Personal development is more than just a buzzword – it’s something we all need to work on if we want to achieve our goals and maximize our potential.

And who doesn’t, right? It is – or should be – an ongoing, lifelong process during which you examine your current skills and abilities carefully, consider your goals and ambitions, and make the changes necessary to reach your true potential.

This development will have a big impact on your professional, personal, and social life. People who invest time and effort in personal development are more productive and level-headed.

They grow and develop at a steady pace and aren’t at risk of becoming stagnant or redundant. If you’re interested in identifying the areas in your work life that are working well, and which are in need of improvement, try these free personal development tests. In the meantime, here are a few ways that personal development can help you.

How Personal Development Increases Productivity

1. Better Awareness of Your Weaknesses

Personal development requires you to become self-aware and look closely at your strengths and weaknesses. This can help you become more productive because you know where you need to improve.

You also utilize your strengths better and have an easier time organizing or to delegate your tasks. As a result, you finish your tasks efficiently and avoid making glaring mistakes.

You can focus on eliminating your weaknesses and gradually improve your abilities at work.

2. Time Management

Personal development places a lot of emphasis on time management and planning. You should retire to bed early, get up early, organize your day and schedule your tasks carefully, and get the most difficult projects out of the way first. This allows you to get more done in a shorter span of time.
You will have more time to relax and enjoy your life at the end of the day, especially if you don’t take on new projects to fill in these spaces in your schedule.

When you relax and are organized, you’re more productive. You can focus on your task better and are less likely to feel stressed or anxious. More free time will also help prevent burnouts and exhaustion.

3. Better Communication Skills

If you focus on personal development, you also learn how to listen to others. You’re less likely to lose your patience or dismiss an argument without considering others views carefully.

Research suggests that people with good communication skills have higher self-esteem than those who don’t.

Entrepreneurs and executives who prioritize personal development establish a warm and friendly rapport with their employees and teammates; that leads to an overall increase in productivity.

Better communication skills also help you learn and expand your knowledge through your friends and colleagues. You surround yourself with intelligent and reasonable people, which can help you learn from different perspectives and conversations.

4. Assertiveness

No matter how well you organise your schedule, you won’t be able to fit everything in it. You must delegate some tasks or refuse when you don’t have enough time to fit it in your schedule comfortably.

Personal development helps you understand your limitations and see just how much you can fit into a day’s work. This gives you the confidence to say no when you need to.

When you’re not juggling several projects at once, you have more time to focus on what’s right in front of you. That has a positive impact on your overall productivity and efficiency.

5. Growth in Efficiency and Skill

As mentioned before, personal development focuses on growth. People who choose to incorporate this plan into their life often challenge themselves to learn new things. 

You can give yourself 30 days to master a new skill or reach a new goal. These challenges add new abilities to your repertoire and make you more productive.

Some new skills can help you to perform better at work. For example, if you take a writing course, your written and verbal communication skills will improve. You’ll also have a better time with presentations and public speaking.

6. A Better Mindset

When you stick to your schedule and get everything done at a steady pace, you feel more accomplished at the end of the day.

You’ll be able to sleep well – which has enormous health benefits – and have free time to spend with your friends and family, you are more enthusiastic about work and new projects. These changes help you keep stress, anxiety, and burnout at bay.

All of these factors have an impact on your productivity and quality of work. You’re in a better mind-set because you aren’t overwhelmed by your projects and work.

You don’t need to sacrifice your personal and social life because you get your projects done during work hours. This can make you more productive and enthusiastic.

7. Leadership and Influence

People who focus on personal development have a positive influence on their teammates and employees.

If you are in a leadership position or are an entrepreneur, you can use lessons learned from personal development to work well with your colleagues. You can also encourage them to incorporate personal development in their lives as well.

Personal development focuses on growth, learning, self-awareness, and management. All of these factors will improve your productivity levels.

With just a few steps and regularity in habits, you can improve the quality of your personal and professional life.

Author Bio

Jordan James is a Digital Marketing Specialist at Activia Training, a UK-based training provider specializing in improving delegates’ workplace performance in business skills, management development, and IT applications. Jordan is passionate about social media and customer service issues, and regularly blogs about these – and many other – topics on the Activia blog.

This post is written by a guest contributor. If you’d like to guest post for Calling Dreams check out our Write for Us guidelines.

The post 7 Reasons Why Personal Development Increases Productivity appeared first on Calling Dreams.

Where do you think talented authors come from? And what do you think is a writing talent exactly? Is it a gift from above you are born with?

Is it something you only get after years and years of studying? It’s enough to have a look at biographies of some of the most renowned authors to understand that’s not the case.

You can’t be born with good writing skills, but you can definitely train them. What every good author does is a lot of work, so if you think you are ready for this, start now. And here is some writing advice that can help you along the way.

Creative writing ideas: Tips for Creative Writing

1. Study the basics.

We are lucky to live in times when finding resources for self-education is no problem at all. Advice from famous writers, online resources for aspiring authors, all kinds of reference materials — you name it, everything is there for you to grab and use to your advantage.

This is how you can learn more about the basic principles of writing (essays, articles, blog posts or whatever your goal is), writing style and other helpful pieces of information.

Professional writing may be not what you’d like to achieve, but all of this will still be very helpful if you want to excel at academic writing.

2. Read.

This is what any and every writer will advise you to do: to write better, you must read. No, reading soft cover penny dreadful doesn’t count.

Whether it’s reference materials, course books, fiction (especially classics), do some quality reading as often as possible, whenever you have time.

But don’t just read — analyze what you are reading, note methods and literary devices writers use in their works to make their texts “tasty”, alive. Maybe even write down the things that impress you the most and try to understand what exactly makes them so striking.

3. Live an active and interesting life.

If all you do is stay at home and play video games, there’s no way you will go far in terms of creative writing.

You need experience, you need impressions, something that you would want to share with others. Go out, meet people, try something new, leave your comfort zone from time to time. Living in a bubble makes no prolific writers.

4. Find a writing partner or join a writing club.

There is no denying that doing something with a group of like-minded people is much more fun than doing the same thing alone. Sharing your ideas and experiences with someone, of working on something together can become a great motivational factor.

5. Makeup plans of your works.

Custom essay writing or an attempt at your own literary work, an academic paper or a blog post — no matter what you are intending to write, make up a plan first. You’d be surprised how much easier you work go after you create a frame you can build it on.

6. Learn to edit your works.

Relentlessly edit your works, or find a friend who knows what editing is to help you. Remember that self-criticism is an essential trait for you as an author. Analyze your texts, re-write them, remove unnecessary words or even passages. There’s no limit to perfection.

Over to You

If your first attempts at creative writing turn out to be not that good, don’t throw in the towel thinking that writing is just not for you.

Writing is a lot of work and practice, and making mistakes while you are a beginner is perfectly normal. Learn from your mistakes, don’t give up practicing — and your perseverance will be duly rewarded. Also, you can find some help at Spider Essay Help.

The post Hone Your Writing Skills: 10 Tips for Creative Writing appeared first on Calling Dreams.

It seems nowadays that most people will always have good intentions about their goals. They mean to accomplish a big list of tasks every day, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out.

Usually, the problem is that the person lacks sufficient motivation to reach their goals. This does not have to always be the case! You can work on upping your production levels and further developing your motivation to achieve tasks.

One way that you can do this is by improving the quality of sleep that you are getting every night. There are many factors that impact the quality of sleep, and we will be reviewing a few of them.

How Does Good Sleep Impact Production?

When you are sleep deprived, you might not have enough energy to get through your day. You will start to zone out at work, and become unfocused.

This is particularly evident when you are doing a job that requires constant concentration. As well, your accuracy and speed will decrease the more tired you are.

If you are working at the computer, for example, this means that it will take you much longer to search for what you are looking for.

Another way that sleep impacts production is through memory. If you are getting enough sleep every night, it is more likely that you will have a better memory function, and can retain knowledge longer.

This is very helpful in the workplace because it will assist in your problem-solving abilities and your decision making.

With more sleep, you will also be less likely to stress about work related issues during your leisure time. You will be better equipped to separate work time from personal time if you are getting the proper amount of sleep.

1. Being Too Warm During Sleep

One of the main reasons that people do not get a good sleep is because they get too warm during the night. They become uncomfortable and kick off the covers.

As well, they may suffer from night sweats, which can keep them awake for hours. The reason for this excess heat is because their body temperature is penetrating into your mattress, and reflecting back at you. Luckily, there are a variety of different methods for controlling your body temperature while you sleep.

2. Cooling Mattresses

A cooling mattress is specifically designed to reduce the amount of heat that you feel during the night. It works to moderate the temperature, so that you feel cool and refreshed while you sleep.

Mattresses that sleep cooler come in a variety of different forms and materials. For example, they can be made with traditional coil springs, latex, gel, and poly foams. Memory foam is typically not used in a cooling mattress, as its density tends to add heat to the user.

If you are considering a cooling mattress, you can do some research on a particular product’s ability to disperse heat. Copper is a good material for dispersing heat efficiently.

As well, you can also look into whether the cooling technology in the mattress is close to the sleeper or not. This will make a difference in how cool you will stay during the night.

3. Cotton Sheets

When you are selecting sheets for your bed, do not just pick the first ones that you see. Certain materials are better able to regulate temperature, and therefore should be chosen if you are getting too warm while you sleep.

For instance, lightweight cotton is a great choice because it is so breathable.

You can use cotton sheets and experience ventilation and proper airflow through the material. This will help keep you cool because you are not trapped under sheets made of a heavy material.

4. Wear fewer Clothes During Sleep

Some people will simply refuse to go to sleep without their fleecy wool pajamas. They like feeling warm and cozy during the night, so this is what they tend to opt for. However, this is not a good option for people who overheat during the night.

Try switching to cooler sleeping clothes, such as loose cotton shirts and shorts. You could even sleep without wearing clothes, in order to combat the excessive heat.  

5. Unplug Electronics

Many of us have numerous gadgets plugged in during the night. They might be charging, or they might just always remain connected in case we want to use them.

Having all these electronics connected in the bedroom will definitely raise the overall temperature of the room and also affect your quality of sleep.

If you are not using your electronics, try unplugging them for the night before you go to sleep. This may help reduce the amount of heat in the bedroom, and in the house overall. As well, this will also save on your electricity bill, which is a nice perk!

6. Change Your Bed

If you have tried some of the simpler methods of cooling down during sleep and still are not achieving your desired result, it might be time to up the effort.

Another less common method you could try is exchanging your bed for something that has better airflow. For example, some people set up hammocks inside their house to sleep on during the night.

You will get air coming in from each side, which may make it easier for you to fall and stay asleep.

Conclusion

People will sometimes become bogged down by everyday trials. They will get caught up in tedious daily activities, and forget that they have the potential to do so much more than that.

Most people are not operating at their full capacity and just need a bit more motivation to keep reaching higher. Improving the amount and quality of sleep that people get is an important step in combating the de-motivation in people.

Reducing the excess heat that keeps sleepers awake at night is a good first step. This does not have to be a difficult task. First, try attempting some of the easier ways to stay cool and dry.

If those don’t work, try experimenting a bit more with something you wouldn’t normally do. Who knows, it might be the very thing that you have been looking for!

The post Tips for Better Sleep to Up Production: Top 6 Ways appeared first on Calling Dreams.

Now, the truth is that all of us get lazy. Whether we like it or not, maintaining high productivity levels at all times is absolutely impossible. Everyone has this in him to a certain extent.

We just enjoy doing nothing – that’s it. However, the world has changed quite a lot and the window of opportunity when it comes to laziness and procrastination has become particularly narrow. Delaying deadlines is the natural consequence of this but in a lot of the situations, this is something that we just can’t afford.

It’s commonly perceived that procrastinating is associated with laziness and that this is something particularly bad. However, what if this is not completely true?

What if there was a way for this to make you more productive and to contribute to your overall success? You’d pretty much love that, wouldn’t you?

Of course, you would! A study published by Psychology Today showed that one-fifth of the world’s population are the so-called chronic procrastinations. These people are known not to perceive laziness as a bad thing.

These people actually don’t think that pushing deadlines and spending some time just doing nothing is something bad, especially when it comes to their productivity. Instead, they just view it as a different way of getting things done.

Even if this is something that regular people see as rather odd and even not advised, it gets the job done. Regardless of this, procrastination is yet viewed as something bad because it is known to be the basis of postponing the job.

In the world we live in, the deadline is a rather challenging word for most people and postponing the job is definitely not a good idea, especially if you want to be particularly success. But is this actually true?

How to Be Lazy and Successful at the Same Time

1. Lazy people are successful

And that’s not fiction – it’s the very truth, backed by history itself. There are a lot of examples of lazy people who managed to accomplish tremendous success. This is something which shows that we shouldn’t just label procrastination and dismiss it as something particularly harmful when it comes to productivity.

Let’s take Winston Churchill, for example. His performed in school so devastating and awful that he didn’t even try to get accepted to a college. Historians claim that his favorite activity was actually sitting in a rocking chair as no sports actively excited him.

Needless to say, Churchill is one of the most impactful politicians in the entire world’s history and he has left some of the greatest legacies known to men.

Other examples include names such as Charles Darwin – the father of the Evolution Theory. Did you know that he actually slept throughout his lessons? That’s right, Darwin was actually a menace when it came to school. He preferred to do a lot more passive things such as fishing, for instance.

His favorite activity, which is no secret to anyone, however, was drinking in the local pub. Of course, it’s needless to say that he came up with a theory which changed the way the world views on people. This didn’t stop him from being as lazy as it’s possible.

There are quite a lot of other influential scientists, actors, musicians, politicians and entrepreneurs who were lazy and yet managed to achieve splendid success. The examples are countless.

2. Lazy people know how to focus on the goals

Being lazy has nothing to do with failing to pay attention. Lazy people are well aware of what needs to be done and how to get it done – that’s why they can afford wasting time – they don’t have to spend it figuring things out.

A lazy people wouldn’t care to pay attention to irrelevant details. They are not aligned with other people’s priorities and they have their minds clearly set on the end game.

However, they just don’t want to rush it. Being lazy and being distracted are two particularly different things and this is something that anyone should actually account for.

3. They use technology

Being lazy and being incredibly creative are two things which almost always go hand in hand. People who like to procrastinate are also those who are well aware of how to find out different ways of getting things done in a lot shorter amount of time.

Instead of using MS Word and send the file to their colleague, they’d share it through Google Docs. That’s just one straightforward example from the tip of the toe to demonstrate the doors they manage to open because of their desire to procrastinate as much as it’s possible.

4. Lazy people are relaxed

This is also something manages to keep them well on point. Being able not to worry a lot is something that you need to take into account.

This is something which is going to clear your mind and allow you to focus properly when it matters. This is one of the most important things that you need to understand about laziness – it can relax you.

5. Lazy people are creative

There is nothing more powerful than a lazy person who is determined to find out yet another way which is going to make his life a lot easier.

There is even a saying about this – give the lazy man a job and he’ll show you how to do it quickly. That’s because their priorities are clear – they want to procrastinate and to chill. This is why it’s important for them to get things done quicker and clear their schedule.

Read: How to Increase Your Creativity 

Of course, there are downsides to that and there is a very fine line between things. However, it’s also important to understand that a lazy person is capable of being particularly productive, hence successful.

It’s wrong to label different conditions and mindsets just because of the overly perceived opinion. Being lazy could push you towards the achievement of great things which are time-saving and effortless. This is the main idea behind new inventions – how to make your life easier.

The post How to Be Lazy and Successful at the Same Time appeared first on Calling Dreams.

There are certain obstacles that we all struggle with during our life. Most of us have to work hard to finish school, balance personal & professional life, go through a series of failures to finally land the ideal job, build a family, care for aging parents, and work hard to keep up in this fast-paced world.

Technology has made us faster. Smarter. But it has also made us cold and unfeeling. It has robbed us of our humanity. We may have found our place in the modern world, but how much of ourselves have we let go in the process?

Every time I had the hardship to overcome I would think “I’ll get this done and think about myself & my loved ones later.”

What I didn’t realize at the time was that there will always be another hardship that I need to overcome. Every time I choose to forfeit my wellbeing, and that of others, I am losing a piece of myself.  

I also came to the sudden realization that I would have never succeeded without my people.

Family, teachers, colleagues, friends, strangers, relatives and lots of other relationships that I’ve met along the way have helped me become the person I am today. My success wasn’t for granted. So, it is time to pay it forward.

10 Ways to Give others & Find Yourself in the Process

1. Volunteer

The best way to be useful for the local community to volunteer. You can leave your mark on the world around you and support good causes that don’t necessarily require money, but rather dedicated people.  

Think about the causes that you believe in most. What kind of support can you offer? You could provide help at a community kitchen or help dress the poor.

Many hospitals encourage youngsters and adults to join their causes, where they can create customized schedules that respect working and studying hours. The local library might need assistance too for a book reading to delight a young audience.

As you can see, there are many opportunities to get involved in the community. You will finally be able to help others, and in the process, help yourself.

After joining a cause, you will experience and understand the gift of selflessness. You will also be able to meet amazing new people – people who could change your life.

Plus, seeing good prevailing over bad is one of the most fulfilling sentiments in the world and improves your outlook on life.

2. Donate your expertise

You already hold something of immense value for everyone around you, namely your expertise. It is a body of knowledge that you worked hard to obtain, and so few people have access to it.

You can share your technical skills with non-profit organizations, neighbors in need or even a client who has no extended funds for your service (make sure you help them in your spare time, though, so as not to get into trouble at work).

There are plenty of active platforms that work to connect IT professionals to the local NGOs in need of their skills. These non-profits can save large budgets this way for causes that require their financial support, and you will be the one that helped them assist these causes.

Moreover, you can play more proactively and present your manager the opportunity to start a charity tradition within the company. This way, all staff members can share their knowledge to improve the local community.

3. Donate Blood

Unfortunately, despite the heroic efforts of the Red Cross to raise awareness of the crucial importance of donating blood, few people actually do it. Too many lives depend on the blood bank of the hospital, so there’s always a great time to donate your blood.

Donating blood involves simple procedures which are not at all time-consuming. The myth of not eating before such a session is false and everybody should enjoy a light meal before to avoid a low blood pressure.

You will benefit a basic health check before starting and some treats after it is over, like cookies to avoid getting light headed and even ticket meals.

The best part is that it is safe to say after one session that your blood will save three lives!

4. Buy Extra Provisions

Donating money to a cause might not always be the best choice. You can never know where the resources will end up and how well they will be managed.

However, donating food or water is always a safe work of charity. So, little things like purchasing an extra meal on your lunch break for a homeless man can do wonders.

There are some inspiring charitable stories around the world. Restaurants are open where people pay double the price for their meals or beverages and the extra products go to people in need.

Another inspirational movement that you can recreate with your neighbors is finding some functional fridges and installing them at the entrance of the building.

This way, whenever someone buys extra food, they can place the products in the fridge on their way home. The food will be kept fresh until someone in need enjoys it.

5. Random Acts of Kindness

Imagine what the world would be like if every person did one small gesture of kindness every day. You can try to help others with minor acts of kindness. For example, you can take more umbrellas with you on rainy days. A simple gesture of giving an umbrella will bring a smile to a gloomy person who was caught off guard by rain. You could also help an old lady who is having trouble with her baggage, or a child who is struggling with homework or sports.

“People love to hear stories about “random acts of kindness,” those thoughtful little things that people do to help one another.  God calls us to do these and more.  Join me as I encourage you to reach out with some “deliberate acts of kindness” based on God’s desire that we put our faith into action.”

6. Your house holds great treasures for others

People tend to hoard too many things that they don’t use. By starting that much-delayed general house cleaning you might end up with lots of useful things that you haven’t used at all in the last couple of years. If you haven’t worn that blouse at all this year, it means that you probably won’t be using it this year either. But somebody else might use it every day.

By donating your stuff, no matter if it’s in great shape or not, you can help those in need. Your house will become more functional, you will feel better about yourself, and unfortunate people will benefit.

7. Organize surprise parties for your friends

No matter how uninterested in parties they might look, showing gratitude and love for your friends will always create feelings of happiness.

Few people have actually time to set up gathering with their loved ones on special days like birthdays, a huge work accomplishment, or returning home after a long trip.

So, a surprise party to celebrate your friend in high style can rarely be a bad idea. On the contrary, people will feel appreciated and loved. 

8. Take an apprentice (or more) under your wing

You can build your legacy, not only within your family, but also by involving your community. Many young fresh graduates have no idea where to start.

Even more end-up with jobs they hate that prevent them from growing. By taking in an apprentice you are giving them a better chance in their professional life, and you are also enabling yourself to grow.

So, find time to take ambitious youngsters under your wing and teach them everything you know. By becoming a mentor, you will not only create better futures for them through learning, but you will also improve the workforce, the culture of the company and your own skills of leadership.

Don’t put the world on a silver platter for them, but guide them through the hardships of life. When the time comes, you will feel confident enough to cut your emotional cord with them and allow them to live their life.

Society needs as many resourceful people as possible to grow naturally into a caring & strong community.

9. Awareness on the streets

People feel the loneliest when they are outside, in crowded cities, as they disconnect completely from reality and are more focused on their thoughts and problems. Meditation may have innumerable benefits, but there is a time and place for it.

Out on the streets, you should be fully aware of your surroundings, for your sake & for the sake of others.

A flat tire, lost keys, car accidents, smartphone theft attempts, people falling, fainting or getting lost are just some examples of events that can be solved if someone is aware and gets involved.

You can be that someone. Improving safety and community spirit builds up a more powerful society.

10. Encourage your entourage to pay it forward

Talk to your loved ones about the honorable deeds that change the world into a better place. People pay attention and cherish their friends’ advice more than a newspaper article. Use empathy, patience, thoughtfulness, and concision when starting delicate subjects to show your friends the beauty and benefits of paying it forward.

So, you can support your encouragements by taking your friends to your charity activities. Seeing is believing after all. There are high chances that your friends will get involved and support the same causes as you. The community will gain more positive energy, and this will be thanks to you.

All in all, these are just 10 ways to pay it forward. You can bring much more greatness to the world by expressing your civic spirit every day. Small deeds will slowly increase the quality of the community.

The post 10 Ways to Give others & Find Yourself in the Process appeared first on Calling Dreams.

In this day and age, we live incredibly stressful lives. The main source of stress is usually your job, but even if everything is running smoothly in that aspect, you can rest assured that you will stress out about other things in life.

For example, you get stuck in traffic on your way home, so you can’t get to the gym like you originally planned, or you can’t meet your friends for dinner.

If you’re in a relationship, your partner may say something that will hurt you, most likely because they are also stressed out. Regardless of how in control you are of you own life, it seems like stress is pretty much inevitable.

If you think that working home would alleviate some of the job-related stress, think again. Here is what Wendy Briggs, a writer for uk writing service, had to say about it:

“As a writer, even though I am totally free to take breaks during the day and organize my schedule in any way I see fit, I still need to stick to strict deadlines, maintain a certain level of quality, and do revisions almost immediately. Even if you are working part-time, it feels like it’s a full-time deal, because the stress is always there.”

So, what can you do? Well, first you need to realize that there is no such thing as a stress-free life because that’s the way we are wired.

We can’t help but worry about things that matter to us. Also, stress can be a positive thing, because it protects us in dangerous situations, and motivates us to work harder.

What we actually have a problem with are our reactions to stress. It is possible to identify stress, and then react it to in a different manner and channel it, instead of obsessing over things we can’t control.

We have selected 8 amazing apps that will help you manage your stress and keep anxiety at bay. Keep on reading.

Best Apps for Dealing with Stress and Anxiety in 2017

1. Calm

Meditation is one of the best methods of dealing with stress. However, finding the time to join a class and practice is often impossible.

You shouldn’t worry, though, because Calm allows you to meditate from the comfort of your own home. You can choose from several different guided meditations, which will help you with your focus, mindfulness, and will also allow you to organize your thoughts and emotions. Available for free for both Android and iOS.

2. Headspace

Another reason why we get so incredibly stressed out is because we are trying to do to as much as we can, while not having enough time to do it.

And it’s a constant feeling, because there is always more work to be done and more things to be dealt with. If you are always short on time, you may want to check out Headspace.

One session takes only 10 minutes, and it’s well worth your time. Its meditations will help you relax, control your breathing, and simply enjoy some peace and quiet, while you receive guidance. You can get the app for your Android or iOS free of charge.

3. HelloMind

Ever had someone telling to calm down, which then drives you even more mad? While it does feel easier at first to lash out at someone, the consequences of it are not always pretty.

The good news is that you can calm down. HelloMind is an app which provides you with a wide variety of hypnotherapy sessions, depending on what you need help with.

It can help you deal with fear, low self-esteem, or encourage to think positively. Available for both Android and iOS.

You make like: Tips on Unlocking Your Mind’s True Potential

4. Moodnotes

In literature, writers often rely on the retrospective writing technique, which provides us with a glimpse of the character’s mind, and allows us to view a particular event from their point of view.

Even if you are not a writer, you can use this method to deal with stress. Just think of yourself as one of the characters and write about your experiences.

With Moodnotes, you will be able to do that with ease. On top of that, it will help you increase your awareness. Available for iOS for $3.99.

5. Happify

This app was built around the idea that anyone’s brain, regardless of what they do and how old they are, can be taught anything.

This means you can learn to be happy, despite how much stress and anxiety you are dealing with on a daily basis.

Happify will help you do that by training you to think positively through a series of entertaining games and activities. And while it will feel like you’re just having fun, you will be battling stress on several levels. Free for both Android and iOS.

6. How Are You

Although we often get asked how we are, it’s become a part of small talk, without any genuine concern behind it. And we usually respond by saying that we feel great, even though it may not actually be the case.

How Are You will help you tap into your true emotions and thoughts by getting past that barrier which causes us to give generic answers which are completely disconnected from our feelings. The app is available for Android only, and it costs $12.99.

7. Lantern

Lantern is a self-development app which will enable to become a better version of yourself. By implementing the tips the app provides you with on a daily basis, you will become more capable and calm.

All you need to do is join the Lantern program, and then you can use it for free, if you are an iOS user.

8. Pacifica

If you are still at a point where you think professional therapy is overkill, but you are still having trouble dealing with stress, then Pacifica may be just the thing you need.

Designed by psychologists, this app will help you get rid of stress and anxiety through meditation, breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques. Free for both Android and iOS.

Conclusion

Stress doesn’t have to navigate your life. You are in control of it, and the sooner you realize that, the better. With these helpful apps, you will be able to turn things around in no time and become a happier person.

The post Best Apps for Dealing with Stress and Anxiety in 2017 appeared first on Calling Dreams.

These days, maintaining a healthy relationship often feels like an unattainable thing. Ironically, for the people that have mentally, emotionally, and intellectually matured way past the expected bar, we are making it strangely difficult to maintain a healthy relationship, one that’ll actually last longer than a carton of milk.

We’re kind of baffled; why are we finding love to be this hard? We’ll tell you why – we’ve collectively become endlessly self-conscious, afraid and anxious due to a multitude of social, economic and political changes that have had us spin in circles. 

On some days, a simple act of getting out of bed seems like a chore, let alone loving someone and making sure they’re happy. Still, things shouldn’t be as hard as we’ve made them be. Here are the best 4 ways that will show you how to build a happier and healthier relationship.

How to build a Happier and Healthier Relationship

1. The truth you may not want to hear

Back in the day when happiness didn’t come at a cost when partners fought for one another and marriages lasted longer than 72 days, love was both a journey and a destination.

Although our parents never turned to life coaches and psychologists, they seem to have been happier in their relationships than we currently are.

But it’s not just the happiness of it; no matter how tough, complicated or seemingly impossible to solve a situation would be, they’d always manage to break it down effortlessly.

And you know how they did it? They believed in themselves, they trusted each other and they didn’t bail after the first bump in the marital road. Yes, it’s that simple.

Loving somebody, that is, being capable of giving and receiving love requires loving and respecting yourself first. When you are comfortable with who you are, where you come from and how much love, brains, devotion, and commitment you are able to invest in a relationship, you’re bound to have a blossoming partnership on your hands.

Naturally, getting to know yourself takes time and effort but the end result makes it all worth it. So, next time a haunting thought like “Why do all of my relationships fail?” springs to mind, stop and think for a second: is it because you are still insecure and uncomfortable in your own skin? Possibly.

For that, we’ve relied on common sense, a little bit of research, and a few healthy parental tips to come up with this guide that’ll ensure your relationship goes in the right direction and consequently making your life a lot happier.

2. Develop a sense of self-confidence

While your mind may instantly go to “What the hell’s my self-confidence got to do with my relationship” mode, the truth is – it’s got to do more than you think. We are all prone to excessive self-doubt and self-criticism, especially if we’ve experienced any form of (family) trauma in the past. The coping mechanisms get triggered, consequently reflecting on our relationships and jeopardizing them.

Due to some unresolved problems from our past – whether they come from the family or our previous relationship experiences – our self-confidence potentially gets seriously damaged, resulting in us constantly feeling afraid, anxious and not good enough for our partners. And – you already know what we are about to say – what you feel is what you attract.

If you are constantly overwhelmed with negative feelings, they are very likely to affect your relationship and ruin it for good. This is why it’s essential that you make sense of your own life story before you enter a relationship you want to stay in. No matter what had happened before to have hurt you, accept that you can’t change the past.

However, what you can do is change the way you approach things, as well as how to make sense of them. Once you solve your own issues, you’ll become a much happier, healthier person to be around, and therefore – your relationships will start changing for the better, too.

3. Don’t get co-dependent

Relationships with partners so focused on each other that they’ve got no personal interests developed are doomed to fail. Make sure you have a set of things you do without your partner, and that he also does the same.

Naturally, this doesn’t mean doing anything together. Rather, keep the good things alive and enjoy sharing experiences that are making you happy individually. The idea is to be so comfortable with each other that you can do things both together and apart.

4. Understand how to express insecurities in your relationship

Before you decide to address any insecurity about your relationship, be honest with yourself first. Avoid repeating your previous dating mistakes and actually reflect on what’s going on. Ask yourself a streamline of questions and answer them honestly.

Are you the needy type or do you find yourself distancing from him often? Are you comfortable with who you are? Do you like this guy or the idea of him? Are you okay with being alone and is this relationship based on healthy foundations?

These and other similar questions are your little guiding posts into a happy relationship. Only after you truly understand who you are (and accept it), share it with your partner. Otherwise, everything’s just a series of unnecessary jibber jabber.

There, we hope this will work. They keep telling us love is just around the corner, so here’s a suggestion: let’s race for it!

The post Tips on How to Build a Healthier and Happier Relationship appeared first on Calling Dreams.

Have you ever felt helpless and lost because it seemed that reaching your goals was just too hard? Nothing goes in your favor, you keep failing, procrastinating, prolonging, and getting distracted by things that are really not spending quality time alone
that important.

Do you know why people tend to get frustrated? It’s because they have big plans but want instant gratification.

Technology has created the need for it: we get frustrated when our smartphones won’t load; we form online relationships instantly instead of taking time to get to know each other; if we can’t fix something, then it’s broken forever, and we might not even want something if we can’t buy it right away.

Instead of using our heads for an analytical approach to our desires and problems, we let our instincts guide us.

If you want to make a difference and finish something instead of getting distracted by checking your Facebook account, organizing your sock drawer, or doing the dishes – learn how to break things down.

Here are the best ways that will show you how to make a difference by focusing on the little choices.

1. Break it down

When you face a task within a big project, it can really demotivate you at first. If you let it scare you and deny facing it, you let distractions creep in.

Instead, try breaking your tasks down into smaller tasks, just like the ones distracting you. The same thing can be applied to any situation in life.

By breaking the problem into smaller pieces, you get to see for yourself that each one of them is quite manageable, so the problem doesn’t seem to appear that big and is easier to work with.

What do we do when we face these, so to say, ‘monsters’? We take a moment to see what’s new on Instagram. Then we take a moment to browse through the news.

What we do is avoid thinking about the problem. The reality is that the longer we avoid it, the scarier it becomes. Soon, the problem becomes even more overwhelming than it was in the beginning.

So, take a few minutes to think quickly through that big problem. What are its main components? How much effort will it really require? Write everything down, and start with the easiest of those components first. A few quick wins are all you need to get the momentum rolling, and you’ll be better poised to tackle the next one.

2. The power of small, daily decisions

The technique of breaking things down has one thing at its core – proactivity. It is all in making decisions. We make hundreds of small decisions every day, without even knowing it.

When looked at individually, these decisions can seem insignificant, but collectively they affect our daily lives greatly. From our health to the relationships we make, these little decisions direct every aspect of our lives. Our finances, what we learn, where we work, what we do, where we are and who we are – everything is the outcome of our decisions.

Personal responsibility for our decisions can be avoided by putting the blame on others, but we’d just be deceiving ourselves. Once you’re completely honest with yourself, your life will be a mirror image of your decisions.

The positive side effects of making good decisions intentionally, no matter how small they may be, are feeling happy and satisfied with yourself, as well as with who you are becoming by making the right moves.

3. Small choices have an accumulative effect over time

This concept, that small daily decisions have a profound and accumulative effect over time, can be applied to every aspect of your life.

Many people happen to ‘get lost’, so to speak, when they’re all grown up, ready to jump out of college and into the work machine.

In the process, they put too much focus on their achievements and career-building, and forget about equally important things: spending quality time alone (doing the things you like), spending time with family and friends, our going out for a ride on a sunny day.

These smaller goals may not be beneficial for your career or finances, but are necessary for creating a balanced and fulfilling life, and have to be consciously acted upon.

4. Be proactive

Whether your goal is to save up for a house, lose 15 pounds, or finish a project on time – what you do with your time is what makes all the difference. Actions repeated daily will make all the difference in your life and will be the foundations of your success.

So, be proactive. If your goal is to lose 15 pounds, you’d be more likely to achieve it if you chose to eat salad and fish for dinner every night, have balanced breakfasts, along with healthy snacks and regular workouts, and these small actions and choices will accumulate.

After a few weeks, you will be more likely to have lost 2-3 pounds, bringing you closer to the final goal. What if, for example, your goal is to save up for a house down-payment? By making a conscious choice of saving $100 every week will lead to having $5200 on your account after one year.

You can create a corner in your house for thinking and to make decisions. Different people are stimulated by different environments, so decorate the corner the way you like it, add a few houseplants, choose the best air purifier, and bring in a pair of headphones for playing your favorite tunes.

Get everything in line for getting closer to your goals. Meditate, do whatever makes you happy, and make a choice to choose the right things.

5. Strategies for making positive daily choices

You can keep yourself focused by laying out your long-term goals by working backward. Where do you want to be in 5 years, and where do you want to be next year?

Then break your one-year goal into months, then break the month plans into individual goals and smaller actions, and you’ll make things easier and more achievable.

Look at the successful people around you, those who have managed to do or have what you don’t, but wish for yourself.

Realize that they didn’t get there overnight, but have spent time working hard. Invest more effort, get up earlier to go to the gym, spend quality time with your wife and kids, or make time for yourself. Have a vision and pursue it with faith.

The post How to Make a Difference by Focusing on the Little Choices appeared first on Calling Dreams.

Road trips have become the newest cool among the people and a number of people are looking forward to going on a road trips. Not only it increases the productivity but also remove the habit of procrastination out from you.

Whether it is covering any nearby place and outskirts of your city or driving kilometers to explore another city/state/country – road trips are always a fun-filled experience. Not only are these road trips fun, but they are highly motivated as well.

5 Reasons why going on a Road Trip Motivate You for Good

1. It gives you the biggest break from your monotonous routine.

Nobody looks forward to sticking to one same mundane routine and almost anyone and everyone looks forward to welcoming a change.

Thus, a road trip serves as the biggest and the most amazing break using which you can escape out of the monotony of life and can welcome a good change.

2. You get the opportunity to meet new people.

Nothing beats the pleasure of meeting new people, knowing about their stories, interacting with them on different subjects and eventually being friends with them.

This is what a road trip brings to you. You get to meet different people, know about their stories and further relate them with your own. There’s nothing more motivating than pondering over the fact that people could be like-minded too.

3. A road trip is your trip to self-discovery.

Are you too tired to even understand the things working around you? Are you too fed up of everything in life? Are you confused about making important decisions in life?

If yes is the answer to all the above-stated questions, then you must go on a road trip right away! A road trip not just rejuvenates you but the same gives you a lot of space with your own self.

Hence, you can find the answer to all your unanswered questions and can solve the biggest problems of your life.

4. Road Trip is the place where different cultures meet.

Not only does a road trip make you meet new people, but lets you embrace some new cultures as well. You get to explore the widest definitions of different cultures and to learn about them.

The same also lets you learn new things, try different activities, indulge in new practices and explore an entire world with a different point of view.

5. Road trips are the great idea of creating good memories.

You cannot make ample of memories and cherish them for life by merely traveling in a car, bus, train or airplane. You cannot make memories by peeping outside your window to explore a scenic and natural beauty of a particular place.

Also, you cannot embrace a moment only by sight-seeing and not actually be experiencing or exploring it on your own. Road trips bring you closer to all these moments. Road trips are where you can form a close-knit affair with the beauty of nature. Road trips are where you can make a lot of memories only to cherish and relive them for life.

Over to You

Thus, even if your car’s tire is punctured while you are having your best time driving through all the narrow and wide lanes – you know you can get it fixed by getting in touch with a car repairing portal and you definitely know that it wouldn’t hassle your idea of going on a beautifully planned road trip.

Road trips bring you closer to everything – your happiness, your solutions to a problem, your self-discovery, your learnings and even your homes!

So, what are you waiting for! Indulge in an amazing road trip. Go on finding your own road to happiness. Cherish memories that you have made during your entire journey to your road to happiness. For nothing is more motivating than a beautifully planned road trip.

The post Top 5 Reasons why going on a Road Trip Motivate You for Good appeared first on Calling Dreams.

It is no secret that life can sometimes get more hectic than we expect. There is work to do, bills to pay, people to take care of.

Every time something new gets thrown at us, life seems a little bit more complicated. These stresses can contribute to a number of health issues, including negatively affecting your sleep cycle.

A disrupted sleep cycle can result in insomnia, as well as a variety of other issues. If possible, it is best for you to avoid disrupting your sleep cycle, or getting it back to normal as soon as possible.

I know this can be difficult to do, but do not get discouraged! I have written up several methods that you can use to make the whole process easier.

How to Improve Your Sleep Cycle

#1 Try to Sleep at the Same Time Every Day

Your body’s internal clock will become accustomed to going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day. If you get into a good habit of getting at least 8 hours of sleep every night, your body will start to get back in sync.

Going to sleep at 10 pm and waking up at 6 am is a good method of getting enough sleep. Waking when the sun rises should leave you feeling nice and refreshed for the day ahead of you.

#2 Get the Right Mattress

Having the right bed and mattress is very important for getting a good sleep. Having an uncomfortable place to sleep will cause you to wake up during the night.

This will have a negative effect on your sleep cycle. Adjustable beds are also something that you could consider. These beds can be customized for what you need.

If you more of an angle when you sleep, this bed could be just right for you. You can also buy a special mattress for adjustable beds, so that you are perfectly comfortable all night long.

#3 Get Rid of Distractions

In this modern age, it is way too easy to get distracted by technology. Many people have televisions in their bedrooms and use their laptops when they should be sleeping.

If someone initially has difficulty getting to sleep, it is likely that they will give up, and watch a show instead. They tell themselves that it will help them get to sleep. Actually, the opposite of this is true.

The glow of the screen will be a stimulant for your eyes and body, and it will be more difficult to get to sleep afterward. The same can be said for checking your cell phone during the night. Keep electronics out of the bedroom!

#4 Exercise Regularly

Having a regular exercise pattern will improve the quality of sleep that you get. Exerting your body a fair amount (not too much and not too little), can reduce the effects of insomnia and sleep apnea.

Exercising can help get your body back in shape, which can help fight any sleep problems that you may be experiencing. Try not to exercise right before bed, because this can actually prevent you from getting to sleep.

You will have adrenaline in your system, and it may be difficult for you to calm down and get to sleep. During the afternoon or evening is a pretty popular time for people to work out. It can sometimes be difficult if you have a full-time job, but things can usually be rearranged a bit.

Conclusion

Improving your sleep cycle may seem like a daunting task, but it will be incredibly beneficial for you! Some people are experiencing such negative effects from lack of sleep that it has become mandatory for them to improve their sleep cycle. Luckily, the answer can be found relatively simply!

People have tried a variety of methods, with different results. Some of the more common methods of improving sleep cycle include going to sleep and waking up at the same time, getting the right mattress, getting rid of distractions and exercising regularly.

Try each of these, one at a time and see if it makes any difference. However, it is important to give them a bit of time before deciding whether or not they worked. Some may take more time than others, so don’t give up!

The post How to Improve Your Sleep Cycle Using these 4 Steps appeared first on Calling Dreams.

Even though Summer is coming to a close, there is still plenty of time to enjoy your garden. This is the time when tomatoes start to boom and the mums are ready to decorate our flower boxes. Of course, if you live in an area that boasts gardening availability year round then the motivation gardening offer has a longer benefit to you.

Gardens don’t only require motivation, they produce motivation as much as the flowers and produce they grow. We love to talk about motivation here at Calling Dreams because living our best life is the goal after all. Still, you are probably wondering how gardening helps us to get motivated.

How Gardening Helps Us to Get Motivated?

#1 Clear mind

It goes without saying that to accomplish anything important, having a mind that is free of distractions is essential. Gardening is one of those activities that will end up giving you mental clarity, which, in turn, will be an amazing asset to that next big project you have planned.

It is quite inspirational to take on a task with a brain that is free of clutter. So, while you may start out your gardening with plenty on your mind like lawn fertilizer, hose, and other gardening tools, you will be free from all those thoughts once you are finished for the day.

#2 Accomplishment

In life, we need to create goals for ourselves, like planting a garden. No matter the size of the goal, once it is accomplished a person feels a sense of achievement, which prompts them to set bigger goals. It’s a happy cycle to be on; one that generates pride and happiness.

The type of cycle we don’t want to find ourselves in is the one where we continue to generate old habits that don’t get us anywhere. Gardening is the perfect type of activity to start you out on your goal achieving marathon. We guarantee, once you plant that garden your confidence will grow and you will feel motivated to accomplish yet another goal.

#3 How to kickstart

Before a garden motivates us we need to rustle up the motivation to create this very garden. So where should we begin?

Why?

This is always a great place to start. Why do you want to do anything you are setting out to do? If you are looking to finish your novel, it may be to have it published, or it may be to just have the sense of writing something so large. The why doesn’t matter as long as you have a why.

Take your garden. Some folks garden to produce vegetation because they believe in self-sustainable living. Others take up gardening to design something of beauty. Both reasons are equally motivating. So find you’re why and go from there.

#4 Gratification

Gardening needs to be approached with pleasure in mind. If you go at it feeling that you have a great deal of work ahead, then odds are you’re not going to want to create your garden. If you look at differently, like it was a fun project, then your motivation will spark. The power of our minds is incredible, and we have the ability to take it in one direction or the other.

#5 Imperfection

Once you’ve done your research and have an idea of the type of garden you want to create in your mind make sure to leave room for mistakes. No one gets something perfect the first time around. If you are a seasoned gardener, looking for a new interest in gardening we suspect your attempts will have flaws as well.

Humans were created with faults. It is what makes us human. Without giving ourselves room to make errors we can create unrealistic expectations for ourselves, which are never good if motivation is your goal. So realize, your garden might not turn out to look like the picture in your head. That’s okay. Room for improvement leaves more time for gardening and clearing your head.

#6 Get creative

If digging trenches sounds like back-breaking work, which it does, then try to put a creative spin on the task. Maybe imagine yourself planting while you dig those holes or don’t dig all the spaces at once and plant as you go. That way you don’t get tired of tedious work and get to the good stuff, like placing flowers on the ground.

#7 Trick your brain

The one thing all of these motivational tips have in common is the need to sometimes trick your brain. All of the goals we set in life have boring obstacles along the way. The goal of a clean house requires vacuuming, the goal of writing a novel requires sitting at your computer for so many hours a day no matter what else you rather be doing, and creating a garden requires digging some ditches.

There is good news though. There are a great many ways to get your brain believing these mundane tasks are fun. The end game is finishing the project so you feel motivated instead of putting things off until the next day. Another way to get through the monotonous is to put a positive perspective on digging in the dirt opposed to a negative image.

You are in charge of your life, so get out and create that garden and grab the motivation you need and deserve.

The post How Gardening Helps Us to get Motivated appeared first on Calling Dreams.

You’ve probably had moments when you’re suddenly and inexplicably hit with a wave of worry. Maybe you start thinking about your unpaid bills, issues with your partner or problems at work. Or you can’t seem to get to sleep, and your eyes grow scratchy as you stare at the clock.

Despite how common anxiety is, many of us find it difficult to deal with it in healthy ways and also we can find out the various relaxation techniques for anxiety. 

Here are a few simple tips which can help you gain control of your anxiety.

How to Get Rid of Your Anxiety

1. Practice Breathing Techniques

When you feel stressed out or anxious, your body has a fight or flight response. Your heart may start racing, or you may have difficulty breathing. At this point, it is necessary to bring your body back to its parasympathetic state. Breathing techniques can help with this a great deal. Give the 4-7-8 breathing technique a try. Sit or lie down in a relaxed position and start by breathing in through your nose for 4 seconds. Hold your breath for 7 seconds and breathe out slowly for 8 seconds. Repeat this a few times until you start to feel more relaxed.

2. Spend Time on Self-Care

It can be soothing to devote some time to taking care of yourself. Refresh your haircut, get a mani-pedi or indulge in a massage. If you can’t take yourself to the salon every week, you can create a spa-like experience at home. Simply light some candles and draw yourself a bath. You’ll feel your anxiety melting away in no time.

3. Get Regular Exercise

Getting a good workout can be one of the most helpful ways to get rid of anxiety. This could mean an intense cardio session, a gentle yoga workout or even a short walk around the block. Try to use this time to breathe, think and shake off your anxious feelings. Exercise releases feel-good hormones like oxytocin and endorphins that have mood-boosting effects.

4. Rid Your Life of Clutter

If your house and work environments are cluttered, this can lead to anxiety. Think of all the time you’ve wasted when you can’t find your car keys or your glasses under a pile of clutter. If you’ve got too much stuff clogging up your space, categorize and get rid of the things you don’t use.

5. Call A Loved One

Whether it’s a friend, significant other or parent, connecting with a loved one can be a great distraction from your anxiety. You can talk to them about your concerns, find out what is going on in their life, remember past good times or make plans to meet up. Connecting with others will remind you of the more important things in life and put your anxiety in perspective.

6. Immerse Yourself in Your Environment

When you’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious, it’s a good idea to shift your focus to something else. Focussing on your environment can help you feel calmer and get out of your own head. If you’re sitting down, stand up and move around. Go for a walk and focus on all the sights and sounds you see. Use your body to stretch, move and breathe deeply. Remind yourself that you are in control and not trapped by your anxiety.

7. Go to Bed Early

Getting an adequate amount of sleep is a must, even if you’re used to staying up late every night. One of the major culprits behind anxiety is sleep deprivation. This is because a lack of sleep can increase overall anxiety levels by amplifying the anticipatory reactions of the brain. Sleep deprivation can be incredibly destructive and start to interfere with your life. Without adequate sleep, you’ll be unable to have healthy emotional functioning.

8. Get Out of Bed If You Can’t Sleep

When you’re lying in bed and can’t sleep, or your mind wakes you up in the middle of the night with worry, your best bet is to get out of bed. When anxious thoughts strike, it’s better to get up and move around, rather than trying to force yourself to go back to sleep. Instead of picking up your phone or a book while you’re lying down, go for a walk. This will make you tired and help you to improve your sleep cycle.

9. Put Away Your Clock & Your Phone

If your anxious thoughts are keeping sleep at bay, your phone or clock can make things worse. When you’re stressed out, seeing how late you’re awake can make you feel worse. Instead, just assume it’s late and ignore the number on your phone or clock. Seeing how late or early it is will do you no good and will only serve to make your insomnia worse.

10. Carry Something That Reminds You of The People You Love

When anxiety hits you, it can be helpful to remind yourself of your support system. Try wearing a pendant you mom gave you or a ring gifted to you by your spouse. Holding these when you’re feeling stressed out can help you stay grounded by reassuring you that there are people out there who love you for who you are, no matter what.

11. Keep an Anxiety Journal

Many people have found that writing their thoughts down can help them pinpoint what causes their anxiety. If you’re worried about an upcoming social situation or event, write this down and reflect on why it is causing you stress. Also, write down the worst things can happen, along with the best possible outcome. Doing this regularly can help you calm down and gain control of your panic response.

12. Give Mindfulness a Try

Practicing Mindfulness can be a boon for people dealing with anxiety. It involves intentionally focusing on your thoughts and emotions and accepting them without judgment. Being Mindful will help you enjoy your life more, be more present in the moment and gain control of your anxiety.

Final Thoughts

Anxiety can be frustrating and get in the way of the things you want to do with your life. But it can be managed with the right approach. Make a few changes to your routine, embrace your anxiety and work with it to live a happier, healthier life.

The post 12 Simple Hacks That Will Get Rid of Your Anxiety Forever appeared first on Calling Dreams.

“From the moment I wrote ‘Leaf Storm’, I realized I wanted to be a writer and that nobody could stop me and that the only thing left for me was to try to be the best writer in the world” – Gabriel Garcia Marquez. This quote from this renowned writer from Latin America sums up how writing was important and beneficial to him.

Writing can also be beneficial to you (you don’t have to necessarily be a renowned author), especially for your health. The following are facts on how writing can transform your health in the long run.

How Writing Can Transform Your Health

1. Writing Can Enhance Your Memory

Typing is faster than writing by hand. However, with regards to memorizing information, faster doesn’t mean better. When recording things down in your notebook, you spend time sounding this information while also seeing it while writing. These are 2 avenues of receiving information, which makes such a technique twice as productive.

Academics have noted that when you write information or take notes, your motor memory is also engaged in the process. Signals are sent to your mind, and therefore information is stored in your memory.

If you are having a difficult time memorizing long pieces of writing or require extra motivation for keeping track of information, just try to write everything.

2. Your Body and Mind Become Healthier

While writing about things that you are thankful for in your diary, you pick up the habit of being appreciative. You begin appreciating more things in life, enjoying what you have and feeling thankful to people around you.

Moreover, being grateful has a positive effect on your body. The consequences of short-term writing are great; however, if you write things continuously, you’ll feel emotionally and physically healthier.

Individuals who write journals have a tendency to be more happy and cheerful than those who don’t.

3. Writing Helps You to Relieve Stress

The world we live in is fast-paced and has lots of things to worry about. According to a research done, a normal man was reported to having a stress level of 4.9 on a scale of 1 to 10. For ladies, it’s 5.3. Thus, stress affects their mental and physical state.

For those who are under pressure, writing a journal can be helpful. Therefore, most doctors recommend sparing at least 10 minutes a day for writing a journal to see the results of this.

4. Writing helps Cancer Patients Cope with the Disease

Getting information that you have cancer is difficult, and most people feel dejected after. They say that they don’t have the strength to deal with it and go through all the medical procedures.

Scientific evidence tells us that those who write journals while going through such an ordeal deal with cancer better than others. A medical paper called The Oncologist published results that back this information.

They had various participants with cancer write diaries for some time while undergoing their medical procedures. They mentioned that in the end, the patients who wrote diaries portrayed better results. Their attitude to the disease changed, and they figured out how to look at the situation from another angle. Subsequently, they experienced all the pain easier, and it was less harrowing for them than it was for the rest. Therefore, writing a diary can be of great value to those who are dealing with cancer.

5. Writing Can Lead to Faster Healing

It has been said that individuals who experienced trauma at some point and wrote about it later recovered much faster. They say the secret lies in communicating everything that hurts and also all that one can’t give up easily in writing. Most specialists recommend beginning writing a journal where all emotions which one can suffocate from the onset.

Through writing what’s in your heart, you disclose your inner self and experience a huge improvement in your emotional state. By expressive writing, they implied writing all the emotion one experiences on paper and not only monitoring events occurring in real life. Therefore, writing can lead to faster healing.

6. Writing Before Retiring to Bed Leads to Better Sleeping Patterns

Back in the day as kids, we often wondered if there was the need for going to bed and wasting valuable time on sleep. Rest appeared to be something pointless. Nowadays as grown-ups, we understand the value of sleep and experience a lot of trouble when we don’t sleep enough. Lack of sleep can lead individuals to commit crimes, suffer from depression among other mental disorders.

Moreover, it has been said that writing a journal before retiring to bed can enhance your sleep and cure several illnesses. Expressive writing can assist you to get rid of unnecessary feelings that can keep you from sleeping properly. Likewise, one can monitor their plans; can free their minds from a lot of information which is crucial to have a decent night’s rest.

Conclusion

You can choose whether to be an avid writer or not. However, we recommend that you pick up this habit as it’ll be beneficial to your health. You never know, eventually, you might become one of the greatest writers out of Latin America, just like Isabel Allende, the late Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and the late Carlos Fuentes Macias, among others.

The post Interesting Facts About How Writing Can Transform Your Health appeared first on Calling Dreams.

We all have those bad, fatigue-filled days. Some of us even have an entire week full of feelings of tiredness and stress, and we simply cannot keep our eyes open and finish the tasks we have. While the reason for this is most often lack of sleep or bad sleep, being constantly sleepy is not only bad for your productivity, but your health too.

Tiredness can also be caused by stress, lack of exercise, diseases, or even medications. Whatever the cause for your exhaustion, constant tiredness is never a good thing.

So, what can you do to eliminate the tiredness that brings havoc in your life?

How to Quickly Eliminate Tiredness

1. Create a Sleep Pattern

As we said, the major culprit for your exhaustion is the lack of sleep or poor quality of sleep. Knowing this, you should put rest as your priority, especially if you are feeling tired at all times.

Commit yourself to a scheduled, regular sleep pattern. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends. This will help you get the necessary energy during the day, as well as encourage sleep that is more restful.

In addition to following a set pattern, you should invest some time into making your sleeping environment good. Keep the bedroom dark and get rid of all those distractions that keep you up at night. And of course, set the right temperature.

2. Try Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is known to relieve the stress and headache, but also enable people to get rid of that constant feeling of sleepiness. Instead of poisoning your body with high doses of caffeine, try essential oils that work wonders with fatigue, such as peppermint, basil, rosemary and grapefruit.

The process is very simple. You can put a few drops of this essential oil on a cloth and keep it nearby, use a diffuser, or even sniff from the bottle!

 3. Exercise Regularly

Obviously, this advice is a bit contradictory since, who would recommend exercise when you tell them you are too tired to do the basic daily tasks? However, regular exercise works wonders in the long run, and you don’t actually have to start when you feel most tired.

All you have to do is set some exercise schedule and work out every day. All you need is fifteen or thirty minutes of exercise, or a simple walk around the block to gain some energy boost. After a while, you will notice the imminent benefits of frequent physical activity.

If you are not ready for active exercise, start small. Walk the stairs instead of taking the elevator, take your dog to the park that is further away, or park your car further from work.

4. Lose Some Weight

Are you carrying some excess weight? Almost every person in the world does, and this is actually one of the biggest reasons for our exhaustion. If you feel like you could benefit from losing some weight, gaining energy is another reason to do this.

5. Drink Smart

Yes, caffeine helps with tiredness and boosts your energy, but only for a short period of time. After a while, coffee will stop having the same effect, and you’ll have to up your coffee intake. Without even noticing, you will start drinking five or ten cups of coffee to maintain your energy levels, which can be very bad for your health.

Try to cut out caffeine to keep yourself healthy. In addition to caffeine, you should try to drink as little alcohol as you can. Instead, stay hydrated at all times, and replace the coffee with some tasty green tea.

Finally, we recommend adding a glass of lemon water to your breakfast. Lemon water keeps you hydrated, wards off the drowsiness, and flushes out the toxins from your body.

 6. Eat Smart

A healthy nutrition is equally important as beverage intake, which means that it is time to make healthier food choices. To prevent tiredness and many other problems that result from bad nutrition, change your current diet.

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Consume a healthy and light breakfast. Never skip this meal.
• Take a 15-minute power nap after your lunch.
• Consume more herbs in combination with your meals.
• Chew sugar free gum to stay awake
• Avoid all junk foods and sugar
• Avoid foods that are high in fat
• Eat more omega 3s

7. Listen to Some Music

Music is known to affect a person’s mood, so why not take this into your advantage? When you start feeling tired, play some happy and playful tune to improve your mood. If you are alone, you can even try dancing to that song. Once the song is finished, you will feel much more refreshed.

If you follow our tips for reducing tiredness, you will notice improvement in only few days. Do not let tiredness make you less productive and prevent you from achieving your goals. Fight it off by taking simple steps like the ones we listed above!

The post How to Quickly Eliminate Tiredness: Top 7 Ways to Follow appeared first on Calling Dreams.

Every day we are faced with opportunities. Opportunities to change old habits, old fears, old mindsets that are harmful. Within twenty-four hours, we have the chance to wake up refreshed and start anew. And sometimes, this means breaking down your actions step-by-step to transform yourself into who you want to be.

For me, this entailed the concept of fighting my lack of motivation. Although most people believe motivation is the opposite of procrastination, the two are in slightly different categories; procrastination is the action of putting off something until the end of its deadline, while motivation is the reason behind one’s actions.

Like many people in the world, I struggle with lack of motivation. After taking some time to search within myself, I have discovered the essential ways to kick my mind back into gear. I not only found the way to stop procrastinating but also to have a positive outlook so that the reasons for my actions would be encouraging and progressive.

Let me break down my process of regaining motivation, step by step.

How to Become Motivated Again

#1   Morning Actions Are Key

When I used to wake up in the morning, I went into autopilot mode. I quickly learned that my version of autopilot only included the actions I wanted to do, not what I needed to do. But the core of my issue was that I never really knew what I needed to do.

To make each day count as something productive, I make small choices that create a huge impact. Instead of hitting the snooze button first thing in the morning, I wake up at the initial chime of my alarm clock. Instead of scrolling through social media on my phone or answering emails, I make my bed or cook breakfast. When I have a sense of accomplishment at the start of my day, even with small actions, I start momentum for accomplishing tasks for the rest of the day.

#2   Do Anything to Keep Moving

Sometimes, my mind turns simple daily tasks into large, insurmountable projects. It can feel crippling just to think about what I have to do next. I would often lay in bed in the morning, stare at the ceiling, and just ponder all that I had to do for the day. It became incredibly overwhelming, and more often than not, I would not complete most of my tasks.

To regain motivation in this way, I break down my day into smaller pieces. When I focus on one task at a time and set a reasonable time limit for myself to accomplish each task, I’m not worried about the future or regretting past actions. I allow myself to stay in the present.

Of course, I realize I may have some off days where everything seems like a struggle. If this is the case, I tell myself just to do something small. Just get out of bed and put your feet on the floor. Just check the first three emails in your inbox. Just shop for five essential items from the grocery store. Once I became victorious with the actions that seemed insignificant, I felt much more empowered to take on important tasks.

#3   Believe in Yourself

Getting in the cycle of self-doubt is easy. I will be the first to say that I am my worst critic. However, I will never have a reason to do something if I don’t truly believe that I can succeed. Confidence can be attained even through a minor actions.

•    Look in the mirror and tell yourself, I can do it!
•    Stand or sit up straight.
•    Get dressed up for the occasion.

When I took these small steps to boost my confidence, I renewed my inner strength. I knew I was perfectly capable of handling anything to come my way.

#4   Create a Positive Environment

Achieving my goals came a lot easier to me when I surrounded myself with the right people. Sure, I am capable of proving naysayers wrong, but the trend of regaining my motivation only came when I placed myself in a positive environment. I consistently had people lifting me up instead of tearing me down, which made me feel unstoppable.

Environment goes beyond a support system of people, though. I also give myself a pleasant atmosphere to work in. My desk is neat, my papers are organized, and I have a routine I follow within my workspace so that I don’t become mentally cluttered. I also add comforts like my favorite color around my work area, pictures of friends and family on my desk, and posters or knick-knacks that make me smile or laugh.

#5   Remember Your Short and Long-Term Reasons

Why are you starting this project? Are you contributing to your overall career? Are you working toward a specific degree or credential? Whenever I’m feeling stuck about what I need to do, I remind myself of what I’m going to gain from experience. Most importantly, I don’t allow myself to settle for losses. However, if I’m in the process of working toward a goal and I feel unsatisfied, or I believe my goal needs to be adapted, I’ll grant myself the ability to change along the way. This takes discernment of when to be creative and flexible, but really, it’s all about knowing what you are and are not willing to compromise.

#6   Pause and Recharge

There’s nothing wrong with taking breaks, especially if the action is overwhelming. If you have been taking the fast track, remember to slow down now and then. Success is not a race. As a human being, it is essential for you to take time for yourself in the form of self-care. Personally, I’ve noticed that when I take at least an hour each day for myself, I become even more prepared to take on whatever tasks are ahead of me. The goal here is not to be so burned out that you don’t even try again—it’s only that much harder to bounce back.

The Bottom Line

In the end, loss of motivation comes down to a mindset that is ill-prepared. When you take time for yourself to assess your behaviors and confront them head-on with a plan in mind, you will undoubtedly have success. The key takeaways are to stay positive, set attainable goals, and always do something to move forward. Of course, with these extra tools I’ve provided, your day-to-day life will soon change into a world of many achievements.

The post The Best Ways to Become Motivated Again appeared first on Calling Dreams.

Work can be a huge factor of stress in our lives. Six out of ten people complain that their work setting prevents them from being productive. From gossiping co-workers to loud hallway conversations, there are a lot of distractions present in the office. You cannot ignore the hectic environment, so your efficiency decreases. We all understand that.

When you have 5 projects on your plate, 2 customers waiting for your advice, and 9 other tasks you have to deal with, things get out of control.  All that hustle and bustle puts a lot of pressure on you. It is way too much to handle, and it becomes overwhelming and exhausting.

In order to keep sane, you must learn how to deal with these stressful situations, and eventually overcome them. Otherwise, you might slowly go insane. Here are five tips on how to avoid stress at your work place.

Best 5 Steps to Stop Stress While Working

1. First, Take a Deep Breath 

If you are angry or worried, you will not be able to solve any problems. So before you start this “healing process,” make sure you take a deep breath and think about what stresses you out in the first place. It might be your colleagues chatting, the printing machine, or even the music the person next to you listens to. Whatever it is, sit down and think before you take any action. Breathe in, breathe out.

Keep a journal of the stress factors. Write them down every time they pop into your head. Make sure you track them regularly, and that you become aware of the situations that create the stress. If there is a chance you can avoid these situations, do it. In the journal, write down your responses to the stress factors. How do you react? What are your feelings? Can you change something? Analyze your behaviour daily, and keep finding plausible solutions.

2. Act Upon It

Do not let stress get to you that fast! I know that out of control situations bring a lot of stress with them, but take them one by one. If you start feeling stressed about a certain thing, resolve it before another situation shows up. Get rid of the stressful situations one by one, do not let them multiply. If there are too many coming your way, you will soon feel like you are losing it. Make sure you take it step by step!

For example, if you feel like you are taking too many tasks at a time, give up on some. In today’s world, people tend to underappreciate their free time. Make sure that you have enough time to rest, and set boundaries. Respect your alone time, your family time, your spouse time. Do not let work overwhelm you with endless tasks and assignments.

3. Respond Adequately

When we are too caught up in our stressful work, we tend to develop unhealthy habits. If you constantly feel the need to eat or smoke, you must know something goes wrong in your life. And guess what it is? Oh yes, stress.

In response to those nasty habits, make sure you develop new routines that balance the nastiness. For example, go to the gym more often, start taking yoga session, or even meditate. You can cook a different dish every other night and have your family spend quality time together over an amazing dinner. Develop new hobbies and activities that relax you, and make sure you get enough sleep.

Take time to do things for yourself, and whenever you feel that the stress is hitting your nerves, hit back. Counteract positively, and keep the balance stable. Always.

4. Communicate With Your Supervisor

If you feel like your tasks are starting to add up too quickly, talk to your supervisor. Make sure you let him know how you feel, and why you need to take it slower. Your work is important, but your health is paramount. Without health, you are not able to do anything, so it is essential that you stay in a good shape by all means. Here are some ideas on how to approach your supervisor.

• Expose the problem you encounter without complaining
• Let him/her know how lack of sleep/relaxation affects your life
• Ask for advice and an effective plan on how to handle tasks easier
• Specify that you want to improve your time-management skills
• Make him/her clarify what they expect of you
• Ask for the necessary resources to increase performance

Your supervisor’s job is to create a comfortable environment for its employees. Approaching him will benefit both you and your colleagues. Believe me, there must be at least one person in the office feeling the same as you do.

5. Last But Not Least, Get Support

If you feel like you can’t handle everything on your own, do not freak out. There are a lot of people feeling the same as you. I was one of them, and at some point, I realized I needed help. I am not saying you have to take the same path – just make sure you got everything under control.

A good idea for getting the right support would be consulting a psychologist, or developing deep conversations with friends and family. Your employer could actually help too, since he is familiar with the employee assistance program (EAS). You could also look for online advice, but that is not usually the best advice. I would rather see a counsellor than search for potentially wrong information online.

Wrapping Things Up

When you feel like things are starting to get out of hand, make sure you take a deep breath and think. If you need a break, take it, do not hesitate. Take care of your health and switch negative habits to funny routines. Go out and explore your passions and hobbies. Get some support if you feel like you need it, do not be ashamed of it. Confront your boss and tell him how you feel. Have good conversations with your family. Make sure you live a happy, distressful life… and smile! Good luck, my friend.

The post 5 Techniques to Stop Stress While Working appeared first on Calling Dreams.

With all the technologies and busy lifestyle that we have, it is easy to allow our emotions to affect us.  It is especially true if you truly want something that you can quickly become disheartened and frustrated.

But emotions cannot be avoided. However, you must ensure that they will not affect your professional life. When you experience negative emotions, you must learn how to overcome them and find a way to continue doing your best work.
Even if you live in one of the healthiest cities in America or happiest countries in the world, there will still be a time that you experience sadness, frustration, and other negative emotions. When those feelings develop, here are some ways to overcome them and use them to boost your motivation.

How to Overcome Emotions and Boost Motivation

1. Do something new

Depression can affect your productivity. You can’t enjoy anything, even those activities that you once loved. When you have empty feelings, you can’t finish your task. Snapping out of this depressing state is possible if you only allow it.

Instead of considering your work as dreadful, try doing something new. Learn a new skill to challenge your mind. Approach new things with curiosity, instead of caution.

While learning new skills, focus on the fun that comes from the new skill. When you try new things, it can lead to increased self-esteem, and it is a primary driver of personal growth.

Keep in mind that by trying new skills, you are educating yourself, which is an essential factor in improving your health and increasing your productivity.

So, start a bucket list today. Each time you feel down, pick that list and start doing one of the activities. Since negative emotions can arise because you do the same things each day, consider breaking your routine. Change your exercise or opt for new food. Learning new things is vital to your happiness and mental wellbeing.

2. Focus on what you do best

Negative emotions can compromise your productivity. At work, rejection is normal. If your boss rejected your project consistently, don’t focus on the problem. Instead, focus on what you do best to rebuild your confidence.

As the saying goes, life is too short so why waste your time on something that won’t make you happy. If the project has been rejected consistently, it might be time for you to focus on other things. It’s probably a wake-up call for you that such plan won’t make you happy in the end.

Transform the sadness in your heart because of rejection to action. As you imagine the worst case scenario, you’re motivated to try harder and focus your energy to get ready for new tasks.

The rejection can also help you become a problem solver. As you become anxious because of rejection, you are more motivated to discover solutions to avoid getting rejected again.

3. Consider frustration as a good thing

How many times did you punch a wall because things didn’t work the way you want them to be? But remember that our perception is ahead of your skill.

If you want something, you know how you want it to look. Unfortunately, because your perception is always ahead of your skill, you might not get the things that you want. But it might just be a sign that you’re on the verge of improving.

When you’re frustrated, use it to solve a problem and improve it. The issue will usually start when you doubt your self, or you treat your ability as an extension of yourself. That is, if your project suck, therefore you suck.

But you must never think that way because all masters started as a naive student.

4. Allow your mind to wander

When you’re feeling depressed, or you’re angry about something, just allow your mind to wander. Zoning out is a period of creativity.

During this period, ideas would consciously come together on their own. Suddenly, it becomes clear as to why you’re feeling depressed. When you’re mindful, you’re thinking in the present moment, so there’s no room for new ideas to collide.

Mind-wandering usually happens when you’re doing a mundane task. But you can allow your mind to wander while you’re disheartened or feeling down.

It’s the wandering away that makes you look at your future goals. It’s a great time for you to think about new techniques or skills that you need to develop to improve your life.

5. Use your negative emotions to motivate yourself

Happiness is good. However, if we’re happy, we do our best to maintain it. When you’re happy, it’s a sign that you’re in a safe situation and that there’s nothing you need to change. But, when you’re sad, it triggers motivation, so you deal with a challenging environment.

It’s the reason happy people are less motivated to improve themselves than those individuals who are in their negative mood. If you have negative emotions, you’re more motivated to change the unpleasant state. With a sad feeling, your perseverance to achieve better results is heightened.

Happy people, on the other hand, are less motivated to make an effort to perform a lot better because they’re already experiencing a positive mood.

6. Grab it as an opportunity to see the truth

When things around you become bleak, it means that you need to learn something new and truer. Take it as an opportunity to know the truth and be grateful for it.

As you’re feeling down, you’ll realize that you’re responsible for how you feel. When you take responsibility for your emotions, you’re taking the step in owning them and using them.

As you appreciate your negative emotions, you learn to develop empathy. The more you’re acquainted with your feelings, the more you understand the people around you.

You learn how to be compassionate for yourself and others.

Conclusion

We all want to be happy and peaceful. However, as humans, we experience a roller coaster of emotions. Negative emotions are inevitable. But the good thing is that humans can choose how to overcome those feelings. These negative emotions can help cultivate joy. They have something to show you. After a negative emotion, there’s always a positive feeling that’s just right around the corner.

The post How To Overcome Emotions And Boost Motivation appeared first on Calling Dreams.

There’s a certain peace that I feel when I go hiking. Ever since I was a boy, I used to explore all sorts of trails around the country. I’ve always enjoyed discovering new places. Last month I came to realize that a trail is very much like the journey of life. I am absolutely addicted to the blissful feeling of climbing to the top in the same way that I’m addicted to striving for success in life. We all have our own mountains to climb. Our own dreams to fulfill. It’s my pleasure to share the life lessons I’ve learned at high altitude.

8 Life Lessons from Hiking

1. When you go after your dream, prepare yourself beforehand

If you’re used to spending long hours in front of the television, day by day, and your diet consists of Coke and fast-food, a bit of training before going hiking would make it easier for you. The same goes if you’re starting a business, going to an interview or taking a test. Learn as much as you can about what you’re going after. After all, knowledge is power.

2. Life is full of ups and downs

The moment that you feel that you’ve reached the peak and you’re about to celebrate, you realize that you need to go down and up again to get to the highest point. You might even notice that you took the wrong turn and need to go down again to get back on track. Sometimes, life can get difficult and, most of the times, there is no straight or easy road to success. If it would be easy, then everyone would be successful. Makes sense, right?

3. Realize your mistakes

This ties very well with point nr. 2. Most of the times, you will be unaware that you’ve taken the wrong path on a trail until either someone else tells you so, or you realize yourself, through intuition or past knowledge, that you’re wasting valuable energy going in the wrong direction. It’s easy to be stubborn and hold on to toxic habits, activities, ideas or even people, but when life gives you obvious signs that the road you’re taking is destined to fail, then it’s time to accept the fact, cut your losses and start over. Denial will only keep you farther away from your dream.

4. Each with his own goals

There may be groups that want to climb all the way to the top and others that drive close by to a cascade and merely climb 200 feet. Neither of the groups is wrong or right and none of them have the right to judge each other. You may encounter people with small goals that will judge you for your seemingly unrealistic goals. Also, you might look down on people for their mediocre goals. In situations like these, the best idea isn’t to look sideways, but to look in front and keep on going.

5. The road less traveled is often the most rewarding

Not once, but many times I’ve encountered situations in which a narrow, steeper road would be more efficient when wanting to climb to the top. The same way goes when it comes to life. Most people choose the road that others have chosen. The thing that sets successful people apart is their willingness to dream, experiment and take the road less traveled.

6. You choose your own rhythm

One thing that I’m not proud of is my eagerness and lack of patience when it comes to hiking. I see a spot, set an approximate time when I wish to arrive and stick to that time, regardless of other people in the group that might be tired. The only one that can truly stop you from pursuing your dreams is yourself or extreme misfortune. You can blame an accident that leaves you incapacitated or unable to do what you want to, but you can do so until you recover. After that, it’s still up to you to pick yourself up and get back on track.

7. Obstacles are made to be overcome

Hiking is a challenging and unpredictable activity. You might encounter steep trails and fall. The people in front of you might slip and make rocks fall in front of you. A road can be too slippery for you to go downhill. You will always face obstacles. You can look at them as stepping stones that test your motivation. Walls are there for those that don’t truly want to pass them.

8. Climbing to the top means that you’ve won, not that you’re the winner

You’ve finally reached the top after lots of effort. You’ve surpassed obstacles that you thought were impossible. The sense of accomplishment fills you with happiness and you can finally reap what you’ve sown. Now it’s time to start over and find something new that you can top.

Don’t just be happy that you’ve accomplished an objective that was not your life purpose. Find a new road that will build you up, the same way that your previous trail has made you see beauty and purpose. And yes, it was the trail that made you be so happy that you made it to the top. The top itself would be much less meaningful if you had to take the cable car.

The post 8 Valuable Life Lessons I’ve Learned While Hiking appeared first on Calling Dreams.

Many people feel as though they can’t trust work from home opportunities. While some are suspect, there’s actually a wide array of ways you can make money without having to leave your home. This has become especially true with the rise of the internet. Here are some of the best ways you can work from home and make some money from your talents.

Top 12 Ways Housewives Can Make Money Working From Home

1. Ways to make money from home

There’s plenty of ways you can make money from the comfort of your own home. Here’s some jobs you should try out for yourself:

2. Earn money for digital services

There’s plenty of ways to earn some cash online, without ever having to leave your home. These methods are perfect for stay at home moms and other people who need ways to make money that don’t take huge amounts of time. The Work At Home Woman offers several options for you, including taking online surveys, watching videos, and even playing games online.

3. Sell unused items online

If you’ve got a lot of stuff you’re looking to get rid of, you can make some extra cash by selling it online. The most popular selling site is still eBay, but there are lots of other places where you can sell items. If you’re looking to get the most money, try looking around and seeing if there’s a niche market for your items. Things like vintage toys or clothing can net you a good profit if you know where to sell them.

4. Get paid for shopping

There are lots of sites that will give you money and rewards just for going shopping online. They’ll usually require to log in to their site, and then send you on to the site of your choice, to get paid. The money and rewards aren’t often a huge amount, but you’re going to be shopping anyway. As this is the case, why not earn some of the cost of your shopping back?

5. Get crafting

Is there a craft you’re particularly good at? Maybe you make knitted clothes or create beautiful works of art. Whatever it is, you can make money from that craft. Etsy is one of the biggest craft marketplaces out there, and you can reach a huge audience. This is a great way to make money from a simple hobby, as Woman’s Day explains. If you’re especially smart, you can grow a whole business from it.

6. Sell your photography

Are you a keen photographer? Then you can make more money than you’d think to sell your snaps. Websites are always looking for good stock photography to use, as they need it to go with the content they create for their sites. Edit your photography and sell it to stock photography sites. The more photos you sell, the more you’ll earn.

7. Write reviews for cash

All kinds of businesses need to get reviews in order to get more business. As a reviewer, you can let customers know where the best services are, and exactly what they can do for you. Sites like UK Services Reviews are always looking for more reviewers to work with them. The more you can write, the more you can earn.

8. Become a virtual assistant

There’s plenty of business owners who need an assistant, but for various reasons, they can’t hire a full-time employee to do the job. The solution is to hire a virtual assistant to do the job for them. This role can include making appointments, booking flights and hotels, and taking phone calls for your manager. This can all be done from home and can help you make a tidy amount of cash if you plan your day’s right.

9. Work in telesales

These roles traditionally were carried out in offices, but increasingly, telesales companies are hiring work from home operatives to carry out their campaigns. If you’ve got a thick skin and a knack for sales, this could be the right role for you.

10. Freelance writing

Ever fancied yourself to be a writer? Then there’s no easier way to get started than online. Online writing markets such as Upwork are always looking for writers who can take on a wide array of jobs. If you can write reviews, press releases, blog articles and more, you can make a good living by becoming a freelance writer.

11. Become an online tutor

Are you an expert in a certain subject, or have teaching experience? Then you could become an online tutor. They can work from anywhere, and online communication tools can make it easy to communicate with your student. If you can teach English as a second language, you’ll be in high demand. Take advantage of this and make some cash.

12. Pet sitting

If you’re an animal lover, then this is the job for you. There are lots of online services that allow you to sell your services as a pet sitter. You can look after animals during the day if you’re home, or board pets when their owners are on holiday. The best part is you can set your own prices, so you can make as much money as you can doing something you love.

Tips for Working from Home

If you’re thinking of working from home, you’ll need some help to get started and start making money. Use these tips to get you off on the right foot:

• Make a list of everything you need to get done during the day. This will help you focus on what you need to do, and give you a plan to work to.
• Set your boundaries. If friends drop by as ‘you’re not busy’, politely turn them away until you’re free. Protect your working time just as you would if you were in an office.
• Set working hours. It’s great working from home at first, but it can be easy to let work drag its way into your personal time. Set the hours, and stick to them.
• Discuss your work with your family. Explain that when you’re working, you’re not to be disturbed. Using a traffic light system can be great for younger children.
• Enjoy the flexibility. Working from home means you can take care of things during the day, and work during the night if you want to. Take the opportunity to do things you’d never be able to do if you worked outside the home.

As you can see, there are a lot of ways you can use your talents by working from home. Pick a job that suits you, and get started. If you dedicate yourself, you can make yourself a whole new career.

The post Top 12 Ways Housewives Can Make Money Working From Home appeared first on Calling Dreams.

The way we start our days has a great impact on our mood. A good morning routine brings in a peaceful day. Waking up, stretching, meditating, having breakfast, and driving to work sounds good, doesn’t it? Sticking to this routine might be the single problem.

Sometimes we might go to bed late and fail to wake up early in the morning. Other times, we just don’t feel like doing the same over and over again, so we get tired of the same morning schedule. And that is totally understandable. But no matter what we do or not do in the morning, I believe meditation should never be excluded from our routine.

Why? I will give you three great reasons in just a second. How? I will give some tips at the end of the article on that. OK, enough talk. Let’s get down to business.

Why You Should Meditate in the Morning

1. Mornings are Quiet and Peaceful

Meditation requires concentration. Thus, it requires a peaceful environment. We might not be able to focus on ourselves at noon, when the hustle and bustle of the city gets to us. Cars honking, angry people screaming at each other, mad taxi drivers – even if we are not outside, we can still hear them. A feeling of irritation gets to us, and we stop concentrating.

Morning is a better option because everything is quiet and peaceful. Nobody can get in your way. No screams, no question, no disturbances. Just 15 minutes out of your time – that is decent, practical, and very beneficial for your mental health (more on that later, see point 3).

Also, meditation in the morning will pump you up! For men, it will increase their testosterone level, and develop their muscles quickly. For women, it will give them a sense of endless power throughout the day, and more energy to work out. Also, sexual life also improves drastically. Man and women will last longer in bed, and they will develop more sensual characteristics due to meditation.

2. You Can Handle Your Day Better

Lemony Snicket, author of The Blank Book says, “Morning is an important time of day, because how you spend your morning can often tell you what kind of day you are going to have.” And he couldn’t be more right. Meditating is all about thanking the Universe for being alive; living the moment; being connected to the present.

When you start your day with gratitude in your heart, there is almost nothing negative that can affect your day. During those 15 minutes in the morning, you earn more positivity than ever.

Besides that, meditation helps you open new mind doors. It will make you self-aware of your life and your desires. You will realize that you should be thankful for opening your eyes every day, and should never take it for granted. Your eyes are the gifts through which you perceive the world. Also, you start realizing that no day can be repeated. Thus, you must make each day count. Actually, no – make every single moment of your day count!

More self-awareness means fewer worries, and fewer worries mean less stress. “Don’t worry, be happy!” right? Start your day with the significant appreciation for what you have, and release the stress through focusing on your mind.  

3. You Become Healthier

Meditating activates your nervous system and therefore empowers your mind to connect with your body. That means a lot of things:

• No more coffee – you can now enter “beast mode” by meditating, there is no need to drink tons of coffee anymore.
• Filtering the information that affects your mind – you might not have a mental filter activated by now since you haven’t meditated; that means that almost everything can get to you. Do you get angry easily over small things? Are there things you should not necessarily pay attention to, but you do anyway? If so, you need to activate your mind filter. Its role is to decide whether a certain thought need or needn’t enter your mind.
• No more stress – as I’ve pointed out before, meditation releases pressure. You won’t feel stressed again because when you meditate, you have time to breathe and concentrate on yourself. You will feel happier, sleep better, and have an increased appetite, which brings me to my next point.
• Eating healthier – when we meditate, we sometimes realize that we are not clean eaters. When we are stressing over deadlines and difficult projects, we might forget about our diets; we crave sweets and fast-food, and our bodies suffer. But through meditating, we actually realize how important eating healthy is, and how much it impacts our well-being. “You are what you eat,” right?
• No more headaches – research shows that meditation in the morning reduces headaches throughout the day by at least 20%.

There are moments when you might wonder “Would I be able to do all of these?” and the answer is no. At this point, you are not. And you shouldn’t. Take it step by step, do not over push it. Make sure you meditate every morning, and start from there. You will see that gradually, the changes will come. You will feel the need to eat healthier, experience fewer headaches, and you might even stop drinking coffee.

How a Morning Routine Looks Like

A busy schedule and a stressful environment might make us ignorant about our minds and bodies. And that is the last thing we want. That’s why we need to push ourselves into meditating. So, take a look at a casual morning routine, and adjust it to your needs:

• Go to bed no later than 10:30 pm. Try to finish all your work by then so you can rest properly.
• Wake up at least 15 minutes before the usual time, and wash your face. That will clear your mind and wake you up for real.
• Drink some hot water before you start. It helps clean out the toxins in your body.
• Get comfortable; start small, but sit tall. Design a special mind space for meditating that you are going to fulfill in the past.
• Breathe in, breathe out. Let go of all the negative emotions. Think about yourself. Concentrate on “nothing.”
• Write down what you have thought about every time after a practice session ends.
• Practice makes perfect! Repeat this as much as you can! With time, things will get better.
• Smile, and enjoy a great breakfast!

Wrapping Things Up

Morning meditation can, and will, make you happier in the long run. All you have to do is stick with it. Give meditation a chance, even if you might be skeptical that it helps as much as I said. You might not believe me, and that is alright – you don’t have to. But try out for yourself, and see the changes with your own eyes (or mind haha)!

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