With things heating up outside, it’s important that we know how to stay hydrated throughout the day. Without water, we simply couldn’t function!

Our bodies rely on water to remove harmful toxins, lubricate our joints, and keep migraines and other ailments at bay. It is also a vital component in our body’s day-to-day chores carrying valuable nutrients around our system.

According to reports, as many as 60% of the population drink less than one glass of water a day. That’s quite astounding considering that we should ideally be aiming for a minimum of eight glasses in order to remain hydrated and healthy.

See Also: How Much Should You Really Drink?

With just one glass of water a day comes dehydration. Hunger, migraines, lethargy, and irritability are all common signs of a dehydrated body. So with that in mind, it’s time to think about how YOU can drink more water.

Here are 5 of the best ways on how to stay hydrated even during hot days.

1. Add a little zing!

If you dislike the taste of water then that’s no excuse as there are tons of ways you can jazz it up. Add a slice of lemon or lime for a citrus burst, or slice up your favourite fruits and berries to make a tropical tasting concoction. Try adding flavoured ice cubes too, perfect for a hot summers day!

2. Carry a water bottle

Sounds obvious but when you’re out and about you might not think to stop for a glass of water. If you get into the habit of carrying around a sports bottle, you’re more likely to continuously drink and keep your fluid levels topped up.

There are all sorts of fancy water bottles out there today, and you can also purchase bottles with built-in infusers and filters to create an even tastier drink.

3. Set a target

If you set yourself a goal, then you’re more likely to achieve it by having something to work towards. For example, if you’re in the one-glass-of-water-a-day club, then try aiming for 4-5 glasses a day and gradually work up until you hit the recommended eight.

It’s all about progress!

4. Adjust your eating habits

Another way to introduce more water into your diet is to eat more water-filled fruits. Foods such as watermelon, strawberries, oranges and apples will still help in contributing to your daily water intake.

They’re super healthy and packed with tons of other goodness too. Why not make a side fruit salad part of your everyday lunch routine?

See Also: Healthy Eating: 5 Killer Strategies to Lose Weight to Live Longer and Happier

5. Download an app

You know what they say. There’s an app for everything out there now. That includes water consumption too, fortunately. Try the Waterlogged app, to keep track of your progress and receive reminders throughout the day to DRINK MORE WATER!

So there we have it. Just a few top tips on how to stay hydrated this summer. Make that office water cooler your new best friend and ensure you beat the headaches by consuming more of the clear stuff these summer months.

The post Top 5 Tips On How To Stay Hydrated appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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If you find yourself suffering from a slump in the middle of the morning, you need new ways to eat breakfast.

In 1989, I finished high school and left my tiny town in Vermont to head overseas to visit some friends in Finland. After several weeks there, a big thing that stood out was how different their breakfast was.

Instead of so many sweet foods like pancakes or cereal, to start their day in Finland, the foods were more savory and geared toward a balance of protein and carbohydrates instead of the typical American fare of fat and carbohydrates.

This experience changed my thinking toward breakfast and even today, I find myself incorporating what I had for breakfast that summer overseas. Not only will you find it surprisingly delicious, but you’ll find eating this way helps to keep your blood sugar more stable, help you stay alert and you’ll get to skip the mid morning slump you’d usually slugged through after your sugar crash.

Here are 5 ways you can create savory, protein filled breakfasts too.

1. The Finnish eat a hard bread called hapankorppu for breakfast. You can find ‘Finnish Flat bread’ in the crackers section at most grocery stores. (Look in with the Melba Toast!)

Add thinly sliced cucumber and some smoked fish. Salmon or Herring are easy-to-grab choices and don’t require extra cooking in the morning. You can even try some prosciutto if you don’t like fish.

2. Use vegetables like thick cucumber slices in place of crackers or toast and add soft cheese like goat cheese and a few sunflower seeds.

See Also: 9 Simple Tricks to Supercharge Your whole Day

3. Steel cut oats are an easy way to have some healthy carbohydrates in the morning and can be cooked overnight in the slow cooker.

Add some salt , pepper and a sprinkle of parmigiana cheese and top with a poached egg for a savory breakfast that is quick and healthy. Add sundried tomatoes or some nutritional yeast as an alternative for healthy add-ins.

4. Slices of tomato that have been put in the broiler with a sprinkle of seasoning and parmigiana cheese create a bubbly treat that starts your day with a shot of vitamin C and fiber.

Have some artisan lettuce with it and throw in a fried egg for a warm and savory breakfast salad.

See Also: 5 Quick & Simple Breakfast-On-the-Run Ideas

5. Slices of Rye bread, smoked herring, sliced veggies with some capers and dill is a great way to graze on a Sunday morning without filling up on the sugar.

A platter where everyone can share and make their own combinations is a great way to have brunch and try something new.

You can stop the cycle of eating sugar for breakfast starting with these simple breakfasts. Imagine having sustained energy, cutting out the cravings and feeling alert and awake! Eating like I remember eating in Finland can help you start your day off right. Cheers -Kippis!

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So you think that being an underdog is a disadvantage? Sorry, but we beg to differ.

Despite the negative connotation of this word, there is something special about being an underdog. Being someone who is not considered as competition actually gets rid of the added pressure and anxiety that comes from being a “top dog”.

Contradictory to popular belief, being an underdog could turn out to be beneficial in the workplace. Working with people who are much more qualified or experienced than you implicitly makes you work harder and prepares you more to get ahead in the competition. What you need to do is to channel your energies in growing your professional exposure and getting the confidence of your boss.

Here is how:

1. Look For Every Opportunity to Prove Yourself

Underdog employees are often considered the least favorite candidate for an important task. But this is an opportunity to turn the tables on the competition and come out as an equal contender.

Let’s say you are a female employee working in an organization and you just heard about a recent internal vacancy that demands a lot of negotiation with male clients. Though you might shy away from such a job, it is actually a chance to prove your mettle as a female employee.

Instead of letting a male counterparts grab that job, you should be the first one to say yes to it. Take the interview part as your chance to convince your boss (especially when he is a male) that you are the right candidate for the job.

To win over your boss, you need to come across as a confident and poised female who can be as good (or better) as her male counterpart for this job.

See Also: The Ultimate Guide To Becoming A Doer

2. Play Your Cards Well

An underdog is a dark horse that shows his true colors only when the timing is right. Just like a champion, he only acts when the team desperately needs his support. Similarly, you can come out as a potential candidate for a job if there is something that calls for your skills or experience.

For example, if your manager is looking for a helping hand for a project that demands strenuous mental work, you can help him out by offering your sharp thinking skills. So if you are able to successfully complete the project, you will be able to earn a place in the good books of your boss and he will definitely consider you for a senior position that requires any such skills.

3. Offer Your Innovative Ideas

Underdogs are known for their knack for imagination. They are slaves to their creative ideas which keep them safe from the embarrassment of being an underdog. For employers, an underdog can be an asset than a liability. They are mentally trained enough to find innovative solutions of daily glitches in their job which could be a great help to any employer.

Considering that you are blessed with the art of creative thinking, which is a rarity in the workplace, you can stand out as a better contender for a project or job that requires frequent use of creative muscles. Knowing that you can help your employer with your original ideas, you should demonstrate this special quality while having a one-on-one meeting with your boss.

See Also: 5 Reasons Why Dreamers Can Be Leaders

4. Don’t Be Afraid of Taking Risks

Underdogs are those breed of employees who tend to take risks where others are not comfortable. Being an underdog takes the burden off your shoulders, so you do not have to feel any pressure as you have nothing to lose even if you fail. This goes in your favor as you can even take up those challenges that others might be reluctant to take on.

For example, if you are a junior employee in a research & development department of a technology firm and you get a temporary job opportunity to lead a project, you might not be as confident to take up the role.

If you think wisely, there is nothing to lose even if you fail. But if you succeed, you will earn the confidence of your boss, and he will be happy to make you a permanent authority to lead the projects.

5. Strike While the Iron is Hot

So you have completed a few projects, saved your manager from the ordeal of a challenging task, and now you want acknowledgment of your work.

Once you are in the good books of your boss, it is time to make the transition from an underachiever to an achiever. After proving your skills and competencies for your job, you now need to have a serious talk with the upper management.

You can ask for a promotion, pay raise or whatever that you deserve for your recently-acquired skills, experiences and achievements. Just make sure that you are prepared for the meeting so that you can effectively make a case for your initiatives that resulted in the benefit of the organization.

Being an underdog is a blessing in disguise. It is just that you need to identify the scenarios where you can use this blessing in your favor and make your way to the list of achievers.

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I’d like to be able to say that confidence is everything, but that’s not exactly true. For a time psychologists and educationalists actually thought that. They worked out that confident people were generally more successful people and therefore concluded they should spend efforts to boost self-esteem.

It turned out that they’d put the cart before the horse. They forgot that correlation is not causation and proceeded to spend all their efforts boosting self-esteem. According to Mark Leary, a psychologist at Duke University, they would have been better off boosting people’s opportunities and chances as being successful.

According to his Sociometer theory, self-esteem actually tracks how successful you are.  And so, if you try to boost self-esteem without boosting people’s success at the same time, you just get people with a fragile self-esteem and inflated sense of self. These in turn can then come crashing down when reality does not match up to expectations.

The down side of low self-esteem

Of course, what we should note here is that we’re talking about unnecessarily high self-esteem. Having low self-esteem can be very harmful. This is mainly down to something called a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you don’t believe you can do something then you’ll go out of your way to avoid doing it, with all the consequences thereof.

You might end up hiding away from social situations, avoid trying new things as well as stop challenging yourself. And in the short run this will end up making you feel far better about yourself.

The thing is, in the long run this will make the situation worse. Avoiding these situations will mean that you have less opportunities to develop, grow and prove your low self-esteem wrong.

This will feed into your feelings of worthlessness and can lead to serious anxiety and depression issues. These, in turn, can lead to unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, drinking, drug use and eating disorders.

So if your self-esteem is low (in other words, if you think of yourself as being worthless than other people) you do have to take actions to boost your confidence levels.

How to boost low self-esteem

The first thing that you need to do is realize that you’re being much harder on yourself than you are being on other people. We’re all guilty of this up to an extent, but some of us – especially those who have low self-esteem – excel at this. So you need to identify the negative beliefs you have about yourself and challenge them.

One good way to do this is to write about your negative self-image. Try to work backwards to get a better understanding of when these issues first started taking place and whether you’ve taken whatever was the original cause of these negative emotions and made it bigger than it actually is.

For example, a lot of people have parental issues, where a parent demanded more from them then they could deliver. This can be a serious source of self-esteem problems.

The thing is, this then continues into their adult life, when they’ve moved away from their parental house and don’t actually see that parental figure that often. And yet that figure still exercises undue influence over the person’s mental and emotional landscape. They loom much larger than they are. By writing about such things, people often find they can put such causes of self-esteem in their place and lessen their influence on their lives.

Battle your demons

Aim to weaken some of your most crippling demons. For example, are you not very confident about your communication? Then spend some time learning to communicate. Now the goal here is not to become stellar but rather to reduce the effects of those things so that they are at least manageable.

Now, if you do feel you’ve booked some improvement, don’t go out of your way to create situations in which you confront these problems. Take things slowly. After all, what will you do if you fail? Then all your hard work will be undone.

Instead, what you’re really trying to do is create a safety net so that if the situation does emerge, you have what you’ve learned to fall back on. This will then give you greater confidence to embrace new opportunities and try new things. And it is success at these things in turn which will boost your confidence.

See Also: 5 Steps To Regaining Confidence

Work on your strength

Another way to boost your self-esteem is to work on enhancing your strengths. This comes from the very sociometer theory that I outlined above. As you’ll remember the theory states that self-esteem is a measurement of how successful we feel we are.

Therefore, if we want to raise our self-esteem, we need to make ourselves feel more successful. This can be accomplished by working on enhancing our strengths, as this will first off lead to a feeling of accomplishment and secondly a feeling of self-improvement. Both of these have been shown to boost your confidence and self-esteem.

See Also: 3 Ways To Develop Rock Solid Self-Confidence

Life is a work in progress

Also you need to change your perspective by focusing on life as a journey, not a destination. What I mean with this is that the goal should not be perfection but improvement. Or, to put it in more concrete terms, you should not compare yourself with some character that you’ve got in the back of your mind, as we can never measure up to some fictitious ideal.

Instead, compare who you are with who you were yesterday, a week ago, a year ago. See what you’ve learned since then and how you’ve grown. This will give you a far greater sense of accomplishment, as this is a far more realistic comparison. And that will motivate you to seek out further self-improvement.

What’s more, it will mean that any improvement in the quality of your lifewill also lead to an improvement in your self-esteem and your confidence levels. And those, in turn, will create a positive feedback loop, where your greater confidence will cause you to embrace new challenges and try new things.

From there you’ll see your mood improve, your anxiety drop and your sociometer rocket upwards.

The post How Your Mental Health Depends On Your Confidence appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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It’s three a.m., and you are up, rolling around, trying desperately to get some good sleep. But, your body is just saying NO!!!!!

We have all been there, especially me (during my paranoid time that I had schizophrenia, high-school state.) And the truth is, it probably is in our best interest to ensure that we aren’t making these five mistakes anymore.

For those who want some enlightenment, here is what keeps you awake at night.

1. Over Caffeinating Too Late

I, like any sane other human being, am a lover of caffeine and I’m sure you are too. Which means a couple of things.

We probably have a cup every morning. We might have a cup every noon. And we might be drinking way too much caffeine.

Caffeine is an amazing drug for the brain, helping to increase cellular metabolism, dull adenosine receptors, and all together cultivate a feeling of wakefulness. Plus, coffee is just so amazing that sometimes I wish that I could put a ring on it (okay not really.)

But, with the dulling of adenosine receptors (the reason you feel wired on caffeine) comes a problem that can seriously interfere with sleep. A decrease in the production of the neurotransmitter that helps us fall asleep, melatonin and with it the feeling of wakefulness.

Caffeine has a half-life of 8 hours (on average) and so when you have that last cup at four or five in the evening, odds are you will start to lose some of that precious sleep (or at least the quality) that you need.

*Rule 1: No Caffeine after 2 p.m.

2. Blue Light and Your Eyes

I know I know, you probably hear all the time not to be on your phone during bed anymore. And that is the truth.

So why aren’t you listening?

I have done it, and I do it still (because I use a bit of a hack), but you could be getting a lot more peaceful rest just by stopping the electronics 1-2 hours before bed. The blue light was initially only emitted by the sun, helping your body get rid of the melatonin in the bloodstream and start to get you ready for the day. Although, now LED lighting and every piece of electronic we have is always disrupting our production of melatonin.

The fact of the matter is, studies are showing blue light results in a decrease of half of the melatonin you could be producing every night and with it a disruption of how long it is in the bloodstream. That means worse sleep and less sleep. Two things we don’t want.

But, I have a little trick.

Blue light blocking glasses (only $10 on Amazon) block almost all of the harmful light and allow you to peruse the internet still after dark.

*Rule 2: Either Cut Electronics or Supplement With Blue Light

See Also: 4 Benefits of Mind Dumping to Help You Sleep

3. Keeping Light In Your Room

Again with light.

We need to get all of it out of the room when we sleep. Think about what it feels like having a light beam down on you, even with your eyes shut.

Remember when we were kids and outside glaring at the sun, we would close our eyes only to have still illuminated eyelids that project enough to “see” light? Well, that is exactly what happens when you continue to keep a light in your room.

Your mind and body don’t want to relax and fall asleep because there is light. Us humans are groomed to be awake when it is light. The presence of light in your room may be what keeps you awake at night.

There are many options to get rid of all the light.

• Use a sleep mask
• Get blackout curtains
• Cover your windows with garbage bags

These solutions are simple but will seriously skyrocket your sleep through the roof.

*Rule 3: Sleep In Total Darkness

4. Exercising Too Late

What happens when you go for a run? You are probably wound up and ready to go literally.

We are very adaptable creatures, able to fight or flight in a second and running is quite literally flight. Your parasympathetic nervous system controls rest and digests while your sympathetic controls fight or flight. By running, you turn on your sympathetic and off your parasympathetic. This means your body is pumping adrenaline, cortisol and a whole host of stress hormones that keep you primed and wired for anything.

Now coming home and trying to get a good night sleep can seem impossible. We toss and turn, and it seems like something is wrong, while we can’t pinpoint it. As the stress hormones are depleted in the system, we slowly come down from that runner’s high and can get rest.

By pushing your workout earlier in the day, you will have already come down and will be amazingly primed for sleep.

*Rule 4: Exercise earlier in the day

5. Not Keeping It Cool

I hope you didn’t grow up in a household that wouldn’t ever touch the air conditioning. In the summer, it seemed like it was always scorching hot, while in the winter cold. This can be a traumatic point to our sleep.

The human body sleeps optimally at between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit (3). Too hot and we are up all night, too cold and well we are freezing.

We know that feeling of having an insanely hot room, or how about when camping, where it seems like you are sweating enough to fill a pool and getting zero sleep. And that is something that shouldn’t happen to us ever again.

So keep it cool.

*Rule 5: Keep the AC between 62 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

See Also: The Best Way to End The Day: 5 Things to Do Before You Go to Sleep 

Now that you know what keeps you awake at night, avoding these 5 mistakes should help you finally get some good sleep.

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Do you need to learn how to accept yourself?

In middle school and high school I struggled with finding my identity. I was convinced that I was ugly, stupid, and worthless. I continually thought that to truly love myself and be happy, I had to basically become a different person.

Throughout this time I made major changes to myself. I changed my hairstyle, got new clothes, and started to get in shape.

At first, it seemed to work. I was happier and seemed to be making more friends and getting more attention. As time passed by, though, I began to realize that I still didn’t love myself.

Although I had become the sort of person that I thought was worthy of love, I still didn’t believe that I was worthy of love.

I soon came to realize that changing things about myself did not change the way I felt about myself, so I began to search for a different solution. Over the past few months I have finally come to the realization that I don’t have to become lovable, I already am. I don’t have to be good enough for people to like me, I just have to be me.

This belief that you are worthy of love just the way you are is known as self-acceptance.

What is Self-Acceptance?

Self-acceptance is not the same as self-esteem. While self-esteem focuses on how valuable you see yourself as, self-acceptance takes a slightly different route.

According to thefreedictionary.com self-acceptance can be defined as, “an acceptance of yourself as you are, warts and all”.

When someone accepts themselves, they accept all facets of themselves. The good, the bad, and even the ugly. When we are self-accepting, we learn to even love our flaws.

How does our Self-Acceptance Influence our Happiness?

Now that we’ve defined self-acceptance, you might still be asking: how exactly does self-acceptance impact our happiness?

Well, according to Robert Holden, author of Happiness Now!:

“Happiness and self-acceptance go hand in hand. In fact, your level of self-acceptance determines your level of happiness. The more self-acceptance you have, the more happiness you’ll allow yourself to accept, receive and enjoy. In other words, you enjoy as much happiness as you believe you’re worthy of.”

So basically: self-acceptance = happiness

If you accept yourself you are inevitably setting yourself up to be happy.

One the most important aspect of self-acceptance is that it is unconditional. Very often we only love ourselves when we are doing well or when we accomplish a goal.

Self-acceptance, on the other hand, teaches us that we should love ourselves no matter what. Even if we fail or make a mistake, we are still valuable. This, in turn, allows our happiness to be unconditional as well. Our joy is not based on whether or not someone likes us. It is based on who we are, not what we do or how people perceive us.

How to Accept Yourself

Now you know what self-acceptance is and that it directly influences our happiness, but how to we develop self-acceptance?

Like any other skill, self-acceptance is something that we build up over time. Many people are taught to accept themselves at a young age and never struggle to be self-compassionate. Others of us are constantly struggling to love ourselves for who we are.

We are all at different levels of self-acceptance and some of us will be able to learn it faster than others.

There are many guided meditation practices that center on the theme of self-acceptance. While meditation in and of itself will likely lead you to an acceptance of yourself, guided practices will likely help more.

For great guided meditations about self-acceptance and other topics, I highly recommend Calm for iOS and Android. You can also access these guided meditations on Calm’s website.

A second way to help generate acceptance for yourself is to change the way you think. Our thoughts are ultimately what controls our perception of ourselves. They are the root cause of our lack of self-acceptance and often the only thing keeping us from being happy.

Many of us that struggle with self-acceptance are plagued with negative thoughts. Psychologist often refer to this as our inner critic. Our inner critic is that voice inside that is constantly telling you that you aren’t good enough. It tells you that you’re unattractive or inadequate.

A helpful way to combat this inner critic is to actually engage with it in conversation. This is a tip I learned in Dr. Aziz Gazipura’s book the Solution to Social Anxiety.

Let’s say you just you turned in a business report to your boss and he rejected it. Your inner critic will likely start acting up. To have control of your critic, address it as if it were an actual person:

Critic: Wow you really screwed up this time. I told you he’d reject it. You’re terrible at what you do.

You: Actually, I think I did a pretty good job on my report. Maybe it was just not what my boss was looking for.

Critic: Maybe? I know it wasn’t what he was looking for. The entire report was crap. Have fun with getting fired.

You: Fired? You are making lots of assumptions. Why are you so angry? Did you get fired from your job recently or something?

This type of dialogue is extremely therapeutic. It is most helpful when done at the exact time that your critic is acting up, or at least shortly after a negative experience. These conversations are best had in written form and should be kept in a journal.

These are just two of many ways that you can begin to build up your self-acceptance.

It is important to remember that you path to self-acceptance is a journey. You will have setbacks along the way but you’ll make progress as long as you stay persistent.

Self-acceptance is a beautiful thing. Practicing it will bring you happiness and will make you less vulnerable when facing criticism.

If you need a reminder on how to accept yourself, I would like to share a quote from Amy Bloom:

“You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.”

The post Self-Acceptance: The Key To True Happiness appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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If you love dogs but sneeze or cough like crazy around anything canine, what you need is a list of recommended dogs for people with allergies.

The good news is that there are breeds suitable for allergic folks. According to recent data from the World Health Organization, 15 percent of the population develop allergies from pets, such as dogs, cats, guinea pigs and others.

Hypoallergenic dog breeds are suitable choice for people with similar problems. You can use any puppy finder but keep in mind that allergies vary in different people. It is best to spend 24 hours with the dog you want to adopt before it becomes an integral part of your life.

While there are no dogs that 100% don’t cause an allergic reaction, there are some breeds that are well known for being hypoallergenic. Below are the most suitable dogs for allergic people.

Portuguese Water Dog

Despite the odd name, Portuguese Water Dogs are loving and very suitable for allergy sufferers. They hail from Portugal and were reared mainly by fishermen who taught them to help with fishing.

This breed is rare and yet it is one of the most popular in America. Their hair doesn’t fall and are very good with kids. The US President Barack Obama bought such a dog for his daughter Malia who suffers from allergies.

Bichon Frise

This is a decorative breed. They are small, sweet, with thick and curly hair that prevents dander and dead hair from escaping. The Bichon Frise requires frequent bathing and brushing but this grooming also helps control saliva, a potent allergen.

And for allergy sufferers whose allergies are triggered by scents and smells, it’s good news that this dog breed does not emit the characteristic dog’s smell making it even more desirable as a pet.

Poodle

Poodles are wonderful pets, even for people with allergies. Like the Portuguese water dog, their hair doesn’t fall. They are also very loving and loyal.

There are many interesting and quirky stories about this breed.

Poodles were part of the army of the French emperor Napoleon who made a special decree for the breed, making it part of the officer’s equipment. The composer Richard Wagner had brought his poodle to rehearsals since it barked loudly whenever a musician played out of tune.

American hairless terrier

If other “hypoallergenic” breeds are still not working out for you, then you need to check out the American hairless terrier. Tests showed that people with allergic responses to hypoallergenic breeds can tolerate the AHT. This makes them the best breed for people with really bad dog allergies.

The AHT was created from a very rare hairless Rat Terrier that gave birth to two other hairless pups. In the canine world, they were remarkable and incredibly unique. Thanks to their progeny, dog allergy sufferers have a chance to finally own and hold a dog in their arms.

Chinese crested dog

This dog has hair on the head, tail and feet but an essential part of its body is hairless. It comes from Mexican dogs that lived 2000 years before our era with the tribes that inhabited Mexico today. In strange ways, it was transferred to China and was later imported to England.

The Chinese crested dog is friendly and loving animal.

Other recommended dogs for people with allergies are the Schnauzer, the Peruvian naked dog, some terriers, and Shih Tzu.

Check out any of these dogs so you can have your canine bestfriend soon!

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In a hectic world where everyone and everything seems to run at 100mph, it’s important to take care of yourself and in particular, improve your mental health. There are many simple tasks you can complete on a daily basis which will enable you to maintain or boost your wellness – something that in itself has a lot of benefits!

By taking care of your mind, you can think more clearly, make better decisions, sleep more soundly, feel more positive, maintain better relationships, and generally feel happier. And who wouldn’t want that?

Here are a few tips for changing behaviours to improve your mental health and how you feel every day.

1. Make healthy choices

It’s very easy to make a grab for your favourite snack as a quick fix to curb those hunger pangs, but a few simple swaps can keep your mind more focused through the day. Nutritionist Naomi Mead advices that switching to food that is high in fiber, moderate in protein, and low glycemic helps regulate food intake and appetite.

Fresh fruit and raw nuts are two good examples of a healthier snack. That may not immediately float your boat, but Naomi believes it’s all a matter of persuasion, “It’s possible to re-train your brain to get excited about vegetables—and to experience less pleasure when you eat sugary and junk foods”.

You can do this by changing eating behaviour over time, and teaching your brain to actually prefer healthier foods. Studies have found that the brain works best with 25g of fruit sugars in the bloodstream.

So, try reaching for a banana rather than a bag of crisps mid-morning. Your brain will soon get used to this idea and want a banana around that time.

Don’t forget water as well. Keeping hydrated can boost brain power by up to 20%. Be sure to carry a water bottle around with you. When you’re at work, it is easy to forget to drink regularly.

See Also: 5 Ways Athletes (And Anyone Else) Can Connect Their Mental And Physical Self)

2. Have some quiet time

Our environments are noisy. There’s so much going on. When we commute, we are surrounded by people chatting, trains rolling or the general hustle of the morning ride. When we sit in an office, we are surrounded by telephones, conversations, typing and printers. When we get home, we put the TV on.

Does our mind ever get any peace?

A little relaxation in a quiet room can work wonders for our mental health. It can help you focus your thoughts and you could even try some meditation – something many people advocate for mental health.

Attempt some relaxation exercises. Deep breathing, prayer, mindfulness techniques and even short naps can boost mental health.

3. Avoid stress

Stress can come in many forms. You may not even realise you are suffering from stress, but the accumulation of small and frequent negative thoughts and energy can have a negative impact on your physical health very quickly.

Stress can cause extreme fatigue, depression, negative feelings, hair loss, weight loss/gain, infertility, muscle pains and poorly functioning internal organs. You should try and identify what could be causing stress in your life.

Is it your work colleagues? Your long daily commute? Your untidy house?

Then, try and change these issues where you can. Make small, positive changes – so, for instance, you might not be able to escape your work colleagues very often, but you could make a conscious decision that at lunchtimes you leave the office area and take a walk in the fresh air on your own instead.

See Also: Is Your Job Putting Your Health At Risk? 8 Ways To Survive Cubicle Lifestyle And Take Care Of Your Health

4. Keep your mind active

Watching the TV every evening can have some benefits on occasion (zoning out, escaping real life, switching off for a little while, etc) but in general, mixing up your monotonous routine with something that keeps your mind active is a great way to stay sharp.

You could try puzzles or crosswords, for instance. You might want to read a book or do a jigsaw; many people choose to partake in gaming as a way of boosting brain power. Games evoke excitement, a positive emotion that increases brain activity and encourages a sharp mind.

Video games are said to improve reaction times by 25%! Even games like bingo could go some way to improve your reactions, get your mind buzzing and relieve stress. You could play this online, on a tablet or phone, and even encourage partners or friends to join in for added fun.

5. Talk about it

If there is something on your mind, there is nothing better than getting it off your chest. Remember that seeking help is a sign of strength — not a weakness.

By bottling up your thoughts and keeping them contained, your mental health is bound to suffer. You will feel tension, stress, you could even be unable to sleep at night. These feelings can quickly snowball, creating a seemingly desperate situation in which you cannot escape. But there is help available and it’s never as hard as it sounds to find it. You can overcome any issues you have with time, patience, understanding, acceptance and support.

Good luck with making these small changes in your life to protect, sustain, and improve your mental health.

The post 5 Quick Fixes To Improve Your Mental Health appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Are you planning on selling your home? Before you do so, consider doing improvements and renovations on your home to raise the value of your property.

Deciding on the right home improvements to sell a house can be a bit tricky. Aside from a limited budget, the wrong choices can also put all your hard earned money on renovations that won’t carry a return of investment for you.

To avoid unnecessarily burning holes in your wallet, here are the 5 best things you can do to raise the value of your home.

1. Fix Structural Problems

Before you even begin considering cosmetic improvements, make sure to assess the foundation of your house first. The presence of structural problems can greatly affect the selling value of your home as most buyers could easily lose interest the minute they hear about repairs.

This is particularly true when selling old houses. Although there are buyers who are interested in buying antique homes, not all of them are very accommodating when it comes to expensive and extensive repairs.

While fixing structural problems can mean spending extra cash on your end, it can help boost your sale and shorten the selling period. If you aren’t capable of fixing the problems before placing your home on the market, keep in mind to fully disclose all issues with the buyer. Most state laws actually require it.

See Also: DIY Home Renovating — How Much Equity Will You Gain?

2. Replace Broken Windows and Doors

When getting a potential buyer inside your home, you want to make sure your property looks well maintained and kept. The best way to create this impressions is by checking if your doors and windows are in top shape.

If there are only minor issues, you can’t skip replacing your entire door or window. A broken lock, for example, doesn’t necessarily mean you have to buy a new door. Simply replace any broken or dented parts and it should look as new. You can also add a new look by repainting.

Aside from aesthetic purposes, doors that aren’t broken or damaged are good signs that you take security as a serious matter. It gives buyers a sense of reassurance that the home can be trusted to keep them safe.

3. Get a Kitchen Makeover

The kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s one of the most common places in the house where the family spends most of the time together.

Renovating your kitchen doesn’t have to be grand. In fact, simply replacing your old and stained counter tops with new tiles or granite can bring a whole different look to the room. If your budget permits, you can also replace the locks on your kitchen cabinets. Adding a new faucet or sink can also add to its visual appeal.

If you’re going to get a total makeover for your kitchen, try to stick with a simple color scheme. Choose neutral colors and find fixtures that can easily blend with any theme. It’s also a wise move if you can choose stainless steel materials. Granite countertops can also take most buyers’ interest even at first glance.

4. Revamp Your Garden

Your front yard is the first area of your property that potential buyers see. If it’s filled with overgrown bushes and shrubs, there’s a good chance that they’d just walk past it.

A neglected front yard isn’t only an eyesore, but it can also prevent potential buyers from seeing the true value of your home. It can make your property look old, neglected and outdated.

When renovating your garden, try to keep things simple. Buyers also don’t like the idea of spending too much just for its maintenance. You also wouldn’t want to overdo it to the point that your property looks very different from the other homes in your neighborhood. You want to make your property stand out- but in a good way.

In managing your garden, you can trim the grass, add a few flowering plants and make sure the patio is clean. And while you’re at it, you can also take a look at your roof. If it’s already rusty or has holes, be diligent about replacing it. In case it doesn’t have too many issues, you can just repaint it for extra appeal.

See Also: Top Home Improvement Design Ideas To Amp Up Your Porch This Fall

5. Go Green

Green housing is steadily becoming in demand. With the energy cost rising exponentially, it isn’t surprising that more and more people are taking interest in eco-friendly homes.

To capitalize on this, you can make your home more energy efficient by making sure there’s adequate insulation. You can also check for any leaks and apply weather stripping to your doors as you find them necessary.

Another good idea is to use double pane windows. They are helpful in reducing both heating and cooling cost by as much as 20%. You can also add a few ceiling fans to make cooling easier and more efficient. CFLs or Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs are great to use instead of the traditional light bulbs as they consume less energy.

If you follow these home improvements to sell a house, you should be able to increase the property value of your home and shorten the waiting period. You’ll also be more confident in selling your old home to a new family.

Good luck!

The post 5 Practical Home Improvements To Sell A House appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Shh. Can you keep a secret?

I haven’t eaten in 24 hours.

And I feel freaking amazing!

Now before you go and call the “eat 6 small meals a day” police, let me say this: I feel better physically and mentally than I ever have. I get more high quality work done, don’t worry about what to eat all the time, and have more energy than I have my whole life. I have lost 30lbs in the past couple months using intermittent fasting as one of my tactics.

Through the process, I have received many lectures, dirty looks, and disagreements, all from people I love and admire. It’s hard to ride a solo trip to the healthy land. People become so used to what they have done and what they have been told to do, whenever you break that routine it sets off sirens. Little did they know they were celebration sirens.

Woop woop!

The longest I have gone through a fast has been a 24-hour window, but there are many people out there who go days! Kudos to you folks. Maybe I’ll get there someday, maybe I won’t.

I have usually kept up with a 16-18 hour daily fast, which lasts from your last meal of the day to your first meal the next day, where most of those fasting hours are when you are sleeping. This allows for a 6-8 hour eating window.

Intermittent fasting isn’t just not eating food for not eating’s sake. It is an eating schedule that has many health benefits. I can really connect with the idea of restricting the time I can eat versus restricting the amount of food that I eat. It was much too time consuming and stressful for me to try to input everything I ate into apps and figure every last calorie out. Intermittent fasting has worked for me.

It has also worked for many influential health nuts like Hugh Jackman (WOLVERINE!), John Romanello (Roman Fitness Systems), Dave Asprey (Bulletproof Coffee) and Tim Ferriss (4HWW).

While there is a ton of content out there that dives deep into the biological implications and positive health effects of intermittent fasting; you can learn more about that by just searching google. There are so many personal and psychological aspects that go along with this habit.

Here is what I learned through the process of implementing intermittent fasting into my daily and weekly schedule:

Food Cravings No Longer Have Power Over You

Do you ever get anxious when you drive past your favorite fast food joint, wondering if you should stop and grab something quick to eat? That used to be me all the time. That food had power over me. Deciding what times I can eat now help deter those cravings. Creating this constraint of time on your eating schedule makes you become more accountable for your health and curb your bad habits because there is less time to make good choices.

I used to have certain rituals and routines that came with the food that dominated that part of the day. Cereal was one of my biggest routines. Now that I don’t eat food until noon or so I don’t have to worry about those Lucky Charms.

Your Discipline Is Greater Than You Give It Credit

Never in my wildest dreams would I have envisioned this habit taking place in my life. Eating three meals a day with snacks in between and ice cream at night was routine for me. Every single day.

When I started to phase intermittent fasting into my life, it was really hard at first. But you become stronger and smarter as time goes on. You gain more and more discipline than you ever thought you had.

I can’t remember the last time I had cereal or ice cream. It gives you an edge that makes you want to make even more healthy choices. Discipline helps create healthy momentum.

Others Might Not Have Your Best Interest at Heart

We always want to believe that the people closest to us want the best for us. This is not always the case.

A lot of the times when it comes to making healthier habits, others are quick to make a joke, be passive aggressive, or judge you in some form. Why? You are doing something they wish they could. People will give you their unsolicited advice and opinions of your healthy crusade. These comments will always be autobiographical to the speaker, what they have experienced; not always an educated remark or constructive criticism.

See Also: Ways to Stay Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

There Are Different Ways To End Up At The Same Point

Just as there are different routes to end up at the same destination on Waze, there are different strategies to reach your health goals. People choose the 6 small meals a day, cleanses, and go vegan. I chose to implement intermittent fasting in accordance of working out and making healthier food choices.

Different habits and lifestyles fit better with different people. We must learn to have acceptance and appreciation for other healthy lifestyles, as they help make the world a better and more interesting place.

A Newfound Appreciation For Food

I used to eat my food as fast as can be and chose only what tasted good to my picky taste buds. Now, I cherish the food that I take in. I see the positive effects it has on my health and energy. I choose only the best organic, whole foods that fuel my mind and body to do great things. I see food for what it can be, in the long game, not just the instant gratification of tasting good in the moment.

If I do make a bad choice here or there, my body tells me and I remember that for next time. I am in constant communication with my body and my food.

See Also: 11 Odd but Simple Ways to Improve Your Health

There is definitely a relationship between your food and yourself. Can you hear what your food is telling you?

Now just like all health habits, intermittent fasting and the specific protocol that I follow isn’t for everybody and we all need to find what works best for us individually. Also, I LOVE TO EAT. I just have more discipline and awareness through this practice.

With intermittent fasting, I have learned to savor each bite and enjoy my food more than ever. I have learned to make choices that serve my health rather than my old cravings.

Just the other day I dedicated myself to a 24 hour fast, mainly because I was going to be in a setting with a lot of bad food choices. At first it may be awkward to tell people you aren’t eating, it gives you a rush choosing yourself over the food. I find that my energy never wanes on my fasting days, if anything it is greater! Choose yourself and choose what is best for your health.

I’m going to go eat now.

The post Breaking the Fast: What I Have Learned Using Intermittent Fasting appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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