How to Cope With Stress for a Happier Life

It’s important to learn how to cope with the stress in your life. Researchers have linked it to dozens of medical conditions. Learning to handle stress in a positive  way can change your life for the better. Instead of being overwhelmed and unhappy – you can be centered and content.

When it comes to stress, you’re far from powerless—there are a number of positive habits and behaviors you can use to effectively manage your mental state and bring your stress under control.
The first thing to remember is that your mental state is your responsibility.

The simple truth is you can’t control how your boss acts. You can’t control what your partner says. You can’t control the driver who cuts you off in traffic. But you can control yourself.

Others will do what they do, but how you respond to them—whether you take it in stride or freak out—is your decision alone.

Take a moment to consider how you have been responding to the stressors in your life. Almost everyone has some habit they turn to when life gets rough—what’s yours?

Do you reach for a cigarette or alcoholic beverage? Do you take your stress out on others? Do you overeat? Though they might provide short term relief, these behaviors are ultimately self-destructive. They hold you back from what you really want—a peaceful, balanced and abundantly healthy mind and body.

Learning to Relax

So what can you do? Next time you notice yourself feeling like the sky is about to fall, quickly and effectively bring your thoughts into positive alignment with one of the following simple techniques:

* Deep breathing. When you become stressed, take a moment and pay close attention to your breathing. Shallow breathing leads to greater stress and more negative physical responses. So breathe deeply instead. Let your stomach expand and contract as you breathe in and out.

This is called diaphragmatic breathing. Count the seconds as you breathe in—one, two, three, four. Hold for another four seconds. Then exhale slowly, for eight whole seconds. Keep doing this until you relax.

* Mental imagery. If you observe your thoughts during stressful situations, you may be surprised by how negative they are. These thoughts create a kind of feedback loop that only reinforces your negative emotions and causes you to feel even more stressed. One way to break this pattern of negative thinking is with positive mental imagery.

Visualize the calmest, happiest and most comfortable setting you can imagine, and mentally place yourself right into the middle of it. It might be a warm sunny beach with a calm breeze, or a peaceful afternoon in your coziest chair. Whatever it is, picture it as vividly as you can.

Make it real. Involve all your senses—what do you see, smell, taste, hear, feel? Smile inside, and become involved in the scene as it unfolds.

* Muscle relaxation. It might sound counterintuitive, but to relax, sometimes you have to tense up! But only for a moment—tense and relax different parts of your body beginning and the top of your head and continuing down. Include your eyes, neck, jaw, shoulders, legs, feet and any other part of your body that feels tight. Tense up, then let go, and feel the tension flow out of you as you relax.

* Biofeedback. With biofeedback, you learn to control your mood through careful attention to your mental and physical state. The training is simple and inexpensive and can even be done at home using easy-to-use feedback equipment. If you want to, you can also schedule an appointment with a trained biofeedback practitioner who will walk you through techniques used to reduce and eliminate the negative effects of stress on the body.

The great thing about these techniques is that with practice they become almost effortless and so easy that you can use them in anywhere. When things get crazy and your life is most stressful, you might not be able to find a comfortable, quiet place to unwind, but you can still use these relaxation techniques to manage your emotions and reclaim control of your mental state.

Making this kind of real positive change is never easy, but it can save your life. Your health depends directly on how you manage your stress. So take a deep breath, and start helping yourself let it go.

5 Ways to Be More Productive

Be more productive by following these 5 steps everyday. You will find that by taking these small actions on a consistent basis your life will change in big ways.

1) Manage your energy by drinking more water, take a short walk in nature everyday, breathe deeply and get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.

2) Focus on one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is a recipe for burnout. Focused energy is like a powerful laser beam – the job gets done and it gets done well.

3) Declutter your mind by making lists of things to do using an organized system. Declutter your environment by regularly getting rid of anything you are not using anymore. Keep everything orderly in mind and matter.

4) Set firm limits for your time online. How much time will you allow each day for email, news websites, social websites and other time stealing monsters? This is a big issue for productivity and you must confront it.

5) Decide each day what 5 things you will accomplish that day. Limit yourself to just 5 main things each day and make sure that at least one of those is something that will move you closer to your ideal life. At the end of a year you will have done 365 things to reach your desires!

Related articles about productivity:

• Productivity Boosters (smallbusinessbranding.com)
• Home Office Design Ideas and Tips That Every Web Worker Needs To Know (makeuseof.com)
• Help! My Life is Running Me (workitmom.com)
• Lifehacking: How to be more productive. (slate.com)
• Productivity Tricks from the Stars [Workflow] (lifehacker.com)

Top 10 Rules To Get What You Want In Life

Here are 10 Rules to get the life you desire. A life filled with prosperity, health, happiness, joy, good friends and purpose can be yours by following these rules everyday.

1) Only talk and think about the things you like. Devote most of your head space and mental real estate to what you love and desire in your life. Positive Thoughts = Positive Stuff. Underrated good things like joy, peace, contentment will be yours.

2) Never talk and think about the things you dislike about your life. You may have to take action to deal with them but resist giving them any head space. If your spending a lot of time thinking about bad things you will end up with more bad stuff. Negative Thoughts = Negative Stuff.

3) Stop complaining because this means you are violating rule number #2 which will lead to more of what you are trying to limit in your life: the stuff you want less of – the bad things.

4) Start living like a successful person. Dress nicely, smile often, stand up straight and look other people in the eye when you talk.

5) Stop trying to be perfect. We all have cracks “to let the light in”. People that seem perfect are obnoxious. The important thing is this: Are you doing YOUR best?

6) Motivate yourself daily with inspiring video, music, books, articles, and uplifting people. The internet makes this really easy. Make a habit to start everyday with inspiration.

7) Enjoy your life today. Most of what we want we can already have with very little money. The simple things are what give us true pleasure. Determine what makes you feel joy and start including these into your daily life.

8) Spend time in nature. Studies have proven that people feel much better when they are looking at nature. Get outside everyday for a short walk or to sit on a park bench and just absorb the good feelings.

9) Stop comparing yourself to others. The only thing that you need to concern yourself with is doing your very best in life. Be honest about this. Are there areas in your life that you are purposely holding back your best?

10) Do more of what works and less of what isn’t working. Everyday take a few minutes to ask yourself two questions: What did I do today that worked really well to get me closer to the kind of life I want? What did I do today that weakened my attempts to change my life for the better. Each day try to have more of what works and less of what does not work for you. This personal insight will change your life for the better.

Related articles about getting the life you want:

• Want to Save Money in the New Year? (abcnews.go.com)
• The power of gratitude, a year-round gift (cnn.com)
• Personal Meaning Is An Inside Job (boomercafe.com)

How to Avoid a Sexual Assault

The best way to avoid a sexual attack is to stay awake and alert in public. Never assume that you are in a safe situation. By taking responsibility to guard your perimeter you will be able to avoid most dangerous situations for this reason: attackers are looking for easy victims.

If you have ever seen a wildlife documentary where the lions are chasing the herd of antelope – you will remember that it is always the straggling antelope that has become separated from the herd that is attacked. The lions never go after the aware and prepared antelope. Human attackers are very similar. Easy victims are always selected.

Human attackers may be the handsome date that has slipped a drug in your drink when you were not looking. Never drink anything you did not order yourself and never leave your drink unattended. Take your drink with you to the restroom. Also do not rely on a female friend to watch your drink. Watch out for yourself and don’t depend on others to protect you.

Drinking to the point of intoxication makes you the human equivalent of a straggling antelope. Don’t do it. Limit yourself to one drink  – but then switch to a non-alcoholic beverage. If you want something mood altering go for something high caffeine. This will help you remain alert and prepared to defend yourself.

If you notice that you feel uncomfortable when you are out somewhere – immediately pay attention. This is your intuition warning you to be very alert. Prepare to leave as soon as possible without putting yourself in danger. Think carefully about the best way to handle the situation and then do it. Delaying is ignoring your gut feeling which is trying to get you to act now.

When you are out in public stay in areas that have lots of other people and lots of bright lighting. Make sure that you appear confident – a woman in control and with a purpose. Look around as you walk so that potential attackers realize you are paying attention.

Walk on the side of the street facing traffic so you are able to see any vehicle that stops near you immediately. If a vehicle stops near you to ask for directions or any other reason be aware that this is how many kidnappings take place.

Vans with sliding doors are especially dangerous but every car has a trunk that you could be thrown into. Don’t let anyone get close enough to you to do this! It is better to risk being shot in the open as you run than it is to allow anyone to get you into a vehicle.

Have you ever seen a frightened cat? Did it wait around to find out any specific information about the threat? No! It ran away immediately and fast. A cat on the move is nearly impossible to catch. The lesson here is to get away from danger the second your intuition and gut feeling warn you something is wrong.

Try to dress in clothes and shoes that will allow you to run away quickly.  Carry your keys to use as a weapon. An inexpensive and useful weapon is a corkscrew with a wooden handle that you can wrap your hand around. Pepper spray is especially good to have with you ready to use. A blinding bright flashlight is good too.

Never worry about embarrassment. Better to be considered rude or paranoid than to end up a polite rape victim. Carry a cell phone and call 911 if you sense danger. Know your location at all times so you can give the dispatcher the information about where you are.

Taking responsibility for protecting your personal boundary is an effective way to avoid sexual assault. Simply by doing this you create the appearance of a well-protected woman. Any potential attackers will usually move on in search of easier victims – instead of you.

Related articles about sexual assault

• How To Avoid Date Rape (howcast.com)
• Man admits eight-hour sex attack (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Women at Arms: Another Peril in War Zones: Sexual Abuse by Fellow G.I.’s (nytimes.com)
• Suspect identified in kidnapping of Phoenix girl (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Home Security for Women Tip #1

There are many things a woman can do to stay safe at home and increase home security to avoid becoming a victim of crime.

Crime prevention for women starts with you and the decisions you make to avoid dangerous situations and prevent them from happening.

This home security tip for women might save your life:

When someone comes to your front door that you were not expecting do NOT answer it.

Have a wide angle peep hole installed in your front door so you can see who it is. Now here is the important part: You will be tempted to open the door!

Don’t do it.

Even if it looks like a person that would be okay. Anyone can get access to a uniform. A bad guy knows that a white van and a uniform type outfit will fool many people. A woman might have a man with her hiding nearby. Teenagers may be involved in neighborhood crime.

Some of the reasons a person might try to get into your home are:

To harm you in some way.

To steal from you.

To see what you have inside of your home of value.

Or all of the above.

If you did not invite someone to your home you are not required to answer the door! Pretend you are not there.

Make this a firm rule for yourself and your family so you remember. Put a note on your door to remind yourself if necessary.

In addition make sure you have a good lock on your door and use it at all times. Keeping safe is about protecting your own boundaries at all times. Learning to be aware of safety in your everyday life is a great way to take care of yourself.

Related articles about Home Security:

• Robbery prevention from Seattle Police (magnoliavoice.com)
• Pinnacle Security Offers its Top 5 Tips for Staying Safe at Home (prweb.com)
• Crime Prevention Week: November 1 – 7, 2009 (newswire.ca)

What Depression Treatment is Best?

We live in a world where depression has become commonplace. Nearly a tenth of all Americans experience depression on a regular basis. Unfortunately, many go without treatment, suffering from symptoms that could easily be eliminated with appropriate treatment.

To make matters worse, we choose as a society to stigmatize depression and those who experience it often avoid seeking help for fear of being labeled mentally ill.

Although some types of depression require professional treatment, most all of us feel sadness and emptiness at certain times in our lives. Normal depression often occurs as a response to life circumstances and usually diminishes with time and activity.

More severe and chronic bouts of depression may require psychiatric evaluation and treatment. Though medication is sometimes prescribed, depressive episodes can often be successfully treated with counseling and a solid support system of family and friends.

Left untreated, depression can drastically affect a person’s quality of life. Feelings of loneliness and melancholy can make it difficult to break out of depression. This kind of suffering can often spiral into a deeper and more dangerous physical and emotional illness.

Self confidence, disposition, effective work life and the ability to reason effectively can all become casualties of depression. The resulting strain from can have harmful effects on relationships with loved ones and associates, all leading to further depression and negative self esteem.

Effective treatment may include psychotherapy sessions lasting from several weeks to several months where positive results are achieved by exploring a patient’s feelings over time and allowing them to open up and face the issues that are at the heart of their depression.

These conversations help a patient talk through their problems and sort out their feelings in a productive way.

As difficult as it seems, the best course of action is to take action. By recognizing how depression is affecting our lives, and reaching out for help, we can take the first steps toward healing and recovering our mental health.

The road to recovery begins by an honest evaluation and acknowledgment of our condition and a willingness to seek help.

Related articles about Depression Treatment:

• What is a Nervous Breakdown? (psychcentral.com)
• Study Cites Strong Link Between Obesity And Depression (inquisitr.com)
• Less Than One-Third of Adults with Mental Illness Will Get Help In 2009 (prweb.com)

Detox Diets: The Secret to Feeling Great

Here’s a fact about detox diets that may surprise you. You know that fatigue you feel, that rundown feeling that never seems to go away? Or–the fullness or indigestion that makes you feel like something went wrong between your mouth and gut. Even that nagging voice in your mind that makes you hate your body and think you’re fat. You’re all too familiar with these things, but what you might not know is that they can often be traced directly to the toxins that you put into your body. Ever since we are children we are fed preservatives and additives and who-knows-what in the form of food, drinks, chemicals, etc. Your body isn’t made to handle this stuff. The constant build up takes its toll.

If you’re like me you’ve had more than enough. It’s time to make a positive change. You need a detox. This can be accomplished through any of a number of easy practices. Some people detox through fitness, like walking or jogging. Others enjoy the detoxifying effect of yoga or relaxed mindfulness. These can do wonders for your body and help to cleanse your system. But even more powerful –and it seems more popular too–is a simple detox diet.

What changes are necessary in a detox diet? Remember that there are two goals to detox. One, you want to do what you can to reduce the flow of new toxins into your body. Two, you want to clear out the ones that are already in you. For the first goal, it is highly recommended that you only eat organic foods. This alone can cut a huge amount of harmful toxins from your diet. For the second, identify foods that are high in nutrition and antioxidants and begin to work them into your diet. Try fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, and nuts, and look for foods high in fiber. You don’t want to hear it, but that morning coffee–or evening glass of wine–may be doing you more harm than good and should be avoided if possible while detoxing.

The benefit of making these simple lifestyle changes can be enormous. When done right, a detox diet can breathe new life into both your body and mind. Of course, the results vary from person to person and depend entirely on you, but detox diets have been known to clear up lifelong skin problems, lead to smoother digestion and bring order to troubled bowel movements. Your body will show its thanks with a new vibrancy and aliveness that will surprise you. Somehow, the day just seems brighter once you have detoxed the nasty toxins from your system!

To make sure the detox process goes as smoothly as possible, take it slow at first and try to get started on a day when you can rest, relax and let your body react. Once you’ve begun to detox, you may experience certain effects of the toxins leaving your body, and as your body adjusts to the new diet. You may feel tired or sore or have headaches at first. Drink water–lots of water! You’ll need it because you may get diarrhea and you need to stay hydrated.

Despite the incredible benefits, there are some important things to remember. When you see the great effects a detox diet has on your health you may be tempted to overdo it–it’s easy to get too much of a good thing! Don’t detox too often for too long. A couple times per year is a good pace, and summer is the best time. Also, be aware that detox diets are not necessarily for everyone. When pregnant or nursing, women require certain extra nutrients that may be hard to come by when detoxing. People with specific medical conditions should make sure that the diet will not make things worse. “Talk to your doctor before making any big health decisions” might seem cliche after hearing it in so many articles and commercials but it is a very important step. Ask a doctor or nutritionist whether a detox diet is a good fit for your body.

Related articles about Body Cleansing and Detox Diets:

• Living and Raw Food Diets (thebestrawfooddiet.com)
• Alkaline Eating for Better Body Chemistry, PH Levels, and Overall Health (simplygreen.co.za)
• The Best Sources of Lycopene – Learn About the Best Food and How Lycopene Actually Works in Our Body (thebestrawfooddiet.com)

How to Understand Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and depression are often the result of over exertion. In our busy world, we’ve become accustomed to balancing many activities and projects at once. Long hours, and lack of sleep contribute to our frenzied lifestyles and the natural result is mental overload.

The sheer magnitude of it all makes it difficult to find the time or the mindset to relax. When we do slow down, we find ourselves filling that time with television or the internet rather than a quiet afternoon walk or settling in on the couch with a good book.

This mental confusion that dominates our lives can have a serious negative effect on the mental well-being of some people. We’re all wired differently, and what seems unbearable to one person might seem perfectly acceptable to another.

Those who are particularly sensitive have difficulty sorting out their emotions, and anxiety and depression can result from their inability to process everything that’s happening in their lives.

What we sometimes refer to as a nervous breakdown, is the expression of this inability to cope.

Stress and anxiety can be heightened by diet and lack of exercise. Coffee, energy drinks and sugar can sometimes trigger responses in people that are out of the normal range.

For those who often feel anxious and overwhelmed, simple planning and attention to these triggers can make all the difference in the world. There may be times when nothing seems to calm the mind and outside help is needed.

Thankfully, there are answers and remedies for these feelings of helplessness. Although anxiety and depression cause a variety of responses in people, these responses are well documented. The alarming thoughts and behaviors experienced by some people can often be relieved by these therapies.

Depression can be expressed in a number of clinically documented ways:

Sometimes a change of season can have a debilitating effect on a person’s general wellbeing. Seasonal Affective Disorders occur most often in the fall and winter when there is less sunlight and people tend to stay inside more often. People who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder also experience mood swings from anger to sadness to elation within a short period of time.

Postpartum depression experienced by women after childbirth causes a new mother to feel fear and apprehension at the great responsibility of caring for a newborn child. Often characterized by sadness, it is difficult for a woman to rise above her feelings of inadequacy to experience the great joy of her new baby.

Manic or Bipolar depression can cause drastic mood swings often teetering between extreme euphoria or feelings of elation and unbearable depression and helplessness.

Disthymia, though less severe than some types of depression is a chronic condition that effects the quality of life for those who suffer from it.

Cyclothemia, a condition similar but less severe than Manic or Bipolar depression can also cause drastic variations in a personÌs mood. Though experienced by both men and women, women tend to report a greater incidence of the disorder.

Certain forms of anxiety can be helpful at times by alerting our minds to action, and preparing us for stressful situations. Anxiety Depression does not fall into this category. General Anxiety Disorder is a form of anxiety depression that causes the sufferer to experience paranoia, inability to concentrate and erratic behavior.

Many disorders caused by or resulting in anxiety and depression can be treated with great success. Biofeedback, counseling and a variety of other therapies can be used to treat these conditions. For those who suffer chronic depression, diagnosis and treatment by a professional can bring relief and healing to those with little hope.

Related articles about Anxiety and Depression

• Build an LED Lamp That Simulates Sunrises and Sunsets [DIY] (lifehacker.com)
• Symptoms of Depression (fitnesstipsforlife.com)
• What is a Nervous Breakdown? (psychcentral.com)

Maintaining Your Weight Loss Goals

If you're like most women, losing weight is something you have been trying to do for a long time. The information in this article will make it easier for you to achieve your weight loss goals. Learning the facts about body fat, ideal weight, and how best to lose fat by eating the right foods and exercising - you will be able to more easily choose the right method for your individual lifestyle.

There are so many different types of weight loss program – so many products that claim to melt the weight away – it's not wonder it's really hard to decide what is the best choice for you. Choosing a program that is suited for your lifestyle will make it easier to start and to stick to it. This will result in the fast results that you are able to maintain over time. We are looking for a program that encourages you to make healthy changes while motivating you to keep at it.

 

Your weight and fitness are the key to health at every stage of your life from young girl to mature woman. The sooner you start making good decisions about health – especially achieving and maintaining the proper weight – the sooner you will be on the road to long term well-being.

Of course, the real challenge in any weight loss program is the one of keeping off all of our hard earned weight loss. The secret is too make a full lifestyle change and not just a one time diet.

This is where most people struggle. First the difficulty of losing weight and then the common problem of putting it right back on in a few months. You must learn a different way of living – choosing healthy foods and keeping unhealthy foods out of your kitchen completely. There are many top products and books today that can help in this effort. The rewards are great for those that learn to develop eating and exercising habits. Take the first step: get rid of all unhealthy food in your kitchen and replace it with food like fruits, veggies, whole and unprocessed grains.

The world is filled with delicious and satisfying meals that are good for you. So let's get started now!

Lose Weight and Get in Shape at Any Age

As we age our body changes and to our dismay we notice fat accumulating in areas that were effortlessly trim when we were younger. A slowing metabolism and a sluggish digestive system is part of the problem. Hormonal fluctuations add to the challenge of staying in shape.

But there is one ageless rule regarding our bodies: Too many calories and not enough exercise and you will gain weight. It is not true that we have to be out of shape and overweight just because of our age.

Look around and you will see plenty of older women that are in great shape. Being older is not an excuse to lose control of our health and fitness. It may be more work but the payoff is worth it. The choices we have made in our life about food and exercise will impact the body we now have and determine how much work and effort it will take to get into shape and develop new and healthy habits to stay that way.

It is important to determine what a healthy fat percentage is for your indiviual makeup. It is different for everyone based on your lifestyle and body shape. Maintaining a good fat to muscle ratio will enable you to stay healthy as you age. Fit older women are more independent and need fewer medications. Women at all stages of life enjoy many benefits from eating better and getting more exercise.

Doing all that you can to eat less fat and more vegetables and fruits will help you to live a longer and more enjoyable life. Better nutrition and exercise is the surest way to regain your youthful figure.

The most important thing is to get started today on the path to a new you. Sometimes the hardest part is simply beginning. So don’t delay another minute. Your new and improved life is waiting for you!

What is Anxiety?

Everyone you know seems to always say the same thing these days: I’m so stressed out. Life today is filled with pressure. Most of us are not prepared to deal with the stress and anxiety that our modern pressures of life generate.

As anyone who’s ever experienced anxiety will tell you it’s a miserable way to live. And not only is it a miserable way to live – but it can literally kill you. Anxiety and stress are the leading contributing factors in a multitude of diseases. Learning to deal with anxiety and stress is critical to your health.

In men, alcohol and drug abuse is the leading disorder and this is clearly related to anxiety and stress. The number one mental illness in America is anxiety disorder. Women are almost twice as likely as men to report suffering from anxiety and extreme stress. The most likely explanation for this is that men suffer in silence more often than women do.

Anxiety disorders are even more prevalent than depression. Anxiety disorders are a major health issue for senior citizens, and this problem will only increase as the American population ages. The cost to the United States for anxiety disorders is nearly 47 billion dollars per year.

Anxiety and stress are always experienced together. Stress in one form or another is the main cause of anxiety. Stress and anxiety account for most visits to primary care physicians. It is an underlying cause or major contributing factor to most diseases and chronic illnesses.

Learning to cope with stress before it becomes an incapacitating anxiety disorder is critical. No one should have to live a life of misery due to anxiety disorders. With the many tools and techniques available to help eliminate stress and to treat anxiety there is much hope in finding lasting relief from anxiety disorders.

Container Gardening Guide 101

An attractive and thriving container vegetable garden can be yours. In this container gardening guide I’ll give you all the information and tips you need to get started now. It’s fun, it’s easy. So let’s go…

Step 1 – Choose Your Veggies

What do you want to grow in your container veggie garden? The only rule is to choose vegetables that you actually like to eat – it’s one of the benefits of being a grown-up. There are many varieties of vegetables that have been developed especially for container gardening. Look for descriptive words like “bush,” “compact” or “dwarf” when buying vegetable seeds or transplants (small plants ready to put directly into the garden). It’s fun to start seeds indoors yourself (or in a mini greenhouse) about 8 weeks before it is expected to be warm enough to transplant them outside into your containers. (Note: Use this guide to grow herbs, strawberries and flowers in your container garden too.)

Tip: Plan to plant an extra pot or two of veggies to share with your friends.

Step 2 – Choose Your Veggie Planters

Gardening in containers is easy (you don’t need a PhD from a horticulture university to be successful – all you need is a little basic knowledge) but one of the most important factors in your gardening success is choosing appropriate garden planters. Nearly all vegetables and herbs will do well in a 5-gallon pot (12″ diameter and 12″ depth) but plants with shallow roots, like salad greens, will grow well in 6-8 inches of depth.

Use light colored pots for veggies that prefer cool temperatures (like lettuce and cabbage) and dark colored planters for heat loving plants (like tomatoes). For tall growing plants, choose pots made of heavy material like terracotta or add a layer of clean sand to the bottom of the planter for added weight and planter support.

Choose colors and styles of planters that compliment your house and yard. There is a large selection of beautiful garden planters available to suit any taste and budget. Consider self-watering garden planters for extra convenience and a sure water supply for thirsty plants on hot summer days. Some plants will do best if supported by a trellis or stake attached to the garden planter.

Tip: Share the fun and help a friend get started in veggie gardening.

Step 3 – Add Soil to Your Containers

The soil for vegetables that are grown in containers must be lightweight, loose, and hold moisture well. Regular soil is too heavy, compacts easily and should never be used in planters. It is important to choose a “soil-less” soil mix developed specifically for gardening in containers. These soils are various mixtures of vermiculite, perlite, peat moss and other nutrients.

The soil can be reused the following year by adding special soil boosters that replenish lost nutrients that vegetables require. Another benefit of using lightweight soil is that your planters will be easy to move around – one of the main advantages of container gardening is its portability.

Now for the fun part. The next step in our container gardening guide is…

Step 4 – Plant Your Veggie Garden

Follow the directions on the seed package to determine the best time for planting in your area based on your gardening hardiness zone. Use a zone finder tool to determine your zone by zip code and be sure to make a note of your zone number.

Many gardeners will sow seeds directly into garden planters for quick growing veggies like greens, but purchase transplants for longer maturing vegetables like tomatoes. After planting your seeds, spray soil lightly with a mister and cover pot with plastic wrap to retain moisture and warmth. Keep the soil moist at all times. When the seeds sprout, remove the plastic cover but continue to water very gently – remember they are baby veggies and need loving care.

Other information about the plant’s requirements (spacing, etc..) can be found on the seed package. Try to give each plant the conditions that they prefer. This is easy to do with container gardening – you control all of the environmental factors (soil, sun, water etc…).

Tip: Remember to add your favorite herbs, small fruits (like strawberries) and flowers (nasturtiums and dwarf marigolds are nice) to your veggie planters.

Bonus tip: Plant salad greens around the base of your tomato plant. By the time the tomato plant in the center needs the space you will have harvested the greens.

Step 5 – Fertilize and Water Veggies

Your veggies need to be watered daily and fertilized on a regular basis. Fertilizer is the key to abundant produce and healthy plants. Fertilizer replenishes the nutrients that plants need and that are washed away every time you water your containers. For best results look for complete organic fertilizers that are recommended especially for container gardening and fertilize according to the package directions.

Avoid using liquid fish emulsion fertilizer – cats and raccoons love the smell. (A special note about herbs: Herbs need less fertilizer than vegetables. So after the initial planting, you will not need to add fertilizer again.)

Watering must be done daily and more often on extremely hot summer days when the planter soil is likely to dry out quickly. Be sure you have free flowing drainage holes in your garden planter. Elevate veggie planters on bricks or wood to allow drainage and to protect surfaces. Consider watering aids and time-savers like self-watering planters, water-holding crystals that are added to the soil mix, and drip-irrigation systems designed especially for gardening in containers.

Tip: Put a layer of peat moss on top of the soil in each planter to help retain moisture.

Step 6 – Give Your Veggies Sunshine

Most vegetables require 6 hours of sunlight daily. Leafy vegetables like lettuce will do fine with somewhat less light. If necessary, putting planters on casters makes it easy to move your plants from areas of limited light to more sunny areas. Group pots of heat-loving veggies together in the warmest spot on your patio and cluster vegetables that prefer cooler temperatures in areas that are sheltered from the hot afternoon sun.

Garden design is a great opportunity to create a garden that is productive, creates useful extensions of your living space and is pleasing to look at. A potting bench can even be used as an outdoor buffet for family dining on the patio or deck.

Tip: Get your kids involved in gardening. Even kids that don’t like veggies will eat the baby carrots they grew themselves.

Step 7 – A Daily Gardening Schedule

Your new vegetable garden is very low maintenance requiring few supplies or tools, but you will need to water daily, fertilize regularly and be sure to harvest your veggies and berries as they ripen (the fruit of your labor). Herbs can be snipped and used as needed, either fresh or dried.

Most important of all, is to enjoy the time you spend in your garden – getting your hands in the soil and working with nature is relaxing and also provides a satisfying sense of accomplishment.

Tip: An attractive planter of salad greens or herbs makes a healthy and thoughtful gift.

It’s that easy. You’ll soon discover that there is nothing like the taste of fresh, just-picked vegetables from your own thriving container garden.

How to Create an Easy and Elegant Holiday Hairstyle

The holiday season is coming soon and you’ll want to check out this great video of an easy and elegant holiday hairstyle! This hairstyle is simple for anyone to do in just a few minutes and the results are beautiful. Your friends will be amazed at the results.

Get Your Ex Back Now – (If You’re Sure You Want To)

If you’re struggling with a broken relationship, this new series will help you learn how to get back with your boyfriend or husband – before it's too late. Many couples are facing extra stress in their relationships because of the economic downturn. Job loss, home foreclosures, and debt can lead to extreme stress that’s difficult for a relationship to handle. Often a breakup is the result. But first, ask yourself if you really want him back. Sometimes the relationship really wasn't good for you, so think about this. If you've decided you really do want to get back together then this article might help. First of all, if he's already left don't panic. Unfortunately, when a boyfriend or spouse leaves, most women do all the wrong things. Some of the mistakes women make are:

1. Beg them to stay with us
2. Cry and get hysterical
3. Create a “medical emergency” to get their attention
4. Try to convince them we are the "love of their life"
5. Apologize for everything
6. Explain how it's not our fault
7. Promise to change and tell him this time it will be different

When this doesn't work, women make even more mistakes. This is the point that many women will do the following:

1. Get defensive
2. Have big arguments and blowups
3. Panic
4. Let things get out of control with really ugly scenes

It's not your fault that you don't know this -  but these behaviors don't work at all!  In fact, all that’s accomplished is creating more distance in the relationship. The good news is that there are things you can do now that will work! There really are specific reasons that many couples get back together in spite of serious problems. This series will look at what to do and when to do it if you are facing a breakup. We will talk about what to do to get back together and also how to stay together forever. I know you are in a lot of pain right now and this next suggestion will take all of your willpower but it must be done. For the next few weeks you need to just take a break and not contact your boyfriend or husband except for “family business” type things. And even then keep it very brief and say nothing else about the two of you and your relationship. Then work on yourself and your life now. Your life without him. This will have the effect of making him feel less trapped and he will even have a chance to think about why he fell in love with you in the first place. 

Living In The Now Is The Secret To Happiness

Always fretting about the past or focusing on the future leads to anxiety and a sense of unhappiness. But the worst thing about this habit is that you never live your life fully – right now. You actually miss real life as it’s happening in all it’s daily moments.

According to an article in Psychology Today, if you accept that this is your life -  now – in all it’s positive and negative aspects, and just allow yourself to experience it, your life will open up in interesting ways you hadn’t expected.

Learn to let go of the exhausting search for something better and savor what is – right now. You should still have goals; just hold them lightly so that they don’t take over your present life. If you are working on a project that is a step to future goals then make sure you enjoy the process and are totally aware of the moment.

For tips and ideas about how to enjoy the journey of your life, visit Psychology Today.

10 Ways To Enjoy The Simple Life Now

When was the last time you gave yourself permission to slow down and enjoy life’s simple pleasures? If you are like most people you get caught  up in trying to balance the many items on your to-do list and forget your own need for relaxation. In my opinion, most of the good things that make life wonderful are free or very low cost. I’m going to start with a list of 10 ideas and I will try to make this a series with another batch as I think of them. (Speaking of “batches”, homemade cookies come to mind…)

1. Observe the stars in the night sky.
2. Go to a thrift store and buy a novel.
3. Sit on your porch and read the novel.
4. Make yourself a hot cup of tea.
5. Brew some coffee and savor the smell.
6. Make sun tea.
7. Go on a walk – take your dog if you have one.
8. Go to a park and just enjoy nature.
9. Watch the sun set.
10. Take a nap.

Bonus: Rent a dollar movie and make some popcorn! Try to do the items on this list at least once every week. Can you think of other great ideas?

How To Stop Emotional Eating

For many women emotional eating is the main reason they struggle with weight loss. Emotional eating is when you reach for food in response to an emotion or feeling rather than true hunger. This makes sense because eating is very nurturing. Also, if you’re upset, eating is a way to make yourself feel better, especially if it's a treat you really like. The problem is that because you’re feeling emotional to begin with, you probably won't stop at a 150 calorie snack. You won't feel so good later – especially if you are trying to lose weight. In order to stop this problem from adding unwanted pounds to your body you need to take action and figure out what emotions trigger your unplanned eating. There are 3 ways to do this:

1. Keep a food diary of what you eat and how you felt before you decided to eat. You will start to see patterns and notice when it's happening again.
2. Before you eat, stop and ask yourself if you are hungry or feeling some other emotion like boredom or loneliness.
3. What are some alternatives to eating when you experience these problem emotions? Keep brainstorming ways to live the life you want to live. What do you really like that's not food related?

Learning to deal with emotional eating is all about getting in touch with what you are thinking, feeling and doing. Being aware of your behavior instead of living on autopilot is the first step to taking control of your emotional eating. Consistently monitoring yourself by keeping a food journal will help you  change your habits and behaviors so that you only eat when you are hungry instead of in response to feelings and thoughts. This is the key to meeting weight loss goals easily.

A 7 Step System To Liberate Your Finances – Part 1

Step 1:

Is your bank safe? Did you know that the FDIC’s list of the most unsafe banks in America is top secret? Yet it’s vital to know if the company  holding your savings is  worthy of your trust.

Thankfully, there are resources and tools that can help you determine if it’s time to shop for a new bank – or if you can rest easy with the one you already have.

Here are the online tools that will get you the information you need:

http://www.weissratings.com/weakest-banks-and-thrifts-in-us.php

http://www.thestreet.com/screener/index.html?src=ratingsindex&tab=3

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/safesound/ss_home.asp

Having a financial institution  that you can trust is core to our system. Before doing anything else, be sure you have an account at a safe bank or credit union.

A System To Stop Procrastination

I used to struggle with procrastination until implementing this system that nips procrastination in the bud – and actually gets a task or project done from start to finish. While there is nothing new about each step, it’s the timing of the steps that work the magic. You’ll be moving back and forth between detail thinking and big picture thinking at precise times.

It’s important to follow each step in this exact order as you move through the task or project:

1. To increase the likelihood of actually getting started on a task, focus on the exact details needed to get it done. Then determine the very next action to move the task or project forward. Do it and then determine another next action, and so on.
2. While you’re doing the task, focus on the emotion of the project by visualizing or daydreaming about the perfect outcome when you have finished the job.
3. If you start to get overwhelmed and frustrated, start focusing on the details again, as in step one. Keep thinking about the next action you need to take.
4. When it starts to get easy and the end is in sight go back to visualizing the big picture, as in step two. Focus on the reward you expect as you enjoy your success.

This is also a great way to override your subconscious mind and any behavior that you do on autopilot. Your tendency to self-sabotage is waylaid before it can mess things up for you yet again.

Here’s a simple illustration of the process:

1. Your car is dirty. You are committed to saving money by doing your own car washing. You think about what you need in order to do the job: a bucket, hose, soap, sponges, and towels. Do the best next action you can think of: find a bucket, fill it with supplies and take it outside, get hose to fill the bucket, and so on.
2. As you begin washing your car, allow yourself to imagine how good the car will look and feel when it is bright, clean and shiny. How proud will you feel about that beautiful car?
3. Suddenly you realize that the car is dirtier than you had expected when you decided to do the job yourself. It’s going to take longer than you thought and you’re starting to feel overwhelmed. You’re even contemplating paying someone to wash it for you – even though you’re trying to save money by doing chores around the house yourself. Immediately go back to detail thinking! What exactly is your next action to get the car clean? Focus only on the exact details at this point and it is highly likely that you’ll continue washing the car.
4. The job is almost done but you still have some work to do. Once again, allow yourself to visualize the beautiful clean car, how good it feels and how fine a person you are and such a hard worker!

After just a few minutes more, your car is clean and you have mastered your mind, rather than allowing your mind to master you. It’s all about consciously controlling your thought process so that your mind works for you and not against you.

By moving back and forth between detail thinking and big picture thinking at the right times, you are able to utilize the best of both worlds to your advantage.

Omega-3′s Ease Depression

According to a recent article in Medical News Today, researchers have the first documented study proving the effectiveness of omega-3 supplements for mild depression in menopausal and perimenopausal women.
The women showing beneficial results took one gram of EPA, a type of fish oil, every day for 8 weeks. Women with hot flashes also reported improvement after taking the omega-3 fish oil. The study didn’t show mental health benefits to women with more severe depression.
Omega-3′s have very few side effects and support heart health. Omega-3 fish oil can be purchased in special formulas that leave no after taste. To read more of this article visit http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/137186.php

To Stay Married You Must Put Your Needs First

Dr. Pat Hogan says that to be happily married you must learn to put your own needs first before anything else. This sounds selfish but it’s really not because only when your needs are met can you truly give to  others without resentment. If you feel resentment about the time you give to your spouse you will be holding back emotionally at some level and your spouse will notice.

Some ways to take care of yourself include setting aside time to exercise, meditate, nap, eat healthy, and do fun activities. Taking the time to determine what is important to you and then making sure you make these items a priority can improve your marriage by changing your attitudes for the better.

To learn more about this and to get other great ideas visit her website: DrPatHogan.com

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