The 12 Most Effective Yet Easy Ways To Relieve Stress

0

Stress is a normal part of life. While we can’t always control our situations or surroundings, we can certainly control how to react to it.

Continuous stress can damage your body from both inside and out. Also, your ability to think, focus, and stay calm is destroyed by chronic stress.

Stress also causes sleep deprivation, energy loss, and many chronic diseases. But stress in itself is not the problem.

Seeing stress as bad is one part of the problem, and not having an outlet to manage stress is the other part.

However, when it comes to stress relief, there is no particular solution. Instead, the most effective way to reduce stress is to try a bunch of things every day.

No, these are not medications, instead, you should regularly do some activities to reduce your stress levels.

Here are some quick and easy ideas which you can do anytime and anywhere if you feel stressed.

12 Easy Ways To Relieve Stress:

easy-ways-to-relieve-stress

1. Regular Exercise Can Do Wonders.

Regular exercise is considered a perfect stress reliever and great medicine to keep you from any significant disease.

By releasing hormones such as endorphins, regular exercise can help lower stress and anxiety.

Taking a walk in the morning allows you to enjoy a change of scenery and refresh your mind.

If you ever feel frustrated at work, take some time off and walk around the block to take your mind off of the matter.

Try moderate exercises every morning, and soon you will feel the change. It doesn’t have to be anything more than 10 minutes of movement.

2. Try Out Prescribed Supplements.

Many stress reducing supplements work, but of course, they should be considered after consulting a healthcare professional.

These supplements include,

Lemon Balms for their anti anxiety components

Omega 3 Fatty Acids that can reduce anxiety by 20%

The medical herb Ashwagandha for stress relief

Green Tea that contains polyphenol antioxidants, which increases serotonin and reduces anxiety

CBD oils for daily consumption and fast stress relief, CBD products have recently gained a lot of popularity because of their fantastic health benefits. But remember, only to buy CBD oil from credible and reputed online stores.

3. Scented Candles Can Be Calming.

Aromatherapy has real and immediate stress relief advantages.

Research shows that scented candles can alter brain waves’ activity and decrease the body’s stress hormones.

So, try adding some aromatherapy into your day, whether you like candles, diffusers, or body care products infused with aromatic essential oils. There are several flavors available, and each flavor provides distinctive benefits.

4. Slow Down On Caffeine.

High levels of caffeine can increase stress and anxiety. However, sensitivity to caffeine varies from one person to another, although several studies suggest that coffee can be safe if you consume small doses.

It is safe to assume that up to three cups of coffee is okay.

5. A Stick Of Gum For Quick Relief.

Chewing gum can help you relax, facilitate health and decrease tension, according to several studies.

6. Spend More Time With Loved Ones.

Spending quality time with your loved ones can help you get through tough times. It gives you a sense of belonging and self worth and a motive to assist you in difficult times.

By spending a lot of time with your friends and family, doing any social activity together will help you release oxytocin more and keep you away from all the negativity and unnecessary tension.

Being connected with your family and strengthening the internal bond is also a worthy achievement.

7. Laughter Is A Medicine.

Laughter lowers stress hormones, enhances the immune system and antibodies that combat infection, and increases disease resistance. Laughter allows endorphins to be released.

Endorphins make us happy, and building a sense of well being can alleviate pain temporarily.

To relieve tension, try to find humor in daily life, spend time with friends who make you laugh, or watch a comedy show or movie.

8. Say No To Stressors.

Try to take control of the things in your ability. Sometimes saying no alone can be your biggest stress reliever.

This comes in handy if you do not want to be taken advantage of. People often dump their workloads onto others who are perceived as weak or less likely to protest.

Say no when it’s needed, and prioritize yourself first.

9. Do Not Succumb To Procrastination.

Procrastination will create more stress in your daily life by making you lazy and delaying your work.

Try to build a habit of noting down all your work and deadlines. By doing this, it will sort half of your problem.

It will make you more focused on finishing the work in a timely and organized way. Also, it will relieve you from unnecessary stress.

10. Healing Benefits Of Yoga.

Yoga is a known stress reliever. It can help lower levels of stress hormones and blood pressure. Yoga also helps to attain mindfulness.

Yoga helps by developing your central nervous system and enhances your positivity and self esteem.

Regular yoga also helps you sleep better and develop your immune system. Start with basic yoga and slowly try more advanced positions.

11. Soothing Music Works As A Remedy.

One of the great benefits of music is that it can be used during your daily tasks, so it doesn’t take time away from your busy schedule and lets you enjoy those activities.

It brings more satisfaction and joy from what you do while minimizing your day’s stress.

12. Perform Deep Breathing Exercises.

The nervous system that controls your relaxation response is known as the parasympathetic nervous system.

You can activate and boost its effectiveness with deep breathing exercises.

Deep breathing slows your heart rate, and this makes you feel calmer.

Several techniques can help you learn how to breathe deeply.

There are many types of exercises for deep breathing, such as diaphragmatic breathing, abdominal breathing, breathing from the stomach, and paced breathing.

If you do not have a medical condition that influences stress, it is straightforward to maintain a routine to reduce stress as naturally as possible to live a healthy life.

How to Use This Article?

👉 Step 1. Evaluate yourself, have you been under too much stress recently?

👉 Step 2. If Yes, try some of the activities mentioned in this article today.

👉 Step 3. Experiment with the activities and implement the ones that give you most benefit into your day to day schedule.

All the knowledge on the planet will not help you if you do not take action.

How Mowing Can Be A Mindfulness Activity and 7 Tips to a Perfectly Mowed Lawn

0

Mindfulness is the state of being where you kindly observe your thoughts without being influenced by them.

There are many activities that can put you into this mental state from mindfulness meditation to cleaning dishes, one of them is mowing your lawn.

The good things about mindfulness activities is that you have to do them anyway. But if you put that mindfulness part into the activity it becomes really beneficial for your well being.

So instead of adding more activities into your life, you are using everyday activities and just adding the mindfulness intention into them. And it works.

Mowing your lawn is a job that, when done properly, shouldn’t take too long and will be relatively easy, but there are some common mistakes people make that can impact the look of your grass significantly.

In this article we will tell you how to make Mowing one of your Mindfulness Activities, and share few tips how to do a good job at that.

How Mowing Can Be A Mindfulness Activity:

mowing-a-mindfulness-activity-and-tips-to-a-perfectly-mowed-lawn

For any activity to become a Mindfulness Activity the main thing you should do is make sure you are grounded in the now.

Mindfulness produces various psychological improvements in an individual like decrease of stress, increased well being, reduced emotional reactivity and improved behavioral regulation.

You should make sure 3 things are met.

1. You are physically occupied with doing something.

Any activity requires some action from you. But there are activities like watching a video, that do not require much physical occupation.

To make an activity mindful you need to make sure it activates you physically.

When you are physically occupied your attention is more grounded in the now and directed towards something.

2. You activate at least two of your senses.

Just physical occupation and directed attention towards an activity are not enough.

You need to activate at least two of your primary senses, like sight and hearing, so your consciousness can merge with your surroundings.

This will ground you in the now while being occupied with a physical activity.

3. You let your mind flow freely.

The last thing you need is to let go of controlling your thoughts. And usually when these two are met, being physically occupied and having at least two of your senses activated, your mind is free to flow on its own.

That’s the main thing about mindfulness, stepping back from controlling your thoughts.

That’s why cleaning dishes can be a common mindfulness activity, you are occupied, you watch the dishes, you hear the water, you touch the water, you are activating the senses and they ground you in the now.

So how to make mowing a Mindfulness Activity?

Implement these 3 things. Mow it physically, listen to the sounds, watch the lawn, smell the grass, and let your mind flow freely.

7 Tips to a Perfectly Mowed Lawn:

1. Service your mower.

A mower that hasn’t been serviced can cause more harm than good when cutting your lawn, and blades that are blunt or damaged can pull out chunks of grass and soil rather than cut it.

Before your first cut, at the start of spring, give your mower a full service, so that it’s in prime condition to cut your lawn for the rest of the year.

If you’re not sure how to service your lawnmower, consider asking a professional to do it for you.

2. Aim to lower your grass by one third.

When cutting your lawn, a good rule of thumb is to reduce the grass’ length by approximately one third at a time. Any more than this could damage the grass and stop it from being as thick and healthy.

3. Know how often to cut.

In the spring, when your grass has begun to grow again, you can start moving around once every two weeks, as the grass won’t be growing too quickly, and any more often won’t be needed. As the season turns to summer, your lawn will start to grow more rapidly, and you’ll need to start mowing every week to keep your grass at a healthy length.

Lawn grass should be kept at around one to two inches long, up to three inches where there’s more footfall, and up to four inches in very shaded areas.

If you can’t keep up with your lawn during certain period of the year, you may want to consider hiring someone to do it for you. A great place to start is to search for rates in your local area, such as lawn care rates in Brisbane, Melbourne, or wherever your lawn is, and find someone with positive reviews.

4. Choose your days.

The best time to mow your lawn is when the grass is dry, so keep an eye on the forecast for the week.

If you cut the grass when it’s wet, it’s more likely to get caught up in the blades, and you’ll find clumps of grass are being pulled out of the ground, which can then clog up your mower.

5. Don’t mow on freshly sown grass.

If you’ve recently resown your lawn, avoid mowing it until it has grown to at least 2 inches long. When the grass reaches this height, it will be established enough to cope with being cut without any damage.

6. Get creative.

If you want to take your garden to the next level, consider getting creative with your mowing. To get the classic striped look, use a mower with a roller, which will push the grass to face the direction you’re mowing to create that classic look. You may also leave certain parts of your lawn untouched to attract wildlife.

7. Compost your clippings.

The best way to get rid of your grass clippings is by throwing them into a compost bin, which can then be used to fertilize your garden. To prevent your compost from becoming too wet, add plenty of brown material that will absorb some of the moisture.

How to Use This Article?

👉 Step 1. Make mowing a mindfulness activity by including the 3 necessary ingredients.

👉 Step 2. Use the tips to make sure that your mowing is close to perfect and you have motivation to improve your skills.

👉 Step 3. Find other activities that you do every day that you can transform into Mindfulness Activities.

All the knowledge on the planet will not help you if you do not take action.

What is Spirituality and How It Is Related To Healthcare

If you read us at Life Coach Code you know that we promote a unique philosophy on the nature of a human being.

You are not just your body, you are a union of your Spirit, Mind, Body, Heart, and all of these pillars are equally important.

You can’t ignore either of them for too long and not suffer. Even when our physical body fails us, our spirit can keep us going.

Or, when our mind fails to give us the right answer, it’s usually the heart that intuitively nudges us towards our right direction.

When a person becomes ill, they have to deal with their psychological condition and broken health.

Just focusing on physical recovery doesn’t ensure whole holistic healing. Treating the mind, spirit and heart as well as the body should be the way to go.

What Is Spirituality:

Spirituality is the term we use to describe about everything that’s connected to the Spirit.

And you might wonder what The Spirit is. So let’s simplify, it’s basically the character and the story, the belief structure and the values you hold.

Someone with a different character, different story, belief structure and values will live a completely different life with your same body and in the same period and same location.

If the body is the magnet, The spirit is the magnetic field around it. Spirituality is everything you study about that magnetic field.

Spirituality is a quality that provides us a more in depth insight into our inner life itself.

It revolves around the abstract part of life, which cannot be seen or touched but can affect our lives, unlike any other physical object.

In a sense, abstract feelings can carry much more weight than the data input we get from our other senses. They often do.

Spirituality is often linked to religion. But religion is something different. The difference is like comparing science and the scientific method.

Science is a whole world and the scientific method are just rules we agreed on following that lead us to discovering more from existence through science.

Spirituality is a whole world and religions are just agreed systems through what we approach spiritual truths and other phenomena.

Religion can help us reflect on our life and its meaning, which paves the way for spiritual thinking.

However, spirituality does exist outside the realm of faith, and you can be spiritual without being religious, just like you can be interested in science without ever practicing the scientific method.

How to Improve Your Spirituality To Help You Recover:

Every human being is different, so it is hard to find a one size fits all way to develop spirituality.

One standard method is to focus on things that give you joy and comfort in life.

It can be music, art, reading, writing, or even religion. One may find peace when helping others or being in nature.

You can find your own way, or find someone who can at least teach you some methods. You can visit https://mediumfinder.com/ to get a more precise method of awakening your spirituality.

You can follow whatever gives you inner peace, as long as it does not hinder your physical well being.

You have to build a resilient mindset to awaken your spirituality. Although it is impossible to describe spirituality in a tried and tested method, one thing rings true to everyone, finding spirituality is not a solitary quest.

To fulfill spirituality, you have to relate to everyone around you.
Two stages can be defined for your quest for spirituality and well being.

1. Enhancing Yourself.

Explore and nurture the positive values within you. Be kind to yourself and learn to forgive yourself.

Getting rid of guilt, revenge, and hatred can unleash your mind from negativity.

Nurture patience and optimism in your recovery process and embrace the calmness that fills you.

Patients, especially terminally ill ones, can find it hard to cope with the tragedy as the loss of ability to fulfill their life dreams hit them like a blow.

It is very common to veer toward negativity and succumb to bitterness. If you ever feel this way, you should consult with a professional to help you cope.

2. Connecting With Others.

When we connect to others, it becomes easier for us to put things into perspective, to find meaning in our existence.

Sharing grief or discomfort with others is also an excellent way to practice empathy.

When coping with your thoughts seem impossible on your own, turn to people who share similar conditions with you. Interacting with your peers will lessen your burden.

Is The Connection Between Spirituality and Healing A Recent Discovery:

spirituality-and-how-it-is-related-to-healthcare

The impact of spirituality on health is not a recent discovery. All ancient civilizations and religions believed in spirituality to heal sickness.

Many religions had designated spiritual healers who were responsible for curing the sick with spiritual powers.

From the oldest healing practice found in the religion Shamanism to modern Christianity, spirituality is an often explored method to find comfort during sickness.

Spiritual healing was evident among Indian Yogis, ancient Greece, China, Egypt, American Indians, and the Jewish Essenes.

They all believed that physical healing is not possible without spiritual healing.

While ancient people depended on a passive way, with the help of a healer for example, to heal, modern physiologists suggest an active way to explore spirituality.

Psychology, Spirituality and Healing usually go together.

According to holocaust survivor and renowned author Victor E Frankl, man can suffer only when it has no meaning.

Whenever we are faced with any sort of adversity, we become aware of our existence’s triviality and our struggle’s futility.

We question ourselves, why is this happening? But the question remains unresolved.

However, this introspection is a means to find comfort within our minds.

Patients who are spiritual show better resilience in the process of recovery. They are better at coping with stress, uncertainty, and physical discomfort.

They have a stronger base to support their mental turmoil and fight all the pessimism that stems from illness.

The moment a patient changes their story and they find meaning to heal, then they have will to heal.

However, here we are not talking about achieving a zen state of mind or spiritual power.

Here we have explained how spirituality can affect your physical recovery and just by using the basic fundamental of a spiritual practice, finding meaning in existence.

Doctors should be aware the effect spirituality has on their patients.

Although modern medical treatment primarily focuses on scientific, technologically advanced approach cure, the caring and service oriented approach persists.

However, a lot of healthcare professionals lack adequate knowledge about the spiritual approach to healing.

There is also a question of ethics that further shadows the impact of spirituality.

It requires sharing confidential facts and finding comfort in sharing those. Often time, developing spirituality might be seen as imposing religion.

It also involves a lot of time and training to develop a patient’s spirituality and empathize with the patient.

Saying that, many institutions are now trying to overcome these ethical boundaries, to help their patients with their spiritual well being.

No matter what you believe in most of all spiritual approach to healthcare revolves around compassionate care and to help the patient cope with illness.

Being more compassionate is good, no matter if you believe in things as spirituality, or you believe the physical is all there is.

Healthcare service is still developing guidelines and stretching the ethical boundary to explore this psychological side of treatment.

Spiritual workup can have a broader impact by not only helping the chronically ill or terminally ill patients, it can also help patients who suffer emotionally.

If you face difficulty coping with your illness emotionally, talk to your doctor about it, as it might hinder your physical recovery.

What are The Main Signs of a Drug Overdose and What You Should Do

0

The drug overdose epidemic that has already claimed the lives of far too many Americans in recent years continues to grow at a rapid pace.

The fact that heroin overdoses caused 0.7 of every 100,000 American deaths in 2000 and 2.7 of every 100,000 deaths in 2013 illustrates this point.

The reasons for the overdose epidemic are many, but the experts at AION Health Group point to the potency and low price attached to many of the street drugs available today.

AION experts also explain that many people turned to street drugs like heroin after legislators made it more of a task for them to obtain the prescription drugs they craved.

But whatever the reason that is attributed to the increase in drug overdoses, knowing the signs of an overdose is helpful. Knowing what to do in response to an overdose may save a life that would have become lost without life saving intervention.

What are The Main Signs of a Drug Overdose:

signs-of-a-drug-overdose-what-you-should-do

Numerous signs can point to the possibility that a person has ingested more drugs than their body can handle.

Common signs of a heroin overdose include, Difficulty breathing, A dry mouth or discolored tongue, Smallish pupils, A blue tint to fingernails or limps, Extreme fatigue, Constipation, Stomach Cramps, Loss of consciousness.

How to Respond?

If it is suspect a person is suffering the effects of a drug overdose, an immediate call to 911 is in order.

There is no need to waste time with any of the home remedies for an overdose in circulation.

These remedies will not work, and the time wasted may cause emergency workers to miss the window of opportunity available to spare the overdose victim permanent damage.

It is important to remember that every second the overdose victim goes without oxygen, the chance of brain damage increases.

The Aftermath.

There is no way to get around the fact that a drug overdose is a terrible experience for both the overdosed person and the people that love them.

However, the incident can become the catalyst for the person to get the help they need.

The potential for overdose is present each time an individual purchases heroin or another drug off the street.

The purity of these drugs is different from batch to batch, and a user has no way of knowing the impurities added to the drug.

This fact means that a dose taken today and handled with no problem can threaten the life of a user when purchased at another time. A new life in recovery is the only way drug users will eliminate the possibility of future overdoses.

Several factors have combined cause a spike in the number of drug overdoses happening in America.

Individuals that take the time to learn the signs of a heroin overdose may be able to save the life of someone close to them if this unfortunate event ever occurs. The person experiencing the overdose should seek treatment to help avoid another of these life threatening events.

How Often Should You Have a Practice of Cleaning Your Home

If you ask me I would not clean EVER. But that’s not a realistic option because things get dirty. And we need to clean them.

I would wonder, why do we need to clean? What would happen if we didn’t clean? Can we live being dirty?

There is a deeper layer to cleaning than just having a clean environment. There are actually 2 layers, and I will talk about the deeper layer first.

The 2 Layers of Cleaning:

The first layer is good hygiene.

Good Hygiene is one of the 4 pillars of health that we speak about at Life Coach Code and it’s the pillar that most people take for granted.

When we talk about hygiene we often think about the physical aspect, cleaning our body from dirt.

But hygiene is a multipillar activity, something that affects all of your fundamental parts, your spirit, mind, body and heart.

When you have a clean environment it affects your mind, when you clean your body, it affects your mood, you feel fresher, it’s also a feeling.

So the first layer of cleaning is washing down the unnecessary debris that you accumulate and cleaning the main platform you work on or you work with.

This can be your body, your environment, your mind, as well as the activities that waste your time or habits that waste your energy.

Emotional Hygiene is something not a lot of people are aware of, going through the 7 low levels of emotions we often suppress and releasing the accumulated emotions we carry with us.

Most people go their whole life with an emotional self that is stinky and dirty, because they have not cleaned it even once.

What will happen to your physical body if you do not ever clean it? You will be unhealthy, dirty, you will stink. This brings us to the second layer of cleaning.

The second layer is healthy environment.

As we said, cleaning is more than just putting things in place and getting rid of dirt.

It’s washing down the unnecessary garbage both from our own being and our environment.

The first layer is about cleaning your own being. The second layer is about cleaning your environment.

The benefits of clean environment are also affecting your life on many levels and they have an impact on your whole being too. In fact, a study done by researchers at Indiana University found a strange correlation between a clean home and physical fitness.

There are many benefits of a clean home. However, the biggest benefit is making a healthier place to live in. You are cleaning away the insects, the dirt, the fungi, the smell, the bacteria and the germs.

All of that contributes for you to feel at ease and to feel fresh in the comfort of your home.

So How Often Should You clean?

how-often-should-you-have-a-practice-of-cleaning

The best practice to have is to clean your physical body daily and your emotional body once every week.

As of your environment, you should clean your room, make your bed, clean the dishes, all those types of things you should do daily.

And for your home you should practice a good cleaning session once every week or once every two weeks.

And once every month, or once every two months you should have a a cleaning session when you will go through everything thoroughly.

If you follow this structure and practice cleaning regularly your hygiene and environment will be healthy.

If you feel like cleaning takes too much of your time than take care of your own self, but leave your environment to a professional cleaning service.

Our team member just got back from Auckland and they inspired us to write this article by sharing their experience with living alone.

They had trouble cleaning their apartment so they asked a cleaning service to do it and they were surprised.

So they decided to make a guide on how to find the best and most affordable cleaning services for people that visit Auckland or anyone anywhere in the world.

If you are somewhere in DC our friend says that this is the best possible house cleaning service in washington dc so maybe you will like it as well. If not, check the guide below.

How to Find The Best Cleaning Service?

They say that first you need to find out what you should clean, what is your budget and of course, where is your location.

Once you know your budget, things and rooms you need to be clean and location it’s easier to find the right cleaning service for you.

The best cleaning options won’t only help you out with cleaning, but also save you money to maintain healthier living standards.

Cleaning service prices differ depending on the specific task to be performed.

You could choose to form an arrangement with your cleaning service for routine cleaning.

Some cleaning exercises either require equipment or special techniques, and they are priced proportionally.

For instance, having a blower would cost you roughly $70 a night.

On the other hand, carpets might be slightly pricy because of the difficulty experienced in cases of removal and fitting.

Extracting water from carpets goes for roughly $290.

For customers that are only willing to wash their carpets and curtains, these are cleaned from $85+, depending on the area covered.

Carpet cleaning also involves removal of spots, pests, stains, and odor. This service costs $14+.

Common cleaning might be relatively economical, but carpet steam clean starts from $40.

It’s more effective since steam kills pests that might have infested your carpet.

So you should know your goals before you start looking for a service so you can know exactly what to look for and how much you need to spend.

Home cleaning varies depending on the size of your house, which means considering the number of floors.

However, cleaning service providers use the number of bedrooms to price their services for three to four hours of thorough cleaning.

In Auckland, the prices go like this, One bedroom for $55, Two bedrooms for $60, Three bedrooms for $75, More than three bedrooms for $95.

But the prices are similar to most places, no matter where you live. There are also a variety of house cleaning activities that definitely vary from one service provider to the next.

Some of the most common house cleaning activities include:

1. End of tenancy, One bedroom for $120, Two bedrooms for $140, and so on.

2. Deep cleaning services for around $150.

3. Water blasting that usually costs around $170.

4. Interior and exterior window cleaning for $120.

Ordinary house cleaning is also offered weekly and monthly. As shown, Auckland cleaning prices are quite affordable or standard depending on what and how you want it done.

Remember to choose professional services that best serve your need for a good price. Keep every part of your house and yourself as clean as it can be.

However, do not forget that getting dirty is also a part of living. So get dirty, but practice cleaning.

How Are People Really Dealing with Mental Health Issues During The Pandemic

Mental health has been affected dramatically during the pandemic. That’s something that will yet have an impact on society in ways we cannot even comprehend.

It isn’t just those who are struggling with their mental health who are taking note of new methods, individuals who have friends and family with diminishing mental states are trying new avenues to help any way they can.

Even those who have not been directly impacted by the virus are feeling physical and emotional negative effects of the current crisis. Americans are feeling the strain and are now reaching out for help in whatever way is available to them.

People are trying their best to find mental help during the pandemic. From looking into how to become a therapist to trying to locate therapists who can provide a safe service during the crisis.

But exactly how are US citizens dealing with mental health issues in a time where face to face therapy sessions are no longer being provided? A recent study delved deeper into this, you can click here to see more information.

The study analyzed trends in search engines during the months of January to September 2020 and then made a comparison with data from the same months of 2019. We discuss the findings below.

How People Deal with Mental Health in The Pandemic:

dealing-with-mental-health-during-the-pandemic

Each of us deals with this pandemic in our own way. For some is less scary than others, some are more impacted financially while others are more impacted with their basic need to move freely and socialize.

Some love the idea of staying at home while for others it’s just a nightmare to think about not being able to go out.

We all have different experience but one thing is for sure, it impacted all of us one way or another.

And there are some general themes that are shared by most of us.

Surge In Virtual Methods.

The internet has proven how valuable it is to society even more than usual during the pandemic.

Using modern technology has helped everyone keep in touch with each other, despite not being able to meet in person.

The use of video calling software has increased dramatically for both personal and professional use.

Numbers of those searching for ‘online therapy’ have doubled in the last year.

However, it hasn’t been just conventional forms of help that the public is seeking.

Applications for wellbeing and mental health, such as Headspace, Better and Calm have witnessed a rise in demand.

These apps reached their peak periods in line with some of the most major coronavirus related incidents.

Increase For Wanting To Help Others.

Having a loved one with mental health issues can be hard, but it can be even harder when the right treatment isn’t available.

Knowing how to help struggling friends and family while also ensuring no further harm is being made to their mental state can be a delicate balance.

Google searches for terms such as ‘how do I become a therapist’ have increased by 10x since the pandemic hit America.

Those who are searching most likely know that training to become a therapist is not an overnight course, but instead can provide valuable resources concerning becoming a therapist and can provide a temporary solution.

The pandemic has also left numerous people unemployed, alongside a want and need to help others during the crisis.

This could be another reason for the increase in searches as people look for a career change with meaning.

Isolation Is Causing Harm in Mental Health.

The study also looked into the reasons as to why people were seeking help for their mental health.

The common theme for those searching for help was loneliness or social isolation.

Being lonely has been said to be as detrimental to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and with increasing pressure to social distance and not mix households, loneliness is increasing across the nation.

This unprecedented boost in people having to isolate and experiencing loneliness can lead to even more health issues, including PTSD, depression, anxiety and poor sleep quality.

Mental Help Apps Help But Mostly Short Term.

While these new apps and other methods of help can provide a short term solution for many, it must be stressed that these can not provide the right help and guidance to those suffering from mental health issues.

“Our work as psychologists is to help people look at their minds. There are so many mental health apps out there, but they have a short term effect if people don’t look at their minds and their ingrained beliefs.” — Yasmine Saad, PhD, Psychiatrist.

However, they can provide help to many during particularly stressful or melancholy periods of their lives.

Over 6000 reviews for these apps were looked at and the vast majority of users agreed they had benefited from one way or another using them.

Pandemic related issues such as coping with a lack of routine or worrying about the unknown were reported to have been lessened thanks to these applications.

Expert Intervention is Encouraged More than Just Using Apps.

Alternative methods such as the above mentioned apps do have their uses and benefits, however, they should not be seen as a replacement for therapy.

Serious mental health challenges should not be addressed with impersonal software.

If you or someone you know are experiencing mental health issues, no matter how small they may seem, seek professional help.

The sooner the experts can intervene the better for the individual, but if it is left for a long period of time, there is still the ability to help those who need it.

If you experience Anxiety, Depression, Fear or Loneliness, and you would like to speak with someone, contact me personally at [email protected] and we will jump on a consulting call where I can see how I can help you. Or schedule a free appointment with one of our coaches immediately by filling the appointment form bellow. Whatever you choose, we are here for you.

5 Benefits Regular Exercise Brings to Your Mental Health

The positive effects of exercise on your physical body are pretty well known by most people.

But are you aware of the many mental health benefits of consistent exercise?

If not, then this article will clue you in on the many advantages that come along with adding exercise to your weekly routine.

5 Benefits of Regular Exercise to Your Mental Health:

benefits-regular-exercise-brings-to-your-mental-health

1. Expanding Your Social Circle.

Before even diving into the effects that exercise has on your actual brain chemistry, let’s discuss how it improves your social life.

This was the main benefit that one of our team members got out of joining a gym and implementing exercise as a daily habit. It helped them to not feel lonely and establish a social circle when they were living in Dubai alone.

By joining an organization of people like GymNation Dubai, you will inevitably expand your social circle. And you can find such organization almost anywhere in the world.

People who are a part of a community and have friends are known to live longer are less likely to commit suicide or have suicidal thoughts, and suffer less from depression.

If you decide to join a gym, you will join a close knit community that you’ll begin to build relationships with who will assist tremendously with your mental health.

2. Improved Sleep Quality.

Exercising will help tire you out so that you can get some decent shuteye. Not only that, but it has a calming effect that allows you to leave insomnia behind and catch some good quality z’s.

It also enforces what’s termed the circadian effect, which is your body’s biological clock that signals to your brain when you should go to sleep and when you should be alert and awake.

3. Enhanced Mood.

Studies have been done by Harvard Medical about the link between exercise and mood enhancement.

Is it really the exercise that helps with improved mood or is it that sitting all day causes people to feel sadder?

Solid question, right? The study found that even the most basic movements, like walking, stretching, taking the stairs, and even doing the dishes made huge improvements in people’s moods.

So, for you to make positive changes to your mental health, you don’t even have to exercise that hard. Just a little bit of extra movement every day will enhance your mood.

4. Boost in Confidence.

There are many physical benefits to exercising, such as more muscle tone, less flab, and clothes that fit better. All of these things contribute to a person’s confidence.

Self esteem is often a key determinant in a person’s overall well being. So, if you’re boosting your confidence, you’re also adding to the quality of your life, hence greater mental wellness.

5. Helps with PTSD and Trauma Healing.

Exercise is a lot like meditating.

It makes the person very focused and present in the body.

By providing your brain and body something healthy to focus on, it can help the nervous system uncripple itself from the state of immobilization that occurs when a person is affected by trauma.

Just moving your body helps you move the energy that’s stuck within your nervous system and better release it.

When you let the energy flow and move, the wall of resistance keeping that trauma within you gets weaker and it’s easier to release it.

Physical health is only half of the benefits of exercising.

Mental health affects the way we function in all aspects of our lives and determines our overall well being.

By taking care of our body, you are then able to make yourself more capable of taking on life’s challenges and showing up consistently for the people you care about.

What enhances the body enhances the mind, what enhances the mind enhances the body.

How to Use This Article?

👉 Step 1. Answer one question to yourself, Do you exercise at least 3 days per week?

👉 Step 2. If your answer is YES good for you, try to go for 5. If your answer is NO start exercising even from today and then try to do 3 times per week.

👉 Step 3. Find a community for exercise offline, find one online, find friends, join a gym, get a coach, get an exercise partner, or just go where people go to exercise and socialize.

All the knowledge on the planet will not help you if you do not take action.

4 Different Types of Cardio Machines and How to Use Them

One of the 4 pillars of exercise SEMC that we at life coach code advise people to implement in their work out schedule, is cardio.

Cardio are types of exercises that stimulate your cardiovascular system. You don’t have to go to the gym to have a good cardio exercise though.

There are cardio exercises you can do outside like fast walking, sprinting, jogging, swimming, hiking.

And there are cardio exercises you can do at home like walking the stairs, jumping jacks, jumping rope, burpees, HIIT trainings.

There is also an option to go to the gym and use a cardio machine that they have, or get one for your home.

You might wonder why do cardio? Well, aside from the fact that it’s one of the 4 workout pillars, there are many health benefits.

Health Benefits of Cardio Exercise:

A cardio workout is an intense form of exercise that has many benefits for your health.

Few of those benefits are, cardio increases your heart rate and benefits the cardiovascular health;

It improves your metabolism and sleep;

It strengthens your heart, muscles, and lungs;

It lowers blood sugar;

It reduces the risk for diabetes, coronary artery disease, stroke, osteoporosis, depression, anxiety, headaches, high blood pressure;

And it enhances overall mental health.

The best way to get these benefits from your cardio workout is by combining it with strength training, that’s another pillar of the balanced work out plan SEMC, and a good diet.

Many people use cardio machines for their workouts as they are convenient and offer great results within the comfort of their home or gym.

Listed below are the 4 different types of cardio machines and how to use them.

The 4 Different Types of Cardio Machines:

different-types-of-cardio-machines-and-how-to-use-them

1. Elliptical trainers.

This fitness equipment is designed to mimic climbing, walking, and running in an orbital motion that also enables your arms to move the handles back and forth.

This allows you to work both your upper and lower body as you use the machine.

This machine is ideal for those who have joint pain as this has minimal impact on the knees and other joints.

If you’re looking for a great elliptical trainer, you can compare the Bowflex M3 vs M5 and see which one will work best for your needs.

Here are the instructions on how to use elliptical trainers:

1. Step onto the machine. Make sure you are doing it while facing the console.

2. Start pedaling. Pedal by pushing the pedals back and forth while holding on to the handles allowing the motion to take control.

3. Follow the instructions. You can find the instructions on the screen or you can do your own workout routine.

4. Make sure you step away safely. Before stepping down the elliptical, make sure that it has fully stopped.

2. A Treadmill.

A treadmill is known to help in keeping you slim and fit.

It mimics walking or running by having a wide conveyor that you step onto and has an adjustable speed depending on your workout.

Some treadmills have an option to incline enabling you to have the effect of hiking.

Here are the instructions on how to use a treadmill:

1. Familiarize yourself with the machine. Study on how to increase and decrease the speed and incline.

2. Get on the machine. Stand on the sides of the belt and put your hands on the handles. If there’s a safety kill switch, attach it to your body.

3. Start the machine. The belt will move slowly. As it happens, place your feet onto the belt one at a time, mimicking a walk, then take off your hands off the handrails.

4. Start slow and gradually increase the speed as you go on. Gradually decrease your speed if you’re planning to get down to eliminate the possibility of dizziness.

3. Spinning bikes.

If you hate running but would want to get the benefits of losing weight from it, there is an answer.

The cycling option could be one of the best answers. A spinning bike is similar to an indoor bike. It gives you everything a bike offers while you are staying in place.

Here are the instructions on how to use spinning bikes:

1. Adjust the chair. Make sure you adjust the height of the chair and adjust resistance according to your preference.

2. Adjust the pedal clips and handlebars. Make sure that the pedals and handlebars are adjusted for your size.

3. Sit on the spinning bike facing front. Place your feet on the pedals and your hands on the handle.

4. Start cycling slowly. Start slowly and gradually increase your speed as you go on.

5. Slow down before getting off. Before stepping down, try to decrease your speed gradually so you won’t be surprised when you get off the machine.

4. Rowing machine.

One of the most intimidating fitness machines, the rowing machine. This fitness equipment helps to focus on your lower body muscles.

The machine mimics the movement of a rowing boat.

It’s important to take note that when you’re using this machine, power is more important than speed.

Here are the instructions on how to use a rowing machine:

1. Sit onto the machine and attach the safety straps on your feet. Make sure that you are seated the right way.

2. Maintain a proper and straight posture as you sit. You need to make sure that your legs are straight and are not dropping to the sides.

3. Depending on your workout, you have to make sure that you don’t pull your hand up high and try to level it as you work. When pushing, try to keep your knees bent in the same direction and not sideways. Don’t also hunch your back and try to maintain a straight body.

How to choose the right cardio machine?

When choosing the right cardio machine, make sure that you pick the one that will suit you to fulfill your needs and not just something you want to try.

If you have a joints problem, the elliptical trainer would be the best option, if not, you can opt to go for a treadmill or spinning bike.

When you are feeling ill, don’t push yourself and know when’s your limit so won’t be doing any potential harm to your body.

With whatever workout you do, you must try to keep it safe as much as possible. Never skip to stretch your muscles by doing warmup and cooldown exercises as you start and end your exercise as this will help you work out better and reduce the risk of any injuries.

How to Use This Article?

👉 Step 1. Decide what kind of cardio exercise most suits your needs and result requirements.

👉 Step 2. Find the right machine or activity that can provide such work out and do that cardio exercise at least once per week.

👉 Step 3. Follow the how to use instructions given on the machine or in this article too use it in a safe way.

All the knowledge on the planet will not help you if you do not take action.