Category: Physical Fitness

 

Moving to one of the major cities in the world is a dream come true for a lot of millennials. When you lived in a small town for most of your life, being in the metro feels as if you are a step closer to fulfilling your goals. Any job you can think of is available, and it’s effortless to build connections with various individuals.

Despite such benefits, though, what I don’t appreciate about the city life is the abundance of restaurants in every block. Yes, you get to try different cuisines regularly, but you also fail to hone your cooking skills, which can make your mama proud. I’m not just saying to the ladies, mind you – guys need to learn to prepare tasty dishes too in this lifetime. “Now, most of us think that eating out is a treat, and that indulgent meals are a special reward. But this study found that women were significantly happier and less stressed after eating at home, and after eating healthier meals,” said Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D.

In case it’s still unclear why cooking meals at home is a great option, find out its seven advantages below.

1. You Know What Goes In Your Food

Creating a meal by yourself is important because it makes you aware of each ingredient that gets mixed with your food. It is mainly important when you are sensitive or allergic to products like dairy, nuts, etc. While you may ask a chef in a fine-dining establishment to customize a dish for you, that may not be possible when you’re in a fast-food chain where everything’s ready beforehand.

2. The Expenses Won’t Be Too High

The retail prices of the dishes you see on a menu are typically high because the owners need to take taxes, the employees’ wages, and other miscellaneous fees into consideration. If you cook at home, however, you’ll only need to pay for gas and groceries that can last for a week or so.

3. You Can Choose Healthy Ingredients

Healthy living is difficult to achieve when your friends always pull you towards burger joints. But when you have cooking skills, you may entirely skip going to such places and prepare delicious foods with better ingredients. “Start at the supermarket”, suggests Jaclyn Lopez Witmer, Psy.D., a licensed clinical psychologist in New York. “Give yourself plenty of time to shop.”

4. It’s Easy To Savor The Meal

Regardless of how beautiful the ambiance is at your restaurant of choice, people tend to wolf down the food and leave, especially when there’s a long queue of diners outside. Its downside is that you can’t savor every bite. You won’t have to be in a hurry to finish your meal, of course, if you made it yourself at home.

“Allow yourself to get curious about the smells and colors as well as how the ingredients change as they combine,” says Denver psychotherapist Brittany Bouffard, LCSW.

5. You Have Control Over The Portions

Dieting is useless once you go to food joints that serve dishes in large portions. It’s all good in case you have someone else to share it with, for instance. Considering you’re alone, though, you may need to finish everything in one sitting. At least, when you create the food in your place, you can make something delicious without the high probability of overeating.

6. It’s Possible To Prepare Weekly Meals

Being a busy person isn’t a valid excuse either to not cook meals at home. Feel free to adopt meal prep ideas in which you only need to fix dishes once for the entire week. You merely have to divide them into different containers – microwavable or not – and reheat the food during mealtimes.

7. You Can Serve New Dishes To Your Loved Ones

Cooking also allows you to satisfy the craving of your beloved friends and family members for great food. When you invite them over, you no longer have to order from a restaurant and wait for delivery for 30 minutes or more. They can feel your affection better as well through your home-cooked meals.

Writing a book was one of the most daunting dreams I ever had for as long as I can recall. Even during my teenage years, I’d attempt to write, but I’d always end up pushing it at the bottom of my priority list.

My first reason was that I needed more life experiences to make my work extra believable or interesting. A couple of years later, I said my knowledge regarding different writing techniques wasn’t enough. It was when I couldn’t give any more alibi to stop myself from scribbling the plot down that I thought, “Well, it’s now or never.” According to cognitive psychologist Keith Oatley, “Almost all human cultures create stories that, until now, have been rather dismissively called ‘entertainment’. I think there is also something more important going on.”

Was my first book a success? Nope – I barely got copies sold online. But was it worth all the trouble? Yes, of course! Below are some reasons why you should pen a book already.

1. You Can Exercise Your Freedom Of Expression

Off the bat, the best thing about writing a book is that you can express yourself without feeling judged. Therapists, in fact, recommend this activity to their patients who can’t voice out their issues. By the time you reach the concluding pages, you may no longer feel unfamiliar about self-expression.

2. You’ll Learn To Organize Your Thoughts

Are you a scatter-brained individual? Being a writer can help you improve that characteristic for the better, you know. Since there are a lot of pages in a single book, you’ll have no choice but to compartmentalize ideas so that you can lengthen each chapter. It can also help you stop misplacing your stuff and have a peace of mind.

3. Learning Becomes A Natural Habit

In case studying wasn’t your strongest suit when you were young, it can change now once you become an author. For your work to gain more attention, you can’t merely speak about anything without giving it much thought. You may then naturally read other books or articles on the internet to increase your knowledge base.

4. It Pushes Your Limits

As mentioned earlier, a decent book isn’t just a three-page literary piece. Even a storybook has over ten pages, so it isn’t for the faint of heart. What’s great about writing one, regardless of the genre, however, is that you’ll be able to encourage your brain to produce more creative thoughts every day. If that doesn’t sharpen your memory, nothing else can. For psychologist and writer Ryan Howes, Ph.D, “There is so much to learn—about people, psychology, and writing itself—that I’ll never run out of material.”

5. Your Connections Will Grow

When you have a book that a lot of readers can relate to, they will reach out to you. Some may even become your new friends, while others may want to beta-read for your next work or introduce you to influential folks who can turn your book into a motion picture. All in all, many exciting things can happen when you build connections with your readers.

6. Inspiring Others Isn’t Impossible

“Inspiration sparks creativity, and helps us make progress on our goals”, according to American psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman. Though your story may seem absurd in your head, don’t let it prevent you from writing it down. Reading books offers individuals a chance to escape reality and stay in the little world that authors make for them. Whether it’s fictional or non-fictional, any literary piece can motivate people to refine their decisions and even save others from doom or death.

7. You’ll Leave Your Mark On This Planet

Finally, a book is a timeless part of yourself that may never be forgotten even when you die. Others may make more copies of it in the future; the cover design may change as well. But what won’t ever disappear is your name on that masterpiece.

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Many people want to get married for so many reasons. Some individuals have decided to tie the knot with their loved ones at a young age. On the other hand, many persons had done it when they were a little older. However, the reality is that there is no timeline when it comes to getting married. Sometimes, when you find the right person in your life, evMarriage coach Lesli Doares, author of Blueprint For A Lasting Marriage, says, “Being married is about joining two lives together, not giving up one. Being content in your own skin means you won’t be looking to your partner to fill voids in your life.”erything will click to the point that both of you will decide to get married.

Unfortunately, there is always a big part in your life that will always wonder if getting married is the best choice at the moment. Because of this, we have decided to come up with an article that can help you make the best decision about your life. Our primary objective is to guide you in determining whether or not it is about time to take your loving relationship to the next level. Are you ready to settle down? Here are the top signs to look out for:

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You Have A Stable Job

There are tons of things that you must take care of when it comes to getting married. One of which is the increase in your day-to-day expenses. Keep in mind that planning a wedding can be expensive, especially if your partner wants a grand celebration. At the same time, the first few years of the marriage can also be financially challenging. Because of this, you must have a stable job before you decide to get married.

You Know Your Partner Completely

Another great factor that you must look into is your connection with your current parent. Are you comfortable in having him around in your life? Do you feel that you can spend the rest of your life sharing everything with him? Most importantly, are you confident that you know a lot of things about your loved one? If you answered yes to all these, then getting married is probably a good option for you. On the other hand, if you still think that you are clueless about the real identity of your boyfriend, then be sure to think twice before tying the knot. Relationship expert Dr. John Gottman of The Gottman Institute says, “A good marriage must have a rich climate of positivity” and advises that we make “regular deposits” to our emotional bank accounts.”

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You Are Mentally Prepared

You must also take into consideration your mental health or wellness. Keep in mind that you must take your condition seriously. If you believe that you are suffering from an illness or a vexing problem about your overall wellness, then be sure to find treatment first. Do not rush the process of getting married just because you want to get away out of your miserable life. Instead, deal with all your problems and issues first. Make it a habit to solve each conflict one step at a time. When you do this right, you will be amazed at how ready you can be for a beautiful wedding ceremony and marriage.

“Once we have made the decision that we have found the person we want to be with and commit to, the work begins. A big part of that work is making many other choices,” says Kurt Smith, Psy.D., LMFT, LPCC, AFC. Getting married is not something that you have to do right away. Make sure that you are ready before you do something. Think twice because it is an essential thing to do.

“Whether we write or practice any kind of skill or craft, we are always learning. There’s always something to sharpen, to cultivate, to discover, to understand on a deeper, almost cellular level,” said Margarita Tartakovsky, MS.

So, did you decide to try your hand at writing your first book?

Congratulations are in order because it is an experience that you will never regret. Your focus can be on fantasy, autobiography, or a nonfictional guide as well. Though you may consume months to complete one, depending on how long your story will be, you may not feel the exhaustion much as the book takes form.

Nevertheless, before you embark on this journey, check out the following tips to remember for your first book writing stint.

Tip #1: Set Your Goals In Stone

The first thing to consider is the objectives you wish to fulfill throughout the entire activity. From the beginning, plan how many words your book will have. Mark your ending date on the calendar as well based on your writing speed so that you can keep track of time. “Always consider the final result when beginning a task. Have a clear target to hit,” said James Davidson, Ph.D.

Tip #2: Organize Your Ideas

“Use your curiosity to get your work flowing,” says psychologist Susan K Perry Ph.D. In case you typically have random thoughts cruising in your head, you need to learn how to arrange and perhaps compact them into bite-sized pieces. It may be helpful to have a small notepad with you often where you can immediately jot down new ideas. Organizing your research files is also important, primarily if you’re aiming to write a thick book for the first time.

Tip #3: Keep Fickle-Mindedness Away

Being particular about the stuff you’ll talk about in your title can prevent you from deleting a few pages after some time and delaying your debut as an author. There may be a lot of subject matters you wish to cover, but it’s impossible to compile them all into one written work. Thus, pick a single topic and stick to it to the end.

Tip #4: Never Assume It’s Easy

Novice book writers who have zero experience at penning even a short article tend to underestimate the difficulty of writing. Since it’s the brain’s masterpiece, they fail to count in the equation the so-called “writer’s block” and the physical strains that come with the activity. Making the same assumption won’t be beneficial for your first book, so don’t ever do that.

Tip #5: Create A Plot – Or Not

A storyline serves as your guide so that you won’t forget what topics should go in which chapters. You can generate one if and only if you have no qualms about going out of plot at times, which usually happens when the author comes up with a better scenario. Considering you’re OC, then you may forego the summary until you finish the book.

Tip #6: Know Your Characters

The sixth advice is for folks who want to write fiction. This genre is so different from the ones that speak of global warming or fighting depression, for instance, because the latter mostly has the writer as the main character. On the contrary, the former requires you to build up so many personas to make things extra believable for the readers.

What you can always do is conduct an “interview” with all the characters in your book beforehand. Think about how they may act or look like in real life, to be specific. This way, you can have a reference to go back to anytime.

Tip #7: Write Daily

Lastly, never allow a day to pass without scribbling down a part of the literary piece. Some instances can make it challenging, such as busyness, relationship issues, lack of creative thoughts, and whatnot. The more you slack off, though, the more you’ll have difficulty in completing your work.

With the suggestions above to boot, I hope you succeed in writing your first book. Good luck!

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Being a professional in a competitive work industry is not an easy thing to do. Whether you like it or not, several problems will come your way. These issues can increase the challenges that you encounter every single day. Because of this, it is vital or crucial on your part to be wise enough to learn how to choose a stable job. Make sure that you end up working for a company that you like and a job that you are proud of.

According to Dr. Jonathan Golding, “If you’re thinking about getting a job, it’s important to make a plan before you go out looking for them.”

In today’s article, we are going to talk about the things that you need to look for in a stable job. “True, jobs occasionally do drop in people’s laps but putting your job-search eggs in that basket puts the odds against you,” said Marty Nemko Ph.D. The goal or objective of this post is to inspire everyone to go out of their comfort zone. We want to teach you a lesson that getting stuck in one of the worse things that can happen to you. As such, it must be your primary goal to look for a stable job that you can see yourself performing or doing for the next ten or thirty years.

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Understanding Boss

As much as possible, look for an employer who knows how to handle his employees. Take your time in checking the attitude of your future boss towards work and the people under him. He must be someone who can provide you with understanding and patience, especially at times when you need it the most. He must not have the attitude of shouting to workers or embarrassing them whenever something goes wrong. Otherwise, your mental health will deteriorate if you work for him.

Good Pay

Stop denying to yourself that what truly matters is your happiness in the workplace. Of course, you cannot deny the fact that you also want to earn big from a company that you love. Because of this, it is best if you will discuss the potential salary that you will receive at a given firm before signing a contract. It is also ideal to ask for the possibility of promotions or increases in your salary when the right time comes. Keep in mind that it is not a bad habit to discuss money matters before signing the employment contract.

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Efficient Workplace

 

Another thing that you have to look into is the efficiency of the office. Are all the team members good enough when it comes to dealing with each other? Is the environment perfect for someone who wants to have peace of mind at the office? Can you relate to the goals and objectives of the entire workforce? If you answered yes to all these questions, then you have probably found the stable job that you are looking for. Remember that it is essential to work in a company that knows the real value of employees. At the same time, it can also be satisfying to become a part of a team that prioritizes in delivering high quality of work.

Getting a stable job must be your top priority at the moment.

 “Whatever you do, remember that the rewards will be worth it in terms of greater accomplishment, less stress, and more peace of mind,” according to Melanie Greenberg Ph.D.

 

Coaxing a young picky eater to eat vegetables is always a struggle for most parents. You can try to entertain, bribe, or even beg the little one to consume the colorful pieces on their plate, but they’ll still stand their ground. Once you run out of tricks, though, that’s when you may lose your patience and silently hope that your anger will make them eat. (You know it won’t.)

There are a couple of problems apparent here. The first one is that the child only knew hotdogs, fries, and other fried foods since birth. Hence, asking them to let go of such delicious stuff and have broccoli or carrots instead won’t honestly go well.

The second issue is that vegetables are unfamiliar objects for the kids. They probably have no clue how to eat them; that’s why their mind tells them not to have any of it. Aside from that, you, as the parent, may need to explain more regarding the importance of a healthy diet in a way that children below ten years old can understand.

“Whether picky eaters or not, kids don’t always want what’s healthy for them—especially fruit and vegetables. But there are ways to make them more enticing,” said Jeanne Segal Ph.D. and Lawrence Robinson.

Keep on reading if you want to see other reasons why kids should learn about proper nutrition now.

Natural Products Seem Extra Palatable

A child tends to develop a liking towards new food choices the more they know about it. Dina Rose Ph.D. said, “Begin by setting aside the goal of getting kids to eat new foods. Instead, think of exploring new foods as a science experiment.” You can discuss why fruits and vegetables come in different colors or offer them a hands-on experience when preparing the goods. It will ideally squelch their anxiety and make them eat the natural products.

The Kids Know What To And Not To Eat

Children, even the ones who are still yet to learn how to use their words, can understand and remember everything you always tell or show them. By making it a habit to teach kids why or why not they shouldn’t consume various foods tooo often, they’ll more likely keep that in mind. “So modeling good eating behavior is important at home”, according to Vanessa LoBue Ph.D.

You’ll Take Fewer Trips To Fast-Food Chains

Giving the youngsters a few ideas about what junk food does to the body can also mean that you won’t have to stop at the drive-through multiple times a week. Not only does it let you save on gas and physical energy; you can share a home-cooked meal regularly too.

Health Problems Will Stay At Bay

The thing about diseases is that they quickly come when you always fill your body with unhealthy foods. It is particularly true with the kiddos since they still don’t have an established immune system. But if they welcome a balanced diet from a young age, you may never have to worry about obesity, heart-related illnesses, diabetes, etc.

Nothing Can Hinder Your Children’s Growth

Of course, all parents wish for their offspring to develop well emotionally, physically, and mentally. While a child who only eats and drinks sugary stuff may lack in one or two areas, someone who gets the essential nutrients from natural products can fare better regarding personal growth.

Teaching kids about proper nutrition should begin even before they can walk or speak. From the time the pediatrician says you can start introducing real food to a child at around six months, you may get their palates accustomed to the taste of veggies and fruits too. That will lessen your chances of raising a picky eater.

Cheers!

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Being in a relationship can be fun and exciting, especially if you are too much in love with your partner. It may seem that everything in your life is turning out to be fantastic and near to perfection. Because of this, you probably want to share with the whole world how amazing your relationship is. However, this can be a big problem if someone close to you is in a different situation. Whether you like it or not, you will still feel stressed out the moment you find out that your best friend has a broken heart.

Of course, a big part of you will become interested in finding a way to assist her in this challenging period of her life. Just because you are in a fruitful and growing relationship does not mean that you can just leave your old friend behind. For this reason, it is ideal if you will continue reading the rest of the post so that you will learn more about the top strategies that you can use to help a broken-hearted friend.

Be A Shoulder To Cry On

Shirley Vandersteen, PhD, shares, “With words and touch you have to tell your friend that you care.” One of the things that you must do is to offer your shoulders whenever your friend wants to cry. Avoid being a judgmental person who will keep on forcing her to move on from the broken relationship. You have to understand the fact that her situation is far different from yours. As such, you do not need to keep on forcing her to get over about the breakup immediately. As such, be available whenever she needs someone to talk to.

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Be A Good Listener

Another thing that you must always keep in mind is to develop the habit of being a good listener. Whenever your friend starts to open up about her breakup, be sure that you will lend your ears. Avoid saying unnecessary comments that will make her sadder. Instead, make an effort to think twice before you will open your mouth. Failure to do this can make your friend hurt even more. Sometimes, all she needs is someone to discuss her frustrations with. Avoid saying comments or feedbacks about her previous lover.

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Go On A Vacation Together

Shainna Ali PhD, LMHC, notes, “In a healthy friendship, you look forward to sharing quality time.” If you are too close with the person who recently got her heartbroken, be sure to consider going on a vacation together. Runaway with your close friend and help her heal her broken heart. Take note that going to a new place together can mean a unique environment for her. She can become exposed to new factors or circumstances that will encourage her to be better. At the same time, it will also provide an opportunity for both of you to realize that the world is a beautiful place to live in. You must know how to find the sources of your happiness, as well as how to keep them all in one place.

Be the best kind of friend that can help a broken-hearted individual become better and feel lesser pain. As what Suzanne Degges-White, PhD, adds, “Friends are the jewels that help us make it through the daily grind of life – the gold among the dross and the wheat from the chaff, to borrow a couple of timeworn similes.” Follow all the things we mentioned in this post.

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There are many things that you have to remember when it comes to dating. As a woman, you have to be mindful of the little things that you do while you are out with someone. Make sure that you have the right presence of mind while you spend quality time with someone, especially if you are not so familiar with the said person. In this modern time, dating apps have become prevalent. As such, many people end up meeting in these applications until they eventually decide to see in person. “As such, many people end up meeting in these applications until they eventually decide to see in person,” quoted Jeremy Nicholson M.S.W., Ph.D.

If the person that you are about to meet is someone that has introduced himself to you through the said dating apps, then be sure to read this article. For today’s post, we are going to discuss some of the essential dating techniques to remember. Take note that meeting someone in person for the first time can be excruciating. A big part of you will feel embarrassed since you have no idea how to act well. Below are the top things to remember:

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Meet In Public

As much as possible, think of your safety at all times. “Always meet a new potential dating partner in a public place where there are other people and witnesses, and be sure to end the date quickly if you feel uncomfortable in any way in which your boundaries are not being respected,” says Andrea Schneider, MSW, LCSW.  Therefore, if you have decided to go out on a date with a person that you are not familiar with, the right thing to do is to choose a public place for the meet-up. Be smart enough to choose a location that will expose you to different kinds of people. This way, you can somehow get a guarantee that nothing wrong will ever happen to you. Avoid being too trusting immediately to save yourself from potential harm.

Ask The Right Questions

“Curiosity: the one trait in a date that leads to a lasting mate,” quoted psychiatrist Paul Dobransky M.D. When you are conversing with your date, do not forget to make an effort to keep things interested. Do not place the entire burden on him. You have to take note that you must also learn how to ask the correct questions or sustain your topics. Avoid being a wallflower because it will only make your date boring. At the same time, there is a good chance that your meet-up will not end nicely. Be sure to think twice before you open your mouth. Be sensitive with what the other person might feel.

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Be Comfortable At All Times

Another thing that you must remember is the importance of acting comfortable and relaxed while bonding with your date. Do not overthink about his reactions to your words or actions. Otherwise, you will only end up being paranoid. If this continues to happen for a long time, there is a good chance that you will compromise the dating scene between the two of you. Be confident about who you are as a person. Stop pretending to be someone that you are not. Keep in mind that the best part about dating is getting to know the other person well. Aside from this, also find a way to encourage the other person to feel comfort or easiness whenever he is by your side.

Dating can be exciting and enjoyable as long as you know how to handle everything. Do not forget to follow the tips and tricks mentioned above.

Nothing is wrong with getting hooked on social media.  It’s the kind of messages you engage with that sometimes make it so.  Maybe, it’s about time to be mindful of your responses, the things you share, posts you like, as those describe very much who you are.

Continue reading “Mindfulness: The Ugly Truth About The Content We Consume (Social Media Engagement)”

Are you the type of person who has a hectic schedule to the point that you are starting to miss out on important events or occasions? Do you find it hard to spend time with your loved ones because of your work or business? Is it a struggle to take a day off from everything that keeps you busy? According to psychologists, busy people are productive and efficient in everything they do. However, we cannot deny the fact that their schedule may classify them as top performing individual, but at the same time, it can also be the primary cause of stress and anxiety.

Unfortunately, many people still choose to work too hard even though they are already exhausted or has run out of energy. Because of this, they end up getting sick, and some people also decide to take their own lives. For example, in Japan, the number of stress-related suicide has risen over the past few years. Many Japanese nationals spend most of their times at work even if it means not eating on time or not getting enough sleep at night. Some of these nationals die peacefully in their sleep because of over fatigue while others could no longer take it, which is why they resort to suicide.

In this article, we want to show to everyone that it is still possible to achieve genuine happiness despite your busy or hectic schedule. The primary purpose of this write-up is to encourage all the readers to keep going. We want to remind everyone that you still have a choice on what to feel and how to handle your emotions or thoughts. Make sure to remember these if you want to continue feeling happy even if you have become too busy:

 

Familiarize Your Schedule

Do not get overwhelmed with all the things that you have to do or the events that you need to attend. “Always consider the final result when beginning a task. Have a clear target to hit,” said James Davidson, Ph.D. Take note that you always can control everything that happens in your life. All you must do is to be smart enough in familiarizing your schedule so that it will be easier on your part to become the master of time management. Once you know your day-to-day schedule, you can start to adjust the entries on your calendar. Once this happens, you will begin to become stress-free.

Take A Break If Necessary

Another thing that you must learn how to consider is taking a break from everything that keeps you busy. Find the courage within yourself to take a step back and allow yourself to rest. Take note that just because you have decided to break for a little while does not mean that you are weak. No one should be faulted for wanting to rest for days. Nonetheless, it is crucial on your part to arrange everything at work or in your business before taking off for a quick vacation. As much as possible, conduct a proper turnover of the documents and tasks to avoid any problems while you are gone.

Reward Yourself

There are many entries in your calendar, which is probably the primary reason why you always feel stressed or anxious. By merely looking at these entries, you would probably feel dizzy and want everything to be done. As such, it is best if you will find time to reward yourself whenever you have accomplished something great from your daily schedule. Take note that you deserve to smile and have fun. Reward yourself by going on a shopping spree or getting a makeover. Remember that you deserve good things.

 

Be Physically Active

Regardless of your workload, be sure to find time to exercise or perform fitness activities. “Make exercise an essential part of your routine,” as stated by neuroscientist Alex Korb Ph.D. Always keep in mind that living a healthy lifestyle can do wonders in your mental health. According to science, the human body is capable of releasing dopamine or “happy hormones” once it exercises or engaged in physical activity. For this reason, you will feel happier and become kinder to everyone around you. Do not worry about taking time from your budgeted schedule for the day. All you need is at least thirty minutes to exercise at the gym or the convenience of your own home.

According to Jennice Vilhauer Ph.D., “The reason most people find happiness to be elusive is that they don’t do the things that they need to in order to experience mental wellness.” Do not allow your schedule to cause stress in your life. Instead, use it as a motivator to keep you going.