Begin this week in PEACE.

Have you ever had a stressful situation in which you wished you had a magic tool to remain calm? Well there is one, it’s called the 4-7-8 relaxation breathing sequence.

This technique relaxes the nervous system and allows you to be calm and think clearly.

Here's how you do it:

1. Sit up straight in a chair.

2. Place the tip of your tongue up against the roof of your mouth. Keep it there through the entire breathing process.

3. Breathe in silently through your nose to the slow count of 4.

4. Hold your breath to the count of 7.

5. Exhale through your mouth to the count of 8, making a slight audible sound.

6. Repeat the 4-7-8 cycle another three times, for a total of four breathing exercises.

Have a calm Monday ; )

 “When the breath is calmed the mind too will be still…” Svatmarama

Work less, 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!

Is CELLPHONE and Wi-Fi RADIATION affecting our lives?

Back in 1996, the Federal Communications Commission- FCC set a legal maximum on cellphone radiation.  Twenty years later, cellphones have revolutionized how we communicate and the technology has evolved dramatically. Today’s smartphones vibrate, sing, show HD movies, make photos and videos, check email and navigate with global positioning systems.

Yet those 20-year-old FCC rules still stand. Are they protecting the public from radiation coming out of cellphones and the networks that enable them? We doubt it.

Scientific studies by numerous research teams in several nations have raised troubling questions about possible associations between heavy cellphone use and serious health dangers. The World Health Organization has declared that cellphone radiation may be linked to brain cancer. Many fertility studies connect cellphone radiation to diminished sperm count and sperm damage. Others raise health concerns such as altered brain metabolism, sleep disturbances, and behavioral changes in children.

These studies are not definitive, and much more research is needed. But they raise serious questions that cast doubt on the adequacy of the FCC rules to safeguard public health. The FCC rules does not account for risks to children’s developing brains and considers only short-term cellphone use, not frequent calling patterns over decades.

In the meantime, here are 6 things you can do to protect yourself from this kind of radiation:

1. Use a headset or a speaker.

Choose either wired or wireless. If you go wireless, make sure to take your headset out of your ear when you’re not on a call. Use your phone in speaker mode.

2. When in use, hold phone away from your body.

Why? The amount of radiation absorbed by your head and body decreases dramatically with even a small distance. Don’t put the phone in your pocket or clip it to your belt, even when using your headset.

3. Text more, talk less.

Phones emit less radiation when sending text rather than voice communications.

4. Call when the signal is strong.

Fewer signal bars mean the phone must try harder to broadcast its signal. Research shows that radiation exposure increases dramatically when cell phone signals are weak.

5. Don’t store your phone in your pocket or on your night stand.

When a phone is on and not in use, it still sends out an intermittent signal to connect with nearby cell phone towers, which means radiation exposure is still happening.

6. Turn off your home router when not in use

You will reduce radiation in a simple way, sleep better and maybe even reduce your monthly internet bill.

7. Put your phone in “airplane mode” when you sleep.

This will reduce the amount of radiation that you get during the night.

Based on mind body green “Cellphone radiation is real”

FINISH what you STARTED on time and easy!

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!

Working from home? Be super EFFECTIVE and work LESS

I used to imagine that being self-employed or working from home was a luxurious lifestyle, free of rules or scheduling. 

Couldn’t be more wrong!

Over time I've developed a way of working that increases my productivity and allows me to enjoy the benefits of working from home. 

Here are 12 tips on how to successfully work from home:

• Rise and Shine

It is important that you set a time every day to start your journey, it will set the tone of your day and you will feel productive from the beginning.

• Establish a morning routine.

Your morning routine sets the tone for your day. It gives you time to clear your head, get focused and enjoy the extra time you have because you don't to have to commute to work.

I always start my day with setting an intention (be present, content…), then I eat breakfast and take a shower. Taking an hour to do this every day helps me feel centered, focused and energized before starting my work day.

• Get dressed.

While the idea of spending all day in your pajamas might sound appealing, getting dressed can actually increase your productivity.  In theory you could get the same amount of work done in a business suit or a flannel onesie, but getting dressed for the day helps delineate work time from sleep/relax time.

When you look and feel put-together, you tend to be more productive. Wear what makes you feel comfortable and confident and you'll be off to a great start.

• Meditate

Even 5 minutes can make the difference. It is scientifically proven that meditation relaxes you, increases creativity and productivity. I can’t begin my work day without the refreshing feeling of a quick meditation.

See you next week with some more secrets!

Small changes that have MADE the difference.. here comes the secret.

To all of those who took these small challenges with me: CONGRATULATIONS!

We managed 28 days (or more) of healthy changes. I hope you enjoyed the process and that these new habits remain in your daily life.

How many changes were you able to maintain? Which were your favorites? Did you experience something new? Did you improve your quality of life? Enjoy a little bit more daily activities?

Let me explain the reason of this challenge:

Did you know that our brain is able to control our weight?

There are several mechanisms designed to keep us in a healthy weight:

1. At the time you sit down to the table and see the food, your brain starts a countdown of 30 minutes within which you will feel real hunger.

2. At the end of the 30 minutes, when foods fills your stomach, you feel the first sign of being sated.

3. When food passes the first part of the intestine, the brain releases the latest sign of fullness.

4. If you obey the signs: eat when hungry and stop eating when you feel "full", you maintain a healthy weight, however, if you disregard it your weight will increase and this system loses it’s effectiveness.

That's why it is very important to take the time and space to eat, enjoy every bite and listen to your body so you stop eating when necessary, it will help you feel good, keep your weight and not starve during the day .

Congratulations, you have began 2016 healthier.

Small changes... BIG results

For those who are new, we are taking small challenges every week in order to enjoy food more, eat better and why not? Eat a little less...

The purpose of this week is:

At dinner, plan a self-pampering night (alone or accompanied), light some candles, serve your food on the fancy china, take a seat and enjoy the moment.

Tell me how did it go? ...

Discover NEW flavors and eat LESS.

Hello again! How are the little challenges going? Were you able to eat in 30 minutes? Did lunch taste different?

The challenge this time is very interesting since you will discover new flavors:

 

When you sit down to eat (and with every dish served at the table) try to close your eyes with every bite.  

If you want to do it more interesting and you are eating with someone, you can blindfold each other.

Tell me how it went and what discoveries you had...