7 mini-habits that will change your life

1. Make your bed the minute you wake up in the morning. 

And do a damn-good job of making it. Stretch out the sheets, clean out the wrinkles and fold out the blankets perfectly. 

There are two very tangible benefits behind making the bed perfectly in the morning. 

First, you've finished a task immediately when you wake up, so you're starting your day with a small self-esteem boost of doing something, finishing something, and doing it very well. 

Second, when you come home from a tired day, when you've lost in other areas of the day, when things haven't gone your way... you will come home to a perfectly made bed. 

There will be nothing between you and a good night's sleep. 

The bed will remind you of the success you had in the morning and make you go to sleep looking forward to another day. 

'First thing in the morning' is more of a metaphor, meaning get the bed done before you get lost in the day. 

You can let it breathe, change the bed-sheets or whatever, but before you step out of the house, get it done. Or if you want to laze around get the bed made before lazing out on the couch. 

2. Put things back to where you found them

What this means is that no matter what you use in your day, as soon as you're done using it, put it back. 

Done polishing your shoes? Put back the shoe polish and the brushes to where they belong. 

Been cooking some food? Put back all the utensils to where they belong. 

Done watching a DVD? Put it back in the box and in the shelf where it belongs.

Here's why this is super beneficial; every time you put stuff back to where it belongs you're immediately taking care of a few functions in your life;

The first is that you're clearing out the clutter instantly. When you put things back to where they belong you drastically clear clutter in your life. 

Clearing clutter helps you think better and have a better organized life. 

The second benefit is that when you need them the next time you won't have to look for it. You'll know where you put it back. 

And over time as you make putting things back in their place a habit, you will know every time where anything is. 

This has the additional benefit of saving you tons of time without actually looking for things. 

If you put your car keys back to where they belong every day, you won't have to find them. You'll always know where they belong. 

The third benefit is long term - that you develop a habit of putting things away which will help you in your life as you get business and busier, putting things where they belong will help you remember where they are in the long term.

3. Pick up clutter before you go to sleep at night

This might sound like more than a 5 minute habit, however when practiced consistently this is a less than a few minute habit. 

Often times we end up being tired at night and have dishes in the sink, clothes lying around in the bedroom, magazines all strewn across the coffee table... these are all messes in our lives. 

When we wake up in the morning, instead of our mind focusing on the things that we have to it, focuses on these messes and our brain runs awry... 

Thinking about all the things 'you should' do and not focusing on the things that you have to do... nor the things that would being you the best return on time invested. 

So develop the habit of picking up any clutter you have lying around the house. This ties in perfectly with the previous habit. 

If you put stuff away, there wont be too much clutter to begin with, but whatever clutter there is, you'll put it away before you go to sleep at night. 

This will help you have a cleaner mind, have clearer thinking and focus on things that you really want to achieve. 

If you've never cleared clutter in your life - there will be a lot of it, so instead focus on clearing clutter form one space when you're just starting out. 

Here let me show you... if you've got a lot of clutter sitting around, think about clearing it from the kitchen counter every night before you go to sleep. 

Then every week add another surface. So as time progresses, you'll spend less and less time on keeping the kitchen counter clean and eventually your entire house will become clutter free. 

You won't even notice this but you'll wake up happier, and with more energy  and a skip in your step. 

4. Plan your day on a post it note

I used to have extensive to do list, with different contexts and different things that I had to do in different areas of my life. 

It never worked. I would fail and fell miserable at the end of the day for not achieving anything in my life. 

Then I started using the post-it note technique. 

This essentially means that whatever you have to do tomorrow you write it down, then take the biggest, baddest, projects from that list and put it on a post it note. 

These projects are the ones that will make the most impact in your life. Write only these on a post it note and forget everything else. 

So from a work perspective, you write the 3 things that you can do that will make the most impact on your job, and for your employer. 

You might have to ask your employer... "What's the biggest result, most important thing, that will have the most impact on the company?" or "What results do I need to deliver?"

This will help you clarify instantly what your employer values the most and will get you to do more of those activities. 

But only write down 3 things on the post it. 

I've noticed that doing 3 things everyday will have more impact on your life than writing doing 10 things and doing 7. 

Your mind will keep focusing on the ones you didn't do and then you lose productivity and sleep on the next day. 

So write down only 3 things on a post-it note and finish those 3 things every day. 

5. Become enthusiastic 

Most people drift thought life with their shoulders hunched, a frown on their faces and wrinkles on their forehead. 

They are skeptical about everything, about a new job, about a new responsibility, about something new that their spouse tells them. 

I used to be like that, and all it gave me was a bald head. Years later I changed my outlook on life and started being enthusiastic. 

Not just enthusiastic about going on vacation, or taking some time off from work... but about everything in life. 

If someone shares an idea with me, I'm enthusiastic about it, jump on board and help them take it to execution. 

It may not work out, but never for a lack of enthusiasm. This has helped me make more friends, become relaxed in my daily dealings and have doors opened for me that would never have been opened for me. 

Just las week I was at a luncheon with the Premier of British Columbia - only because of my enthusiastic attitude. 

6. Treat every stranger like a friend

What this means is that instead of looking at strangers with a bit of caution, you treat them with open arms. You welcome them in your private space. 

This completely changes things for everyone. When you meet someone for the first time, they are eyeing you with skepticism and you are eyeing them with skepticism. 

This is an evolutionary reaction that helped us survive a million years ago, where a stranger was out to get out food, and steal our supplies.

Even up to 200 years ago this was true. That a stranger could rob you or steal you property. 

But for most of us reading this on google, it isn't true anymore. We live in a world where the strangers we meet will be in a very protected and secure space.


You might meet a stranger at work, at the movies, in a bar, in the shopping mall... all these places are pretty well protected. And the chances of you getting mugged are remote to none. 

When you treat them like a friend, approach them with a skip in your step, open arms, wide smile... they will naturally become attracted to you and want to help you out. 

You're not doing this to get something out of them, but just to have a better time in life. Both you and the stranger are going through a tough journey called life... it becomes so much easier when you have a friend. 

Be that friend for that person, and treat every encounter as if you're meeting your friend. 

Additionally, chances are you both watch the same TV shows, read the same books, and have a few other things in common that if you just got to talking you would have a great time. 

The final benefit of treating every stranger like a friend is you aren't anxious all the time. You can relax, your body can relax and you let go of all the stress inside you. 

Remember; everyone else is treating you like a stranger also, they are sussing you out also. The only way you can find a friend is to be a friend. 

I'm not saying throw caution to the wind and make friends with the homeless guy in the alley behind a strip club... nor am I saying that you become best friends with every stranger that you meet. 

But... and this is key... that you 'treat' everyone like a friend, unless proven otherwise. 

So if you're sitting down on a park bench and someone is sitting across from them - start a conversation with them like you're both friends. 

Not exchange your bank account - but just treat her like a friend. If she turns out to be someone you wouldn't be friends with otherwise, no harm, no foul.

7. Dress slightly better than the occasion calls for

Notice how everyone who is an authority, who has power, who has charisma is dressed just a tad bit better then the other people in the room. 

Even in the movies, you never see the president dressed shabbily and the rest of the press dressed like winners. The press is always worse dressed than the president. 

So just by dressing up slightly better than the occasion calls for you will instantly become the alpha in the group. 

This means that when you're going out with your friends to watch a game, don't just wear slacks and a t-shirt. But put on jeans and a shirt. 

When you're visiting friends, don't just wear jeans and a shirt, put on a jacket also. 

You're dressing slightly better than the occasion calls for. 

So if everyone at work wears casual clothes, you wear casual clothes with a sports jacket. 

Yes you will stand out... but you will stand out to be better than everyone else. At work your boss will notice that you're the best dressed person there and will think of you when new opportunities arise. 

With friends you will become the natural leader of the group and everyone will look up to you for advice. 

Even when someone else wants to talk to the group, they'll perceive you as the authority and talk to you.

Plus the benefit of doing this is you don't have to work too hard, for most situations you can put on a collared-button-down-shirt and a sports jacket and you're good to go. 

For other situations a suit is required, and still for other occasions wearing a tie is mandatory. 

You know what each of that situation is you just need to implement this in your life. 

But a quick warning... if you're thinking about dressing slightly better, don't be ironic about it. 

What this means is if you put on a jacket, don't let your shirt hanging out pretending to be a cool twenty something. If you decide to put on a sweater, don't have the seams popping out at the back. 

If you do something, do it well, not ironically. It's not cool, it's not impressive. It doesn't make you look hip - it makes you look immature. 

Immature people are never leaders, never alphas in a group. 

These are the 7 mini-habits that you can implement in your life and drastically change your life. 

They don't take a lot of time to implement. They don't require a lot of money, or effort. 

But they do require your commitment. So make a commitment today to do these mini-habits in your life. 

Take the 5 minutes right now to make a commitment that you will do these habits for the next 30 days. 

Promise me that you will try each habit for 30 days before you discard it. 

Then and only then decide whether it works for you or not.

Yoga

Surya Namaskara  also known in English as Sun Salutation  is a common sequence of asanas. Its origins lie in India where its large Hindu population worships Surya, the Hindu solar deity.

This sequence of movements and asanas can be practised on varying levels of awareness, ranging from that of physical exercise in various styles, to a complete sadhana which incorporates asana, pranayama, mantra and chakra meditation.

Surya Namaskara, like most asanas, is recommended to be performed on an empty stomach. Therefore some recommend a gap of at least two hours after eating and before performing the namaskara. It is generally practiced in the morning before breakfast or in evening.

For people in certain careers, a desk is something you literally can't escape. While working at a call center, trading on a computer, or managing a welcome desk, you can't do your job unless you are planted at you desk.Below are instruction in three of the simplest stress busting poses. You can do these moves and still do your job!

DIY Facial

A facial is a four step procedure; cleansing, exfoliating, massaging and hydrate.
You will need cleansing milk, a face scrub, cream and a masque to finish off.

Here are some homemade solutions for the same:

Step 1: Cleansing

You can either use cleansing milk available in the market or make your own.

Take two tablespoons of full fat milk and add half a teaspoon of olive oil. Warm the mixture, and dip a cotton ball in it to wipe your face thoroughly. Wash off with lukewarm water.

Step 2: Exfoliating

Scrubbing is needed to slough off dead skin cells from your face. You can make a scrub using two teaspoons of curd, one teaspoon of gram flour and a pinch of turmeric.

Alternately, you can finely crush two to three almonds and mix with milk cream.

For oily skin, you can make a scrub using oatmeal and honey. Follow the massage instructions listed above.

Step 3: Massaging

There are several face massage creams available, but nothing beats a homemade alternative. For a face massage, you can use the pulp of papaya added to some milk cream. Thicken the mixture to form a paste that you can spread easily.

For oily skin, you can use a paste of hung curd and the pulp of apricot with a few drop of olive oil.

Step 4: Hydrating

A masque is the most effective way to hydrate your skin after a facial massage. Once you’ve finished massaging your face, put a hot towel on your face to open clogged pores. Finish off with a homemade face pack.

You can try a clay masque made of Fuller’s Earth and rose water.

For a more nourishing pack, try mixing the yolk of one egg with one tablespoon honey and a few drops of olive oil.

If you’re feeling particularly indulgent, try a chocolate pack. Melt a few pieces of dark chocolate over a double boiler. Add to this a mix of one cup of milk and two tablespoons of salt. Stir together and let it cool. Apply and keep for 10 minutes, then rinse off with lukewarm water.

Besan or gram’s flour is an age old super hit granny’s recipe to fight out a number of skin problems like dull lifeless skin, acne, pimples, dark skin, blemish buster and for removal of unwanted hair. Besan has been documented since traditional times as an ingredient to many beauty and spa treatments. It is inexpensive and is easily available in everyone’s kitchen!! 

Take 5-6 tbsp of besan, 2 tbsp of lemon juice, 1 tbsp turmeric and mix it with 1 cup of raw milk. You can use this ubtan for your face or on entire body. You can store the mixture for one week and use this daily to get desired results.

Or try  a pumpkin face mask :)

Vitamin-Deficiency Signals

I had muscle and joint paint red acne in my face  for three months now, and I felt tired all the time. The doctor diagnosed me with mild Vitamin D deficiency with just my facial appearance and proved it with blood test.

Yes that was the whole motivation of drafting this article.. Hope it helps you too.. If you are sick body tells you signal and you need to understand it.

A diet rich in processed food is one of the main culprits, it is all the chips and biscuits that you so love strips you off all the essential nutrients you have in your body.

Junk  is mostly `dead food' and seldom has any nutrients to contribute to your health and wellbeing.

If your body is  trying to tell you something listen to it. While fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, pale skin, irregular heartbeats and weight lass are apparent, there are unusual vitamin-deficiency warning signs.

Vitamin symptoms may be subtle at first, but they increase as the deficiency worsens.

1. SIGNAL: Red or white acne like bumps, on the cheeks, arms, thighs and butt .  

DEFICIENT IN: Essential fatty acids and vitamins A and D.

FIX IT: Tank up on the sunshine. Long hours in air-conditioned spaces and pollution make it hard. Even sunscreen lotion prevents absorption. But when it is winter in UK and temperature is -3 degree , you won’t be getting enough sun to boost your deficiency. So look for other options like  consuming fish, sardine, tuna, egg, and green leafy vegetables, more dairy products in your meal.Add salmon and walnuts and almonds, and seeds like ground flax, and chia in your diet. For vitamin A, eat plenty of leafy greens, papaya and colorful veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, and capsicum. This provides beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, which your body will use to make the vital nutrient.

2. SIGNAL: Tingling, prickling, and numbness in hands, feet or elsewhere.

DEFICIENT IN:B vitamins like folate (B9), B6, and B12. It's a problem directly related to the peripheral nerves and where they end in the skin. These symptoms can be combined with anxiety, depression, anaemia, fatigue, and hormone imbalances.

FIX IT: You can fix the vitamin B group largely with your diet. Opt for brown rice, millet, wheat germ, nuts, wheat bran sprouted grains. Egg, chicken, mutton, salmon, banana, broccoli, red kidney beans, asparagus, cauliflower, cabbage and all green leafy vegetables.

3. SIGNAL:  Cracks at the corners of your mouth

DEFICIENT IN: Iron, zinc, and B vitamins like niacin (B3), riboflavin (B2), and B12. It's common if you're a vegetarian to not get enough iron, zinc, and B12. Likewise, if you're skimping on essential immunity-building protein because of excess dieting.

FIX IT: Eat more poultry, salmon, tuna, eggs, chicken, tomatoes, peanuts, and lentils. Iron absorption is enhanced by vitamin C, which helps fight infection. Combine these foods with broccoli, and cauliflower. Ensure that you also eat dairy products like yoghurt, paneer and ghee.

4. SIGNAL: Muscle cramps in the form of throbbing pain in toes, calves, arches of feet, and backs of legs

DEFICIENT IN: Magnesium, calcium, and potassium. If it's happening frequently, it's a sign that you're lacking in these. And if you're training hard, you can lose more minerals (and water-soluble B vitamins) through heavy sweating.

FIX IT: To fix potassium, have oranges, bananas, peanuts, beans, coconut water. For magnesium, go for dark green leafy vegetable, nuts and soybean. Almonds, figs, carrots, raisins, brown rice, cashew are rich sources of calcium.

5. SIGNAL: Red, scaly rash on your face and excessive loss of hair

DEFICIENT IN: Biotin (B7), known as the hair vitamin. While your body stores fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), it doesn't store most B vitamins, which are water soluble. Also, eating raw eggs makes you vulnerable, because a protein in raw eggs called avidin inhibits the body's ability to absorb biotin.

FIX IT: Cooked eggs (cooking deactivates avidin), salmon, avocados, mushrooms, cauliflower, soybeans, nuts, and bananas.

 

Choosing vitamin instead of good food is not advisable but as a supplement in I think we can have it before deficiency worsens.

1. Vitabiotics Well woman is my choice 
2. Seven Seas Codliver Oil is also my choice in my daily life 
3. I think if you are someone around my mum’s age then Well woman 50+ will be good  

Bu if you are not sure of your symptoms or having any other medical condition please consult your doctor/physician /GP before having supplements.

And here is the quick summary :-

Dark Circles/Puffy Eyes

Dark circles can affect both men and women. Now there are many reasons for dark circles to appear under your eyes; from stress, lack of sleep, hormonal changes, a disturbed lifestyle, hereditary and many more. Though chemical based products helps in getting rid of them, but then there are many who have an extremely sensitive skin and only pure home remedies can help them.

 Here are some natural home remedies to help to get rid of those ghastly-looking dark circles:

- Grated potatoes:Grate some raw potato and soak a cotton ball in the potato juice. Close your eyes and place these cotton balls on your eyes. Make sure they cover the dark circles under your eyes as well as the eyelids. Leave it on for 10 minutes and wash off with cold water.

- Tomatoes: Tomatoes are an excellent solution for getting rid of dark circle, as it naturally helps to decrease the dark circles and also makes the skin soft and supple.Applying a mixture of a teaspoon of tomato and lime juice, twice a day will help in reducing the dark circles.

- Drink a glass of tomato juice with some mint leaves, lemon juice and salt. Drinking this twice a day is another remedy.

- Prepare a paste of four to five almonds with some milk. Apply this paste over the affected area and leave for 10 to 15 minutes. This will lighten the skin around the eyes.

- A mixture of a few teaspoons of fresh pineapple juice along with a pinch of turmeric powder, when applied on the dark circles regularly will help clear them.

- Every night before sleeping, apply creams containing vitamin E and C around the eyes. I use OZ naturals it is a plant based get have a look here 

- Crush some mint leaves and apply them around the eyes. Doing this will also provide a cooling effect on tired eyes.

-Cold tea bags: Another simple technique to get rid of the dark circles is using cold tea bags. Soak a tea bag preferably a chamomile or green tea bags in water. Chill it by placing it in the refrigerator for a while. Now, place them over your eyes. Use this remedy on a regular basis to see considerable difference.

-Cold milk: Regular use of cold milk will also decrease the dark circles and also soothes your eyes and skin. Take a cotton ball and place it in a bowl of cold milk or iced water for a while. Now apply the cotton ball making sure that it covers the entire eye with the affected area. Keep it for a while. Wash it regular water.

-Orange juice: Another effective home remedy to remove dark circles is orange juice. Mix some orange juice with a few drops of glycerin and apply this mixture over the dark circles. Not only will it diminish the dark circles it will also give a natural glow to your eyes.

-Yoga/meditation: One of the main reasons that's seen for the recurrence of dark circles under eyes is because of stress, depression and a hectic lifestyle. No amount of home remedies will work if your mind isn't cool and calm. Yoga and meditation if practiced regularly will not only decrease your dark circles will also balance the body clock whilst calming your mind, body and soul.

Keep sharing as everybody has eyes and it needs to be protected.

Sugar and Aging

Sugar, not only affects your waistline and heart health, it also impacts your skin.

“Sugar definitely is the biggest culprit in speeding up the process of premature aging,” says Dr. Whitney Bowe, a dermatologist at Advanced Dermatology in New York City. “It makes us look more haggard and wrinkled.” 

When people eat too much sugar, or carbs that quickly break down to sugar, the excess floods the body. Some of it hangs out in the blood, spiking a person’s glucose levels, but it also binds to proteins in a process known as glycation. Sugar loves linking to collagen and elastin, two proteins that give skin its firm, supple look. 

Collagen and elastin become stiff and rigid and you cannot repair them says Farris, co-author of “The Sugar Detox: Lose the Sugar, Lose the Weight

Burn Off Sugar

You can burn off the glucose in your bloodstream by  physical movement by riding a bicycle or jog or do jumping jacks. It also helps if you would swing your arms in circular motions, both backward and forward. You will see great results if you do either one or all of these suggestions for at least 10 minutes or more.

Flush Out Sugar

To rid your body of sugar, flush it out. . Flush out sugar from your body by drinking two 8-ounce glasses of water quickly. Wait five minutes and then drink a third 8-ounce glass of water. Needless to say, drinking all that water will cause you to urinate and flush out the sugar.

Nuts

Nuts are great for lowering and controlling blood sugar levels; particularly the oil bearing nuts, squash, and sun flower seeds.

Wheat Germ

Wheat germ lowers blood sugar because it consists of vitamins B and E. Four or five spoonful of wheat germ can lower the sugar level in your blood as well as the need for insulin.

Vinegar

Several studies have shown that a realistic amount of vinegar or lemon juice, in the form of salad dressing, consumed with a mixed meal, lowers blood sugar levels significantly.

Vegetables

Vegetables are a very good food for people with elevated blood sugar. The best vegetables for lowering blood sugar are cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbages.

Foods such as snack cakes, muffins, breakfast cereal and even spaghetti sauce can contain loads of sugar. Check the labels.

Seasons Greetings 2014

Happy Thanks Giving ~ 2014

This year has been a roller-coaster ride, as is life for each and every single one of us.  I have seen, done and experienced more than many and I am eternally grateful for.

But the one thing it has been important  is I am independent.

Slowly but surely I managed to wean myself away from the idea and notion that I needed someone else…

I tried to understand myself better, understand my limits and expectations, handle my emotions so that now nearly nothing can phase me, and challenge myself so I’m never left wandering what I could have been capable of in life again.

Life offers you a priceless opportunity in every single moment to see and experience Who You Really Are.  Seize it! 

Sometimes we get completely lost in trying to live life for others, trying to meet their expectations, doing things just to impress them. 

Take a moment now and stop yourself. Are you doing things because you truly believe in them?

Or is that because of someone else in your life is telling you to do ? Remember your own needs and goals. Remember who YOU are.

Live, do and love so that you are happy too, because when it comes down to it, you can’t be true to others unless you are true to yourself first.

Promise to stop the drama before it begins, to breathe deeply and peacefully, and to love others and yourself without conditions. Promise to laugh at your own mistakes, and to realize that no one is perfect; we are all human.

If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being  you.

Don’t let the wrong people from your past keep you from the right people in your present.  Forgive and move forward. 

Regardless of whether you are in love, hate love, long for love or really just don’t even think about it at this point in your life, the most important relationship you will ever have is with yourself.

And to learn to love yourself first will inevitably lead to the ‘right’ kind of love in the long run.

You will in turn become the truest and most happy version of yourself.

You will know what you like as well as what you don’t like and you will be confident enough on your likes/dislikes/thoughts/beliefs to be able to stand by them.

You will have your own opinion. You will fight for that opinion in a healthy discussion, rather than side with another’s view simply because you aim to please them.

By loving yourself you allow yourself to be loved for who you are… not who you intend to be.

Just like our fashion sense, physical appearance and musical preference changes over the years, so do our feelings toward people we love and have loved. 

Change is healthy. Its natural and evolutionary; it makes life interesting.

Every one of us is fighting our own private battles.

The strongest among us aren’t those who show strength but those who have won incredible inner battles we know nothing about.

Always remember that the words and actions you choose can only be forgiven, not forgotten. 

If you sit around for too long blaming others for the things they did or didn’t do, or know or didn’t know, you’ll remain sitting in one spot until you pass. 

Placing blame is easy, because it means you don’t have to do anything.

Living  every instant is important life injects many opportunities into your story, into your relationships, and ultimately makes you moves  forward.

Persistence pays off, from rejection letters  through to controversies, backlashes and ‘haters’, there will be  more challenges around every corner as you continue to conquer new targets.

But for every one bad egg in the world, there are 20 (or more) good ones.

Remember, your failure does not define you, your determination does. 

Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, smarter than before.

Tomorrow is a new day. 

You shall begin it peacefully and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with old nonsense.

& that’s what I learned this year.

Happy Thanks Giving 2014...

I am taking a break for holidays and some other entertainments in life so wishing you all a Very Happy Christmas in Advance and see you next year 

..take care

Love and Regards

Ann

Bee Live FM

Came across a beautiful #Malayalam #FMRadio ..

Here is the direct link --->  http://beelive.fm/ 

— at Beelive Radio - Malayalam

Enjoy 

Special Thanks to #Pearle Manney 

It is an Online Radio Station targeting the Malayali diaspora in the UK and India.

Beelive is a cloud based web & mobile online radio application. 

The programs are created and fed from Beelive’s Kochi studio via Airtime/Shoutcast hosted on Google’s cloud servers (Compute Engine) with an additional boost from Cloud Flare to speed up load time and improve security.

The programs are fed simultaneously to the Beelive web site, as well as the IPhone and Android apps. 

Together, the Beelive applications have the capacity to reach out to thousands of online radio listeners simultaneously.