Friday, July 20, 2012

Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle While Chasing Your Dreams - Part II


We create our future by what we dream today.

1. Establish a regular exercise routine. Stress reduces chemicals that make you feel tense. Exercise helps move these chemicals through your body. Try for just twenty minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week, and choose a fun activity you’ll enjoy and stick with. Consider running, hiking, bowling, walking, swimming and water exercises, to name a few.

2. Get plenty of rest. Most people need seven or eight hours of sleep to feel renewed and refreshed. A warm shower or bath before bedtime helps you to fall asleep quickly.

3. Improve your communication skills. Learn to ask for help when you need it. Defuse misunderstandings before they occur by talking things over with your coworkers, spouse, children, relatives and friends.

4. Make time for decision-making. Give yourself plenty of time when making important life changes. When we make a snap decision, and then regret it, our quick decision only causes tension and stress. But remember, procrastination also can cause stress!

5. Eat a balanced diet. Stock up on whole grain breads, rice and pasta. Include lots of fruits and vegetables. Add calcium in the form of milk, yogurt and cheese. Grab your protein from meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs or nuts. Limit your intake of fats, oils, sweets, caffeine and alcohol.

6. Learn to accept and adapt to change. The only thing permanent is change. Learn to accept change as a fact-of-life. Whether you welcome or dread changes, they can be extremely stressful unless you learn to adjust to them. Take time to recover, refocus, and regenerate during a major change such as a promotion, relocation, parenthood, divorce—or any change that causes you undue concern.

Have fun chasing your dreams, but remember you must stay healthy to accomplish it. A writer friend of mine says it the best. You have to love her humor:

     "Don't be unhappy if all your dreams don't come true. . .
     just be thankful your nightmares don't!"

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