our jobs is because we don’t have an outlet for things that are important to us but we need to keep at it because of bills and general adult responsibilities.

Us millennials have two major problems hanging over us: crushing debt and the desire (with no outlet) to do something meaningful. Some of us went to college with the hopes of a guaranteed job when we graduated. It’s now a hilarious thought on hindsight.

Unless you graduated with a degree in one of the STEM disciplines, you probably didn’t land your ideal job right out of college. And that’s likely the reason why you’re stuck in a job you feel has no real purpose, and why your student debt is still hanging over your head.

See Also: STEM careers – How to Find the Best Job 

A second job can help solve both of those problems. Here’s how you find one that won’t kill you.

5 Steps to Finding the Right Second Job

1. Consider your schedule

This isn’t your main job (at least not yet) so you need to find something that can mesh with your current work schedule. Work-from-home jobs are perfect because the schedule is very flexible and you can work in your PJs.

2. Find something meaningful

One of the problems we need to solve is you feeling like you aren’t doing something valuable. So, we need to find a job that fulfills that need within you, whether it’s the need for a creative outlet, or to make an impact on the world around you.

3. Find something that pays

Volunteer work is nice, but when you have debt, your priority needs to be on paying it off so you don’t have it hanging over you and stressing you out. Find a second job that pays and put all that extra money towards your debt.

4. Consider a second job in a new career field

If you really can’t see yourself ever being happy in your current field of work, find a second job in a field that you’re interested in as a new career. It’s a great chance to try something new and to gain valuable skills that could help you land a new job.

See Also: 7 Steps On How to Figure Out Your Career

5. Find a balance

Consider the extra time your second job will take and why you need it. If you really are looking at training for a new career, it’s worth putting in extra long days to make the second job work.

If you’re just looking for a creative outlet and money to put towards debt, you need to find a second job with hours you can sustain for a long period of time. A second job can give you the outlet you need for meaningful things in your life, but it can also be draining if you aren’t careful.

Sometimes we just need to recharge our batteries by doing something we love. Whether that’s playing in a band, doing graphic design, or working part-time in a bike shop, we need a place to realize our passions. A second job can help you do that, and help you work through your debt at the same time.

 

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For most business owners, our people are our biggest asset. Our work staff likely have the largest effect on our bottom line, and it’s important that we let them know they are appreciated.

There is nothing that improves productivity as much as taking the time to ensure your employees are happy. Outside of huge yearly bonuses and scheduled raises, how can we accomplish that?

They say that money can’t buy happiness, so here are some easy ways to improve the working lives of your staff without spending a lot of money.

Create a Clear Career Path

One of the things that people value most in their jobs is the idea that they’re working towards something. Over time, mild frustrations at work can grow to become serious sources of stress. Nothing amplifies this more than the feeling of being “stuck” in a dead-end position.

Creating a clear, easy to understand career plan for employees is the easiest way to boost productivity. Not only will you have a system in place to move your most productive staff into a more authoritative role, but your employees will have something to work towards.

Make Balance a Priority

Outside of the office, all of your employees have a life. Unfortunately, life isn’t always predictable. If your staff is forced to constantly choose between their job and their life, then can easily feel resentment towards their job.

Having a little flexibility with your scheduling will allow employees to take time for themselves and their family. Not only will your staff be happier at work, but they’ll be happier in all aspects of their lives.

See Also: 5 Ways to Balance Work and Family Time Even if You’re a Workaholic

Ask for Input

Business doesn’t always have to be a top-down structure. Sometimes, the people on the ground level are the ones who have the most input on your business. Taking the time to get feedback from your staff is a great way to make them feel involved.

When employees are actively contributing to your business instead of just blindly following orders, they feel much more proud of their involvement and the job becomes a source of pride, rather than just an obligation.

Reward Dedicated Employees

It’s not always about financial reward, sometimes it’s just about recognition. There are sure to be a few members of staff who are always willing to give their best on every project.

Taking the time to publicly recognize the contributions they’ve made to your workplace and thank them is a powerful morale boost, and serves as an inspiration to other employees to follow in their footsteps.

Encourage Staff to Leave Their Comfort Zones

Nobody wants to be another cog in the machine, repeating the same tasks day in and day out until retirement. As your staff gets comfortable in the work environment, they may want to try out different responsibilities.

At first, it might not seem wise to take a talented employee and place them in a new role, but the ability to learn and grow will bring them much more job satisfaction. Plus, employees of having a wide array of skills are often much more effective.

See Also: 5 Steps to Creating an Inspiring Workplace 

 

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Raise your hand if you’ve started a diet only to break it two hours later? How many times have you promised yourself to start going to the gym from tomorrow then six months later, you’re cancelling your gym membership. And how many of you promised to work for those washboard abs or flat tummy only to reach out for that last cookie?

Self discipline is a habit wanted by all but owned by only a rare few. Most of us wish we knew how to increase our self discipline but we just can’t seem to be able to.

Yet, all successful people possess self discipline. They knew what they wanted and they kept at it until they were finally successful. It is vital for a strong personality.

Self discipline doesn’t just improve one’s chances of success; it has been proven to make our lives healthier and happier. But it’s easier said than achieved. Learning how to increase self discipline requires time and effort. It’s difficult but it isn’t impossible.

To kick start your journey, we’ve shared some techniques for how to increase self discipline below:

Set SMART Goals

It’s important to have a clear, precise goal in mind as it acts as a motivator. It’s easier to step away from the cookie jar if you know why you’re stepping away. Yet most goals are often defined in vague or unclear terms.

SMART goal setting is an alternative that ensures that goals are set and accomplished. It is often recommended to people who want to learn how to increase self discipline.

See Also: How to Set Personal SMART Goals To Succeed 

SMART Goals are:

Specific: What particular behaviours/attributes do you want to gain or get rid of?

Measurable: How will you know you’ve achieved your goal?

Achievable: Are you setting yourself up for failure or is your goal realistic?

Relevant: How does your goal fit in with your dreams and hopes?

Timely: What time frame have you set to achieve your goal?

By having a clear ideal to work towards, it makes it easier to increase self discipline.

SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither will you magically gain tons of self discipline in a number of hours or days. It can be a hard and discouraging process but the reward is ultimately worth it.

To quote Plato:

“The first and best victory is to conquer self.”

The trick is to start immediately and do a little, every single day. Over time, it will become much easier to stick to the goal and it will start feeling more natural too. The idea is to keep at it, no matter how hard or tiring it gets. Always keep the finish line in mind and use it to motivate you when the going gets tough. This will help you greatly in learning how to increase self discipline.

See Also: Top 10 Self-Discipline Techniques

REMOVE TEMPTATIONS

Trying for that perfect beach body? Stop stocking chips or cookies in the kitchen. Instead, fill your refrigerator and cabinet shelves with healthy snacks that will let you indulge cravings minus the guilt trip! Hummus, crackers, and pita chips are all healthier alternatives than chocolate chip cookies.

Temptation is the biggest problem people face when they want to learn how to increase self discipline. Temptations can break the best of us and there’s nothing worse than going on a binge and breaking that perfect streak.

The solution? Out of sight, out of mind. The less temptation there is, the less inclination to go off the course.

Building self discipline can be an arduous, difficult task. Ultimately, it’s about conquering the negative habits in one’s personality and growing as a person. Learning how to increase self discipline is the first step in growing professionally and personally. Having a strong personality is a key component in being successful.

 

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I’d like to share with you the secrets of our successful married life in my personal story below.

A gush of memories swirled through my mind as I treasured his laughter lines ‘once again’ in my 35mm memory-book. From the day we made our vows, my marriage has not been a moment less than a “happily ever after” affair. And for that, I solemnly thank my beloved best friend and the man I call my better-half.

I am glad I found you both in a single person.

I second that marriage brings along a pile of responsibilities and introduces heavy words like commitment, compatibility, and compromise in life’s glossary. And to be honest, after every lovey-mushy gesture is exchanged and explained, you realize that “being hitched” is nothing like what they show in a Hollywood rom-com. But, cheers to my husband as we turned this bumpy ride into a breezy cakewalk for us. Hand-in-hand we crossed the 6 stepping stones that make a marriage successful.

A brief memoir of the same is given below….

Took The Vows We Kept Forever

“My cheeks still flush red on the thought of my wedding day. How we stole glances through all the relatives”.

Fifteen years back, we made a promise to love, value, and honor each other in sickness and in fitness, in scarcity and in prosperity, in the bad, and in the good. I had a typical Indian wedding where we began our journey by taking 7 rounds around the ‘Holy Fire’ holding each other’s hand.

Looking back, I remember how tough it was for us to control our sleepiness while the priest explained the significance of the seven vows; but, it was never really hard to live by them! With the help of my partner, it was a cinch to make our way to love, through the misunderstandings, disagreements, disputes and disharmony that could’ve taken over our peace.

Hustled Together To Build Better For Us

“Together We Win”

That’s what he said on my first work day after marriage.

We come from a conservative joint family where going out for work on the 3rd day from your marriage does raise a few eyebrows. However, that could not even hold me for a second when I saw my husband & mother-in-law waiting for me at the door with a wide grin.

Throughout my extended working hours to unplanned official trips, one thing that remained the same was his constant support. In return, I showed the same understanding when his work took him to Canada for 3 years.

In these past 15 years, we did not spend every night in the comfort of one another’s arms; but that only made us strong, both financially and emotionally.

Complained Constructively

“Before you let that wrath out, remember ‘love’!”

I will call myself kind but not a ‘sweet talker’; reason being, my inability to pick the right words in the moment of anger. It could be the best or the worst thing to find a partner with the same temperament. I am glad that we willfully turned our worst into the best.

Marriage taught me well to complain constructively. While misunderstandings and fights can find their way out anytime, we learned to think about the intention that we bear before speaking to each other during tough times. It made us realize that you can easily get a good outcome if you get yourself in a calm and right mindset before you complain.

See Also: 7 Ways to Make Your Angry Wife Happy 

Learned to Put Marriage Before Material

“Marriage brings along many changes in your life. And at times, it turns a reckless person like me into a careful investor.”

While money is considered as the number-one reason for fights in a marriage, it was bliss to have each other through its every knock. After spending years doing ‘yours, mine, and yours’ we finally learned to do finances the right way. We learned to combine finances and manage them jointly from our parents, and luckily it worked wonders for us in our journey.

Welcomed Warmly A New Responsibility

“When I held my daughter in my arms for the first time, happiness filled my life and my eyes welled up with water.”

From the day you get the good news to the day you hold your first child in your arms, the entire feeling is blissful. The transformation that you see in yourself is endearing.

From a person without much care, you now have the responsibility of a new life. Parenting a child is an out-of-the-world feeling for both of us, which cannot be narrated in words.

Dear husband, thanks for showering upon me all your love and care during those nine months.

Made Through All That Seem Tough

“Couples that are meant to be are the ones who go through everything that is meant to tear them apart”

We love each other indubitably, however, in all these years I realized that success of a Marriage does not depend entirely on affection; it depends on the promises made and the actions taken to fulfill the vows with utmost sincerity.

See Also: 4 Simple Ways to Keep Your Marriage Awesome

In our love story- I did what he cannot, and he did what I couldn’t. Together we made through the rain to the shining sun. J

To lead a successful married life, the most important thing is love. If you share the bond of love then everything will fall in the right place on its own.

These were the six stepping stones of my married life that made my relation with my husband stronger. And I wish you the same happiness, if not more.

 

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Exercising and making dietary changes are often two sure-fire ways to improve our health.

Unfortunately, it is truly much easier said than done.

Making lasting health changes to our lifestyles is no easy feat. It requires the introduction and development of new habits which can be significantly different to what we have traditionally done in the past.

Additionally, for these habits to stick, they need to be both simple and manageable, fitting in seamlessly with our daily routines.

The following tips provide 5 easy ways to introduce healthy habits into your current lifestyle without making any large and unsustainable changes to your current routine!

Tip 1: Drink more green tea

Green tea consumption has been shown to have a number of positive effects on various markers of health, and implementing it into your daily routine is simple – all it takes is drinking one or two cups of green tea per day!

The increased consumption of green tea has been linked to increases in both metabolic rate and fat metabolism, which can lead to an increased rate of fat loss over time. Furthermore, drinking green tea has shown to reduce the risk of developing type II diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, and even cancer.

See Also: 4 Best Teas To Help You Lose Weight 

Tip 2: Substitute snack foods for fresh fruit

Whether at home or at work, having snacks readily available to stave away our hunger is very commonplace. Unfortunately, most of these snacks are high in processed carbohydrates, sugars, and preservatives (yes, even those ‘health food’ bars).

By simply trading these snacks in for fresh fruit, we can significantly reduce our daily energy consumption while also reducing the amount of processed carbohydrates we consume. As an added bonus, fruit is full of micronutrients that influence health positively and improve immune system function!

Tip 3: Add veggies to ALL your meals

While this may sound like a lot of effort, it actually isn’t. By simply adding vegetables to the meals you are already cooking, you will not only add extra flavor to those meals, but also increase your consumption of essential vitamins and minerals.

These vitamins and minerals can have a number of positive health benefits, including increased cardiovascular functioning, and improved memory.

Tip 4: Break up long periods of sitting

Whether at home or at work, it is easy to fall into long periods of sitting without even noticing. Unfortunately, when we sit for long periods, our body stops secreting a hormone called Lipoprotein Lipase (which acts as a key fat burning hormone).

By standing up and doing a small amount of exercise (a brief walk, a few stretches etc.) in between longer bouts of sitting or lying down we can continue to stimulate Lipoprotein Lipase secretion. This is something we can do easily at work or at home that takes very little time and also has the potential to provide the additionally cardiovascular benefits associated with exercise.

Tip 5: Stay hydrated

 

It seems quite logical that if the human body is approximately 70% water, keeping well hydrated will promote optimal functioning. Unfortunately, not nearly enough of us even get close to drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water per day!

This is unfortunate as staying in a state of dehydration can limit cell functioning and lower our immune system. Fortunately, it is easy to rectify. By simply carrying around a drink bottle with us at work and home, and taking regular sips, we are much likely to consume enough water throughout the day without even realizing it!

See Also: Top 5 Tips On How To Stay Hydrated

In Conclusion

Maintaining and promoting a healthy lifestyle does not have to be difficult. By introducing these simple and easy to implement tips into your current daily routine, you can maximize your health with minimal effort!

 

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The winter months bring some of our favorite holidays filled with loved ones and delicious food. But, while we indulge and celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, it’s important to stay on top of your skincare routine which may be affected by the harsh winter weather. The combination of frigid air outside and dryness from having the heater on inside can cause dehydrated skin, leading to flaking, cracking, and tightness, as well as oily areas.

This is how your skin care in winter should look like:

1. Exfoliate

Over time, dead skin cells build up which can lead to unfavorable outcomes such as clogged pores and acne. Not only does exfoliating remove dead skin cells and make way for fresh skin, it also makes pores look smaller. Removing this buildup also helps your skin absorb everything more, such as moisturizer and anti-aging serums.

2. Moisturize

While moisturizing may not be on the top of your list, it definitely needs to be especially during winter. Moisturizing does a number of things for your skin, such as reducing the chances of having skin problems, keeping blemishes at bay, fighting wrinkles, and overall keeping your skin hydrated.

A great time to moisturize is after a shower to ensure that every last bit of moisture gets sealed in.

See Also: 6 Vitamin-Packed Smoothie Recipes for Glowing Skin 

3. Wear Sunscreen

Just because you’re not lounging out by the pool this time of year doesn’t mean it’s time to lay off the sunscreen. The harmful UV sun rays are just as strong in winter despite how cold it may get outside.

Sun damage is the number one cause of wrinkles and aging, making sunscreen crucial to wear year-round.

4. Remove Makeup

Forgetting to remove makeup before going to sleep each night can lead to a multitude of skin problems, such as clogged pores, acne breakouts, fine lines, puffiness, and more. The skin renews and rejuvenates itself while we sleep, and leaving makeup on prevents this from happening.

5. Drink Water

One of the easiest ways to keep your skin healthy and hydrated is to drink water. It also helps maintain that radiant, healthy, younger-looking complexion.

See Also: 9 Great Reasons to Drink Water, and How to Form the Water Habit

 

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Did you know that there are fun ways to lose weight?

The exercise routine of choice for most people looking to lose weight is to join their local gym and fit in a few sessions a week after work. People usually join the gym for convenience. A range of equipment is at your fingertips from treadmills to rowing machines to weights, and the staff is there to help you if need be.

However, it is one thing to join the gym and another to actually attend on a regular basis as planned. We’ve seen it happen a lot to ourselves and to others. We end up not being able to follow through on our plans to attend gym regularly, exercise and stay fit.

Even for the most determined of people, going to the gym starts to feel like an obligation or chore. The gym is not your only option though there are so many more fun routine-breaking ways to lose some weight.

Here are six other fun ways to lose weight that are different enough to keep you coming.

Kickboxing

Kickboxing is a really accessible activity as most gyms and health centres offer courses and sessions. It’s also a great way to relieve some stress after a long day at work. Not only does a kickboxing sessions give you a good workout it also gives you a chance to learn some self-defence or brush up on any skills you have already

Not only does a kickboxing session give you a good workout, it also gives you a chance to learn some self-defence or brush up on any skills you have already learned.

Hula Hoops

You wouldn’t think that this is a very effective exercise activity at a glance, and many think that it should be reserved for children in the playground. However, a hula hooping workout burns more calories than you might think. Burning 600 calories per hour, hula hooping is an activity that you definitely shouldn’t turn your nose up at.

For those who hate taking part in an exercise class surrounded by people, this one is great to try at home in the privacy of your room or lounge. And you can deny it as much as you want but this physically intensive activity is really fun!

See Also: 19 Ways to Get Motivated to Exercise 

Frisbee

Frisbee is huge fun with friends. Get together with a group on the weekend at your local park and make an afternoon out of it. Organizing a game of Frisbee is perfect for getting a workout in but it’s also a great excuse to catch up with some friends.

The calorie burning factor of this exercise is varied depending on your weight but a 30-minute game could have you burning almost 100 calories.

Bokwa

Never heard of bokwa? Not many people have, but it’s slowly growing in popularity due to Robbie Williams’ newfound interest in this interesting exercise.

Bokwa combines a lot of elements such as African-based dance and kickboxing amongst others, but the main feature is to draw letters and numbers with your feet and doing cardio along to some music.

Skydiving

You might not see this as an exercise because there isn’t anything obviously physically intensive about free falling in the sky, but, it is really fun and surprisingly does burn some calories along the way.

Burning 144 calories per hour doesn’t sound too bad for such an exhilarating activity, and if you’ve never skydived before, you could consider starting off doing a charity skydive. Raising money, losing weight and having fun — it doesn’t get much better than that.

Doga

This might be the most unusual item on this list but you should never skip an opportunity to spend more time and do something fun with your dog. Yes dog, this activity consists of doing yoga with your dog.

You are doing most of the yoga poses but the dogs get to have a go at poses like chaturanga. Doga is said to be a great way to strengthen your bond between you and your pet also, a brilliant added benefit on top of your relaxing workout.

See Also: 8 Fitness Hacks That Will Make Your Life Better

Did you pick up at least one fun way to lose weight in the next few months? We hope so! Good luck and have fun!

 

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