Stop being sad: 8 tips to stay in a good mood

If something’s bothering you – don’t think about it nonstop, try not to start your day reading bad news, and if you’re in a relationship – try and groom it as much as possible. This explains how to stop being sad and not sink into depression.

While being in a bad mood, a lowering in our optimism and self confidence happens. our brain starts to work slower and will have problems processing new things. people also reported about being tired and with no desire to do any chores.

Here are 10 useful tips on how to stop being sad and keep up a good mood:

1. Get enough sleep

We all need between 6-8 hours of sleep. The personal difference lies in the number of hours each of us require – but this is pretty much the range. Being tired all week adds up and is not really fixable by sleeping a lot during the weekend.

A shortage of even one hour per night will somewhat hurt your ability to function properly the next day. Long lack of sleep will cause bad mood and harm your imagination and thinking process.

2. Stop thinking about things that bother you

Repetitive thinking about such a subject might make your mind develop obsessive patterns while working the “automatic” mechanism that is in the brain – resulting in bad judgment and much frustration.

In order to stop the “loop” process of your brain – you must fill it with different thoughts that will forcibly “reject” the bad thinking pattern.

That way you will have some relief from the problem and will let your mind relax and get proper proportions on the subject. A good movie can help with this – or even meeting and sitting with friends.

3. Before going to sleep, Read a happy book or watch a good movie

Bad dreams that come as continuation to the bad content you were watching will generally affect  you even on the next day, even if you don’t really remember its content.

Experiencing bad dreams will leave a trail of neurotransmitters just like after a real bad experience that happened in real life and might affect us all day long.

4. Don’t start your morning with reading bad and bothersome news

Try and reading the light and easy news like sports or any other section that you find interesting. morning experiences might affect your whole day.

6.Remind yourself that past bad experiences that looked life changing – now seem meaningless

For instance, parties you weren’t invited to when you were on the 6th grade or a test you failed in high school. This is probably how you’d look on present problems, in the future.

7. At the end of a work day – try doing some physical exercise 

Take a walk with the dog around the neighborhood or even take a short walk in the park. This will change how you feel and will fade away your tiredness that comes with the end of a day – and will allow you to enjoy your free time even more.

8. Find love and groom it

Love between two people will release Oxytocin, hormone that only appears in an advance stage of a relationship and is responsible for self esteem and general inner peace that loved ones feel.

Notice that during the stage of falling inlove, Dopamine is released in the brain, that may make you feel euphoric and excited but this is just a stage and intro to the love and oxytocin a bit later.

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7 Important Things You and Your Partner Should Know about Relationship

A happy and successful relationship is something that every couple strives for. At the very beginning of our love affair we are generally overwhelmed with passion and excitement and it seems our affection will last forever and nothing can spoil our ideal relations with the one we love. But when we move to the next stage, we face numerous problems like misunderstanding, distrust, jealousy and finally quarrels. All these things may happen if both partners are not experienced enough and their perception of love is rather distorted. In order to be happy together, you and your sweetheart should be aware of certain things that will help you to build a perfect and long lasting relationship. Here are some of the most crucial rules that every couple must always keep in mind.

1. Communicate Clearly

Every time you communicate with your significant other, don’t forget to speak your mind clearly. You love each other and there must not be any secrets between the two of you. That is the basic rule you should stick to. Sometimes we don’t express our thoughts and desires, expecting that our partner can guess what we want to say. Unfortunately, they are not able to read our mind, so it is necessary to tell them everything distinctly, without any hints. This way, you will avoid unwanted troubles that may have a negative impact on your relationship.

2. Learn to Forgive Each Other

If you plan future with your lover, you should certainly be ready to forgive one another. Otherwise, your happiness will not last for a long time. There are no perfect people in this world and everyone can be mistaken sometimes. Surely, it doesn’t mean you should easily forget all his bad deeds, but you also don’t need to hold your grudge for weeks. Instead try to accept your guy’s wrong behavior and forgive him. Your relations will get much better and you’ll enjoy your intimate feelings to the full.

3. Everyone Has Bad Days

It’s not a secret that all people can have hard days during which they feel depressed or even angry. So, you must consider this fact in order to prevent stressful situations with your boyfriend. When you see he is nervous, try to find out the reason of his stress and don’t get offended quickly. Perhaps your partner’s emotional state is caused by various problems connected with his job or friends. Sometimes we can wake up in a bad mood. At such moments everybody and everything annoy us. If you have noticed that your guy is irritated, it would be better for you to give him private space and leave him alone for some time. Don’t take it personally.

4. Be Kind to Your Partner

Kindness is highly appreciated by all people. Undoubtedly, a kind person appears more attractive and pleasant for others. Being kind is necessary to achieve a mutual understanding and harmony with those who surround us. Nowadays our life is very busy and we often forget about kindness and its great power. Actually, you don’t have to spend much time to display your kind attitude to the one you love. In my opinion, kindness is one of the easiest ways to improve any relationship and reach a compromise with a partner. After all, it’s never late to start being kind.

5. The Value of Commitment

There is no true love without commitment. This is the most efficient way to express your feelings to your significant other. You can use hundreds of words to describe your love, however, when you commit to your man, he will see that you are sincere with him and how much he is precious for you. Thus, every couple should realize the importance of commitment in their relationship. It will allow you to rely on your partner whatever happens and that is the key to a long lasting relationship.

6. Laughing Together is Helpful

Everybody knows that laughter is enormously beneficial for our health and our mood either. When it comes to our relationship the role of laughter can’t be overestimated. Is there anything more wonderful than the ability of two people who love one another to laugh together? I’m convinced that all couples go through rough times once in a while. Laughing together is a fantastic solution for you whenever you argue with your sweetheart. It will relieve the tension and you’ll feel relaxed.

7. Not to Quarrel in Front of Others

Quarrels and disagreements are an indispensable part of every healthy relationship. Therefore, you should expect that sooner or later you’ll be at odds with your partner as it is a common thing. We can hardly imagine a man and a woman whose relations are ideal and who always understand each other. Everything that happens between you and your lover is your own business and you don’t have to demonstrate others your personal life. The less people know about you, the happier you are.

Once you find your man, you will spare no efforts to build a strong relationship with him. Good relationship is impossible without understanding, trust and respect. Happiness with your sweetheart is the result of hard work and patience. These are the most fundamental rules that every couple is supposed to follow in order to be happy and to feel comfortable together. What things do you consider to be the most significant for successful relationships?

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6 Types Of Meditation Techniques And Their Benefits

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We all are aware about the benefits of meditation. Many doctors today recommend meditation to their patients. But now the question arises on how should you do it??

There are different meditation techniques for beginners and advanced practitioners and one can choose according to one’s liking and comfort.

Medicine Techniques

1. Concentration meditation:

In concentration mediation, you have to focus on a single point. You can either repeat a single word or a mantra for a long time, or focus on a single candle flame. Silently count in your mind or count the beads of the rosary while concentrating on your breathe. For a beginner, focusing your mind on a single point or activity can be quite challenging. So initially try to concentrate for few minutes and gradually increase the time duration.

Whenever you feel that your mind is wandering away from the point of concentration, you need to refocus your attention on the chosen object of your concentration. Through regular practice, you can meditate for a longer period of time and thus improve the concentration level. This is one of the simple meditation techniques.

2. Mindfulness meditation:

This technique is just the opposite of the concentration mediation. You need to regulate the thoughts as they come. It helps you not to jump to conclusions and reserve judgment.

You need to sit with your legs crossed or lie down comfortably. Close your eyes and let the thoughts pass through your mind. Breathe slowly and focus your attention on your breathing.

This technique of mediation is extremely popular if you want to indulge in introspection. It also helps you to analyse which direction your thoughts and feelings drift.

3. Walking mediation:

Walking mediation simply implies walking, while being aware of every step that you take and simultaneously concentrate on breathing. This can be practiced anywhere, in a park, garden or in a room and at any time of the day.

People generally combine walking mediation and mindful meditation together for a better experience. For this, you need to close your eyes and slow down your steps, stay calm and relaxed. Walking mediation can be practiced alone or with another person or with a group.

4. Spiritual mediation:

It is the oldest form of mediation and is the most popular technique all over the world. You can experience peace, guidance and inner wisdom once the mind is quite. You should sit in an upright position, concentrate on breathing and slowly chant mantras or God’s name. Many people practice spiritual meditation as a prayer offering to God, as they believe that they can channelize their thoughts in a particular direction.

5. Transcendental meditation:

This is an alternate technique of relaxation, in which you concentrate for 20 minutes on calming your thoughts everyday. To further ease the mind, mantras can be rhythmically repeated.

In this technique, the mind should remain passive instead of focusing on a single object or thought. There should not be any conscious effort on your part and the mind should be left alone. You should be constantly and unconsciously be infused with the power of “self-being”. This technique is known to increase intelligence, creativity and reduce high blood pressure.

6. Simple meditation:

This technique is designed solely for beginners. Include this in your daily routine, and set a time for 10-15 minutes every day. Perform mediation early in the morning before breakfast, as it is considered as the ideal time.

Choose a quite spot, where you will not be disturbed by others and eliminate interruptions and distractions. Sit quietly, close your eyes, relax your muscles and concentrate on your breathing. Continue this for 10-15 minutes daily.

Do try them and increase your meditation levels.

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8 Yoga Mudras To Overcome Any Ailments

                           

Yoga is not only an exercise but a form of spiritual practice to improve you physical, mental and spiritual well being. It doesn’t only refer to twisting and curling your body into different shapes and poses, but it also involves some specific mudras posed during meditations. Mudras mean gestures adopted during pranayams and meditations that directs flow of energy into our body. Yogic tantras say that these mudra yoga techniques stimulate different areas of the brain.

Hand yoga mudra and their benefits:

There are many different yoga mudras and each of them have a different benefit. Continue to read the explanation to each.

Gyan Mudra

                     

                                

This is the first yoga mudra pose known as Gyan Mudra or the Mudra of Knowledge.

How to do?

Practice this mudra while meditating. It’s perfect when you practice it early in the morning. Touch the tip of your index finger with the tip of your thumb. Keep the other three fingers straight. This is a very commonly used mudra when practicing meditation. This is a very beneficial mudra and anyone can practice this.

Benefits:

• As the name suggests, this mudra is meant to increase your concentration and memory power.
• This mudra sharpens your brain power.
• It has the ability to cure insomnia.
• Practice this mudra regularly to heal yourself of all mental and psychological disorders like anger, stress, anxiety or even depression.

Vayu Mudra

          

                                 

How to do?

This mudra can be practiced in a standing, sitting or lying down posture. Fold your index finger. When you fold your fingers, you can see two bones. These are called phalanx bones. While folding your index finger, press the second bone with the base of your thumb (see the picture). Keep the other three fingers straight. Do this at any time of the day as per your convenience.

Caution:

Once you achieve the benefits from this mudra, stop doing it. After a certain time, it may cause imbalance within your system.

Benefits:

As the name suggests, it balances the air element within your body. This mudra releases excess wind from the stomach and body, thereby reducing rheumatic and chest pain.

Agni Mudra (Mudra of Fire)

                        

How to do?

Fold your ring finger and press the second phalanx with the base of your thumb. Keep the rest of the fingers straight. This mudra should be practiced only in sitting position early in the morning with an empty stomach. Maintain this mudra for atleast 15 minutes every day.

Caution:

But if you are suffering from acidity or indigestion, avoid this mudra.

Benefits:

• It helps to dissolve the extra fat boosting metabolism and controls obesity.
• Quickens digestion.
• Improves body strength.
• Reduces stress and tension.
• Controls high cholesterol levels.

Prithvi Mudra (Mudra of Earth)

                                      

How to do?

Touch the tip of your ring finger with the tip of your thumb. While pressing the tips of these two fingers, keep the other fingers straight. It is preferable that you perform this mudra in the morning. Sit in apadmasana keeping the palms of both your hands on your knees. Perform this asana when you feel stressed out and exhausted.

Benefits:

• Improves blood circulation throughout the body.
• Increases patience and tolerance.
• Increases concentration while meditating.
• Helps strengthen weak and lean bones. Also increases weight.
• Reduces weakness, exhaustion and dullness of mind.
• This mudra makes you more beautiful by improving your complexion and giving a natural glow to your skin.

Varun Mudra (Mudra of Water)

                          

his is a very effective yoga asana for your overall health.

How to do?

Lightly touch the tip of your little finger with the tip of your thumb. The rest of the fingers should be kept straight. You may do it at any time of the day and in any position, but sitting cross-legged when doing thismudra is recommended.

Caution:

Take care not to press the tip of the little finger near the nail. That will cause dehydration instead of balancing the water level in your body.

Benefits:

• Balances the water content in our body. It activates fluid circulation within the body.
• Cures all skin issues like dryness, skin diseases and skin infections. It adds a natural glow and luster to your face.
• Also relieves and prevents any muscle pains that you may suffer from.

Shunya Mudra (Mudra of emptiness)

How to do it?

Press the first phalanx of your middle finger with the thumb.

Benefits:

• Practicing this mudra with full concentration will cure earache within 5-10 minutes at the most.

• It is also very helpful if someone is deaf or mentally challenged. But those who are handicapped inborn won’t benefit from this mudra.
  

Cautions:

After you are cured of these diseases, stop practicing this mudra.

Surya Mudra (Mudra of the Sun)

                         

                            

How to do it?

Press your ring finger and press it with the thumb just as shown in the picture.

Benefits:

• It is quite beneficial when it comes to reducing bad cholesterol.
• Want to lose weight? This mudra comes handy.
• Reduces anxiety.
• Also improves your digestion.

Prana Mudra (Mudra of Life)

                               

This is a very important mudra as it activates the energy in your body.

How to do it?

This yoga mudra pose should be accompanied along with padmasana. Bend your ring finger and little finger and touch the tip of both these fingers with the tip of your thumb.

There is no specific time to perform this asana. Any time of the day will be suitable.

Benefits:

• This mudra improves your immune system.
• It also increases your eye power and also cures any sort if eye diseases.
• It reduces fatigue and tiredness.

These are some very important mudras in yoga and are beneficial for your health. Practice them everyday.

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10 tips to improve the way you speak English

Can I 'neutralise' my accent?

Yes, you can. All you need to do is train yourself to speak English as comfortably and perfectly as you speak your mother tongue.

How do you train yourself? By inculcating certain practices in your daily lifestyle. These will get you closer to sounding like a native English speaker and equip you with a global accent -- and you will speak not American or British English, but correct English.

This is the first step to learn any other accent, be it American or British or Australian.

Lisa Mojsin, head trainer, director and founder of the Accurate English Training Company in Los Angeles, offers these tips to help 'neutralise' your accent or rather do away with the local twang, as you speak.

i. Observe the mouth movements of those who speak English well and try to imitate them.

When you are watching television, observe the mouth movements of the speakers. Repeat what they are saying, while imitating the intonation and rhythm of their speech.

ii. Until you learn the correct intonation and rhythm of English, slow your speech down.

If you speak too quickly, and with the wrong intonation and rhythm, native speakers will have a hard time understanding you. 

Don't worry about your listener getting impatient with your slow speech -- it is more important that everything you say be understood.

iii. Listen to the 'music' of English.

Do not use the 'music' of your native language when you speak English. Each language has its own way of 'singing'. 

iv. Use the dictionary.

Try and familiarise yourself with the phonetic symbols of your dictionary. Look up the correct pronunciation of words that are hard for you to say.

v. Make a list of frequently used words that you find difficult to pronounce and ask someone who speaks the language well to pronounce them for you.

Record these words, listen to them and practice saying them. Listen and read at the same time.   

vi. Buy books on tape.

Record yourself reading some sections of the book. Compare the sound of your English with that of the person reading the book on the tape.

vii. Pronounce the ending of each word.

Pay special attention to 'S' and 'ED' endings. This will help you strengthen the mouth muscles that you use when you speak English.

viii. Read aloud in English for 15-20 minutes every day. 

Research has shown it takes about three months of daily practice to develop strong mouth muscles for speaking a new language.

ix. Record your own voice and listen for pronunciation mistakes.

Many people hate to hear the sound of their voice and avoid listening to themselves speak. However, this is a very important exercise because doing it will help you become conscious of the mistakes you are making.

x. Be patient.

You can change the way you speak but it won't happen overnight. People often expect instant results and give up too soon. You can change the way you sound if you are willing to put some effort into it.

Quick tips

Various versions of the English language exist. Begin by identifying the category you fall into and start by improving the clarity of your speech.

~ Focus on removing the mother tongue influence and the 'Indianisms' that creep into your English conversations.

~ Watch the English news on television channels like Star World, CNN, BBC and English movies on Star Movies and HBO.

~ Listen to and sing English songs. We'd recommend Westlife, Robbie Williams, Abba, Skeeter Davis and Connie Francis among others.

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How To Live A Healthy, Fruitful, Peaceful And Happy Life

40 Ways To Live A Healthy, Fruitful, Peaceful And Happy Life

                           

I received the following tips from a colleague. I hope it will benefit you too and helps to achieve a healthy lifestyle.

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

3. Get more sleep. Record your late night shows for viewing later.

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to____ today.'

5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

6. Watch more movies, play more games and read more books than you previously did.

7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat more berries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13. Clear your clutter from your house, car, desk. Let new and flowing energy into your life.

14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16. Eat breakfast like a king/queen, lunch like a prince(ss) and dinner like a college kid.

17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.

18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20. Don't take yourself too seriously. No one else does.

21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

22. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about .

24. Burn the candles, use the nice bed sheets. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Forgive everyone for everything.

28. What other people think of you is none of your business .

29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time .

30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. So stop complaining about the weather, the job, your spouse, the fees etc.

31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will. Stay in touch.

32. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

33. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

34. The best is yet to come.

35. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

36. Do the right thing!

37. Call your family often.

38. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: ' am thankful for ___.' Today I accomplished ____.

39. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

40. Enjoy the ride. Remember that life is not a Disney World theme park ride and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.

Be Happy!

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Easy time-management tips

Good time management is essential for coping with the pressures of modern life without experiencing too much stress.

 

                            

If you never have enough time to finish your tasks, better time management will help you regain control of your day.

Good time management doesn't mean you do more work. It means you focus on the tasks that matter and will make a difference. Whether it’s in your job or your lifestyle as a whole, learning how to manage your time effectively will help you feel more relaxed, focused and in control.

“The aim of good time management is to achieve the lifestyle balance you want,” says Emma Donaldson-Feilder, a chartered occupational psychologist.

Here are her top tips for better time management:

Work out your goals

This first step towards improving your time management is to ask yourself some questions. “Work out who you want to be, your priorities in life, and what you want to achieve in your career or personal life,” says Donaldson-Feilder. “That is then the guiding principle for how you spend your time and how you manage it.”

Once you have worked out the big picture, even if it's quite general, you can then work out some short-term and medium-term goals. “Knowing your goals will help you plan better and focus on the things that will help you achieve those goals,” says Donaldson-Feilder.

Make a list

A common time-management mistake is trying to remember too many details, leading to information overload. A better way to stay organised and take control of your projects and tasks is to use a to-do list to write things down.

“Try it and see what works best for you,” says Donaldson-Feilder. She prefers to keep a single to-do list, to avoid losing track of multiple lists. “Keeping a list will help you work out your priorities and timings, so it can help you put off the non-urgent tasks.”

Work smarter, not harder

Good time management at work means doing high-quality work, not high quantity. Donaldson-Feilder advises concentrating not on how busy you are but on results. “Spending more time on something doesn’t necessarily achieve more,” she says. “Staying an extra hour at work at the end of the day may not be the most effective way to manage your time.”

You may feel resentful about being in the office after hours. You’re also likely to be less productive and frustrated about how little you’re achieving, which will compound your stress.

Have a lunch break

Many people work through their lunch break to gain an extra hour at work, but Donaldson-Feilder says that can be counter-productive. “As a general rule, taking at least 30 minutes away from your desk will help you to be more effective in the afternoon,” she says.

A break is an opportunity to relax and think of something other than work. “Go for a walk outdoors or, better still, do some exercise,” says Donaldson-Feilder. “You’ll come back to your desk re-energised, with a new set of eyes and renewed focus.”

Planning your day with a midday break will also help you to break up your work into more manageable chunks.

Prioritise important tasks

Tasks can be grouped in four categories:

• urgent and important
• not urgent but important
• urgent but not important
• neither urgent nor important

“When the phone rings, it seems urgent to pick it up but it’s not necessarily important,” says Donaldson-Feilder. “It may be more important to continue with what you were doing rather than be distracted by a phone call. When it is appropriate, it may be more effective to let your voicemail pick up the message.”

Donaldson-Feilder says people with good time management create time to concentrate on non-urgent, important activities. By so doing, they minimise the chances of activities ever becoming urgent and important.

“The aim is to learn how to become better at reducing the number of urgent and important tasks. Having to deal with too many urgent tasks can be stressful,” says Donaldson-Feilder.

Practise the 4 Ds

We can spend up to half our working day going through our email inbox, making us tired, frustrated and unproductive. A study has found that one-in-three office workers suffers from email stress.

Making a decision the first time you open an email is crucial for effective time management. To manage this burden effectively, Donaldson-Feilder advises practising the 4 Ds of decision-making:

• Delete: half of the emails you get can probably be deleted immediately.
• Do: if the email is urgent or can be completed quickly.
• Delegate: if the email can be better dealt with by someone else.
• Defer: set aside time at a later date to spend on emails that require longer action. 

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