Begin your day in a GOOD mood ; )

Your mornings set the tone for the rest of the day. 

If you get off to a crummy start, chances are the rest of your day will look the same. Rolling out of bed with your mobile in hand, scanning the latest Facebook posts and checking your email may not be the best start if you’re already super stressed.

More and more people are finding a meaningful morning practice to be the solution. By adding this practice in between waking up and starting the day, you’re sure to move through the world more grounded and connected.

I created a simple practice to help you move through the day without stress calling the shots.

• Place 1 to 2 drops of grapefruit or wild orange essential oil in the palm of your hands.  Rub your hands together, cup your hands over your nose and mouth and breathe in deeply for five rounds of breath.
• Set an intention for the day  How do you plan to be happier today? What are you going to learn from this day? How are you going to live and enjoy it?
• Be grateful  Count your blessings and appreciate them.
• Take a glass of water  This helps your body to begin the day and wakes you up softly.
• Move your body, stretch a little bit  It really doesn’t matter what you do here; just move out of your head and into your body. Stretch your body, do some head rolls or shoulder shrugs, move in a way that feels good to your body and your natural rhythm, you can even dance to your favorite song.

By giving your body the chance to practice dealing with stress in a different a way, you’re creating a new positive pathway. This simple morning practice can be done in 10 minutes or less from anywhere in your home.

Try it and notice how it sets you up to move through your day more aware, present and with less stress. The most effective practices are the ones that find a place in your daily routine.

Taken from “A 15-Minute Morning Ritual To Dramatically Reduce Stress” by Megan Roop

You eat this every day, its hidden everywhere!

Sugar has been our partner since we were little; it has been the reward, the prize and the consolation after a heartbreak.  And we wonder: Why do we love it so much? 

Well, sugar consumption causes the brain to secrete substances that make us feel better.  There is also the theory that eating sugar intermittently can change your behavior, through addiction related hormones such as dopamine, creating dependency.

In the last two decades sugar has become one of the causes of the world epidemic of overweight, which goes hand in hand with many diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and cancer.  

Currently 1 billion adults worldwide suffer from excess weight ... This is equivalent to all the inhabitants of the American continent!

Let's do a little calculation:

An average soda can (360ml) has 150Kcal and 5 tablespoons of sugar, if these calories are added to the daily diet ...

A can of soda a day can lead to weight gain of 7 kg in 1 year!

But, unfortunately, we not only eat sugar when we add it to the coffee or have a soda.  It's amazing the amount of foods developed by the food industry, which use sugar to flavor, texture or color to food.  We can find it in ketchup, marmalade, bread, cereals, te...almost every where!

It sounds terrible isn't it?! I suggest this week we try to add half of sugar to our coffe or drink water instead of soda, or just read the food labels of the products we buy.

See you next week!

The 45-15 rule to work LESS and achieve MORE

This week we finish the working at home serie with 4 tips, I hope your work at home is becoming more fun and you've improved your productivity:

• Use a chronometer

If you get tired easily and tend to check facebook or waste your time on the web, set a chronometer. It is proven that our brains are able to stay focused for 45 minute increments.

Try to work for 45 minutes and rest for 10-15 minutes, you will feel refreshed and will concentrate easier after a little rest.

• Leisure time

We spend most of our days doing intellectual work, using only one side of our brain. In order to feel balance, try to include some leisure time every week. 

Activities like painting, singing or gardening can help you to relax and use your creative side with no stress or deadlines… just for fun.

• Exercise

 If we spent most of our days sitting, exercising becomes a requirement. It will reduce stress and help our system stay healthy and balanced. 

If your work is stressful I recommend one or two hours of yoga per week. It will help you train your body and your mind to stay calm.

• Get Social

Simply by changing your work location – to  a coffee/tea house maybe for a couple of hours a week.

So, If you have more tips or secrets that you like to share, please do!

The secret to FINISH projects ON TIME.

I hope last weeks advise was helpful, this week I give you specific ways to become more productive and finish on time the projects you have set for this year:

• 5 days a week 8 hours per day

It may sound too little but our system is not made to work every single day or to focus on the same thing the whole day.

When you run your own business  there's always more work around the corner and with endless things that you can do, sometimes it's difficult to stop working when there is no one to tell you the work day is over.

You can deal with this by setting a specific time to start and stop working, then making a point to appreciate how much you have done during the day. And if you finish early, enjoy your productivity.

• Calendar Management

If you are self-employed, your calendar can be your best friend. Having a clear picture of what you need to accomplish each day, week and month will save you so much time in the long run.

I like to create a weekly schedule with each day broken down by project, appointment and activity

• Take a lunch break.

This one is simple: eating lunch at your desk is not productive. Whether you take 15 minutes or an hour and half, it's so important to take a complete break from your desk and work.   

• Your area

Whether you work from a home office or your laptop on the kitchen table, it's important that your workspace helps you feel energized, happy and focused. You have the luxury of not working from a cubicle so take advantage of it! 

Surround yourself with things that make you happy like family photos or fresh flowers. Having a clean desk feels like cleaning your brain, and it can do wonders for your productivity.

See you next week!