Making The Best Of A Bad Situation.

Credit: My Mind Porm

We’ve all been there. Having a bad time at work? Missing someone that you won’t see for a while? Going through a difficult breakup? When you’re feeling low and the weeks ahead look bleak,  it can feel like there’s nothing to be happy about. We get ready to trudge through the up and coming days, determined to rush and get it all over and done with, but with a change of perspective it’s possible to power through and, dare I say it, even enjoy the rough patch approaching. So, without further ado, here are five tips to help you do what needs to be done:

Focus – the most important thing to remember is that all things must pass. Life might seem bad at the moment, but in a few weeks, even months, whatever it is will be over. Time cannot stand still and so inevitably, things will get better.

Angles – think about what it is that’s getting you down. Is it possible to alter your perspective? Look at the next month of your life as a challenge. If you can get through this, you can do anything! Assert your strength by summoning your own positivity.

Excitement – Nothing fun approaching? Create your own fun! Make plans with friends and organise a party or night out. Filling up your social calendar is an excellent way to, not only pass the time, but also to enjoy it. On the other hand, you don’t need to be a social butterfly to find something to look forward to. Read one of the books you’ve been meaning to get into for months, or crack on with that Netflix series everyone is talking about. Even the promise of feasting on a favourite meal can be the small glimmer of light that we need to get through those more difficult days.

Enjoy –  When we’re stuck in life it’s important to savour rare moments of happiness. The activities are intended as a distraction, but they are also moments that are passing you by. Don’t spend your time dwelling on the bad things. It’s not enough to simply make plans, you have to actually enjoy them. Whatever you’re doing, do it properly. If you’re out with friends, don’t sit in the background, engage in conversation – after all, time flies when you’re having fun.

Action – sometimes it isn’t just a rough patch, it’s a rough year, or even longer. If times have been testing it’s best to assess the situation and deal with it. Ongoing stress and misery can lead to poor health and a host of other emotional problems and that usually means it’s time to make a change. You need to do whatever it takes to make the sun come out again and that means putting yourself first.

Accepting that the future isn’t bright can feel like admitting defeat, but it’s actually a great time to test yourself. By taking a difficult week/month and turning it into a more enjoyable one we allow ourselves to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and better yet, realise that maybe we’re not in such a rush to reach that glow after all.

Words by Erin Voysey

To Love Beauty Is To See Light.

How Being Mindful Can Change Your Everyday.

Credit: WELL Talks/Youtube.

You Must Break Out Of Your Current Comfort Zone And Become Comfortable With The Unfamiliar And The Unknown.

East Cleveland Woman Celebrates 108th Birthday And Shares Her Life Philosophy.

Credit: Fox 8 News Cleveland/Youtube.

Adorable Little Girl Sings Part Of Your World.

Credit: Claire Ryann/Youtube.

How To Incorporate Yoga Into Your Daily Life.

Credit: Yoga Basics.

Yoga can change your life.  It has been around for thousands of years, but only now have we discovered the benefits of practising yoga on a regular basis. We often use the excuse that we are ‘too busy’ to find the time for yoga in our daily lives but yoga is so much more than just asana (practising yoga positions and postures).

One of the common misconceptions about yoga is that in order to ‘do’ yoga, you have to go to an hour and a half long class at a studio. But that’s far from the truth. There are so many ways you can incorporate yoga into your daily life, whether it be living in the moment, focusing on your breath or stretching on your lunch break at work, make time for yoga and you will soon see the amazing benefits that everyone has been talking about.

Here are a few ways you can make yoga a part of your life every day:

Practice Mindfulness

If there is one main thing yoga teaches you, it is to live in the present moment. Every moment you spend on the mat, you are learning to be more patient, compassionate, dedicated and kind. To take those lessons you learn and incorporate them into your daily life, you need to learn to be mindful. It isn’t as difficult as it sounds, honest. Learn to step back and appreciate the smallest moments of your life, become aware of how your mind works, be concious of all of your actions in different situations and work towards being the best version of yourself.

Breathe

Most of us don’t pay attention to our breathing pattern. Having a shallow breath can cause anxiety and stress and trigger other physical sensations in the body and many of us are unconsciously breathing this way. Find time in the day to try a few full, deep and mindful breaths. Start by breathing in through your nose, making sure you breathe from your diaphragm, not your chest. Count to four, hold for seven and breathe out slowly for eight. Being in tune with your breath is essential for yoga practice. Pranayama is a type of yogic breath awareness and regulation exercise designed to help control one’s vital energy. Notice how calm and centred you feel after just a few mindful breaths.

Go Outside

Spending more time outside will allow you to connect with everything around you. The word ‘yoga’ means union. Nature will teach you everything you need to know about learning to let go and appreciate what is around you. In modern life, it can be difficult to disconnect and truly be. If you feel you have lost the deep connection between you and the earth, step outside, breathe and observe everything around you. You can do some yoga outside if you find the perfect spot, or you can do yoga inside and have the curtains open so the sun can shine in.

Practice Five-Minute Meditation Every Day

The word ‘meditation’ can often fill people with dread, they will say that they ‘can’t meditate.’ It’s hard to still the mind and it takes a lot of practice. Start by spending five minutes each day in silence. You don’t have sit in any unusual pose, you don’t even have to close your eyes. Just focus on your breath and try to silence your mind for five minutes each day, preferably in the morning. Once you feel comfortable doing five minutes each day, slowly increase it and let all of your troubles melt around you.

Stretch It Out

The great thing about stretching is you can do it anywhere! Don’t think that the yoga mat is the only place you can practice. Try stretching on your lunch break at work, do a few twists in your office chair. Start the morning off by doing a quick full body stretch before you get in the shower. By doing a simple back arch, you can stretch tired muscles and eliminate physical and mental fatigue.

 

 

Spring Horoscopes 2016.

Written In The Stars

What does spring have in store for you?

We all hope that we will have a better future, will our financial situation be better? Will we find our true love? Will it be the year that we get our dream job? Zest For Life has predictions for each zodiac sign for the next few months as winter ends and spring begins.

As we move from winter to spring, you will go through a variety of changes in different aspects of your life Aries. In February, everything will develop in the best possible way, especially in terms of business and career. The first twenty days of February will be a great time to experiment with something new and by the end of the month, everything will fall into place. The stars also recommend that you recall what passion is Aries. Don’t suppress your emotions, feel what you want to feel, open up your heart, if you succeed with this in February, you will find out what happiness can feel like. If you don’t, fate will give you another chance to find love later on in the year. You will definitely experience some positive vibes in March, especially with your finances. When we reach April, you will put career aspirations to one side and focus on your relationships. Show love to everyone you care about and possibly search for a new love or friendship to add to your life. Expect a lot of changes good and bad in your life over the next few months, embrace them, remember that Arians love to be first.

You will come across a number of tricky situations in February Taurus, if you deal with these problems alone, the balance in your life will eventually be restored, however, if you drag other people down with you, these situations could do more harm than good. Despite the strong negative vibes coming your way, you will experience some great memories during the month of February with those you are closest to. Whether it’s a significant other or a friend, hold them close and be thankful for them. This year will also be the perfect time to resolve underlying issues in your relationships and move forward. It’s important for you to focus on the present during February, wait until March begins to start making plans for the future. People will see you differently this year, in the first few months of 2016, you will be more confident and you will learn to be happy with yourself, flaws and all. March will be the month of money, your top priority will be to secure your finances, to prepare for the next phase of your life.

The beginning of the year might not be the most dynamic and positive time for you Gemini, but don’t lose hope! Things will get better as spring begins. In February, make sure you find some time to yourself, focus on you, your inner world and your deepest feelings. You know there are unsolved problems in your life at the moment, all you have to do is think things through for a while and you will know what to do when we reach the second week of March. You are searching for intellectual stimulation at the moment, it has been a long time, when this desire is filled you will be the happiest person on the planet. March will be the month that everything changes, career opportunities, money and love will all be positive during this time. Spring will be the season of success for you Gemini, take your time and enjoy the new direction that your life is going in. March is the time to not only stretch your mind but your social life, make plans with your close friends and family members.

The first few months of 2016 will be the perfect time to achieve all of your goals. You need to learn to harmonize your emotions and doubt, believe in your own abilities and you will succeed. February will be an especially exciting time, there will be no time to relax in front of the TV if you want to make things happen. March will be a positive month, changes might happen out of your control, don’t look to see the problem, the universe has a way of telling you what you need and when. Put away your fears and start seeing life from a whole new perspective. You no longer want to be a caterpillar in 2016 Cancer, you have an inner desire to have freedom, you will turn into a beautiful butterfly when the time is right. A career change could be on the horizon, apply for positions that have a great interest to you. As spring approaches, you will have a sudden wanderlust to go to new places and meet new people, February would be the perfect time to plan a trip.

A person from your past will make an appearance in February, possibly March. The problem is Leo, this person is afraid to tell you how he or she really feels, be patient with them. You will have the opportunity to make your decision, depending on the situation. You might choose to try again and see where this new relationship takes you, spring is a chance to try something new. If you decide to pass on the relationship, spend lots of quiet time by yourself and figure out exactly what you want. Your positive energy will increase as you become more passionate about what you are doing. February is a month that you need to focus on your health, start exercising more and choose healthier foods options, you will soon feel better. March will be the month that you need to pay close attention to your finances Leo, you often make decisions quickly with money, think twice and ask yourself if you really need it or you just want it.

Read More

Excerpt from the first issue of Zest For Life Magazine. Click Read More to view the full article…

We Can Never Obtain Peace In The Outer World Until We Make Peace With Ourselves.

Spend Money On Experiences Not Things.

Credit: High On Life/Youtube.

Post Pals: Letters Of Love.

Credit: Post Pals.

One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to be more charitable. I know this is something I should always be thinking about, but I have decided this year to make more of a conscious effort to send more positive vibes out into the universe and try to do little things to make people happy and to really make a difference.

A charity that I heard about whilst at University, that I have made numerous cards for over the years and which I think is a really great cause, is Post Pals. Post Pals is a UK charity that helps children aged 3 – 17 who are extremely ill and in need of support, and also helps the siblings of these children who also struggle with their brother or sister being unwell.

Credit: Post Pals.

If you visit the website (www.postpals.co.uk) you can see all the children that the charity help, and there is a page which features those that are especially ill and are currently in hospital and need extra support. As the name suggests, volunteers send post to whichever of the children they wish to. You can write a letter, make a card, write a poem or a story, or send little gifts. The website contains guidelines for writing post if you are unsure of what to say, and there is information on what the children like such as their favourite colour or cartoons so it is easy to make something that will be special and personal to them.

This charity is so nice because it is so easy to help make the day of a child’s life just a little better. If you like arts and crafts (even if you’re not amazing at art, it really doesn’t matter, anything you send will be appreciated!) then this is something that will be perfect to contribute to. For example, I spent a fun afternoon in December watching films and making Christmas cards for those children that were in hospital and going through an especially tough time.

Credit: Post Pals.

It’s so easy to do something special like this, and being creative is such a fun activity that just making a card for a child definitely benefits both of you. The father of one of the girls I made a Christmas card for got in touch in the New Year and informed me that she was out of hospital and doing well, and it made me so happy to hear that she was doing better.

You can also donate to the charity to help fund things like days out for the families, but posting a little something special is more than enough to make a difference and make a child smile!

Words by Ally McLaren

Love Is Composed Of A Single Soul Inhabiting Two Bodies.

Self-Love On Valentine’s Day.

Credit: Collective Evolution

The idea behind Valentine’s Day, a day to celebrate love, is actually really nice. Yet it seems like in modern day society it has just turned into a day for couples to throw their love in everybody’s faces all over social media, for brands and companies to sell specialised gifts, and for people who are single to feel especially bad about themselves. It really shouldn’t be that way, because couples who love each other should tell each other all the time and Valentine’s Day shouldn’t even be such a big deal. But it is hard not to feel lonely when all you have thrust upon you is other people professing their love for one another and talking about romantic getaways, and it doesn’t help when you’re binge-watching TV and all the adverts are about buying something special for the Valentine that you do not have.

This year I am just hanging out with my friends and ordering a pizza (coincidentally the most romantic thing I’ve ever done on Valentine’s Day was attempt to make a pizza in the shape of a heart which ended up looking more like a blob, because I truly associate pizza and love). Because if Valentine’s Day is all about showing your love for someone, why can’t that someone be your friends or family or (most importantly) yourself?

If you’re super in love with your friends and hang out with them all the time and they’re basically like your significant other then why not spend Valentine’s Day with them? You can still literally ‘Netflix and chill’ the night away, order your favourite food, drink wine and talk about how much you love each other. If you’re really dedicated to the Friend-Valentine’s idea you could even get each other cards and little gifts, or buy a bunch of heart shaped chocolates and devour them together. You can even go out to a restaurant and have dinner, or plan another fun date activity – you can have just as much fun and maybe even more doing these things in a friendship group!

A day to express all kinds of love is also a wonderful time to show yourself some love. Instead of wishing that you had somebody to buy you something special, why not think of what you’d want to receive from someone else and buy it for yourself? It might not be exactly the same but having something that you want is always going to make you happy. You can make your favourite food, buy a yummy dessert, watch your favourite film and have a pamper day and treat yourself to all your favourite things. This is also the time to throw some compliments at yourself and remind yourself that you’re a fabulous person and that not having a significant other does not define your self-worth and won’t seem like such a big deal once this day is over. Remind yourself of all the things that are actually amazing about your life and that you are grateful for, because having a significant other isn’t the only thing that’s going to fulfil your life. Love comes in lots of forms, so not having a partner does not mean you are unloved – your friends, family and yourself all love you loads and that’s just as important!

If you know it’s going to make you feel bad, maybe avoid all social media for that day – I know it’s hard to resists the temptation and switch it off, but it’s good to avoid anything that will make you feel negative about yourself.  Instead make sure you use up all that social media stalking on a different day.

Words by Ally Mclaren

Life Is Short, Live Bold! Be Heard, Be You, Dream Big, Take Risks, Don’t Wait.

Dear Teacher: Heartfelt Advice From Students With Learning Difficulties.

Credit: Brain Highways/Youtube.

Believe In Yourself, And The Rest Will Fall Into Place.

Starting Over.

Credit: Be Inspired/Youtube.

10 Steps To Daily Happiness.

Though we might often experience moments of joy or exhilaration, this does not necessarily mean we are ‘happy’. It’s the small things that constitute happiness. Benjamin Franklin once said “Happiness consists more in conveniences of pleasure that occur every day than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom.” Due to the fact, many of us dedicate much time to worrying about the future, the present and the everyday is often neglected. Psychologists have recently suggested that happiness lies in a positive daily routine, and therefore we can effectively ‘choose’ to be happy by consciously adapting our everyday lives. But how do we do this?

1. Smile – The phrase ‘a smile can go a long way’ is indeed one to live by. Starting the day smiling may prove difficult especially with early rises, however it can determine your mood for the entire day. Watching a short funny video or reminiscing about a memory that made you laugh will instantly brighten your day. Laughing and smiling is also scientifically proven to release endorphins and heightens levels of serotonin, the ‘happy hormone’. Smiling at others also develops a feeling of self-worth and allows them to smile back in return, which can feel rewarding.

2. Think Of A Positive Thought For Every Day – On your way to work, university or whilst getting ready, it’s beneficial to reflect on something positive about the day ahead. Even if it’s as simple admiring the beautiful morning frost, thinking about catching up with friends later that evening, or knowing you will meet a deadline at work. This will set goals for the day, which will in turn provide you with a sense of achievement once it comes to a close.

3. Give Yourself A Compliment – Whilst standing in front of the mirror think of one positive feature about your appearance, what you are wearing or something great about your personality. This might feel strange at first, but it really does work and will make you feel valuable and ready to face the world.

4. Eat Something Healthy – Healthy eating is continually encouraged – and for good reason. This simple step is guaranteed to make you to feel healthy in body and mind. Drinking a smoothie, eating fruit and conquering your five a day will indeed make you feel good about yourself. Choosing to pursue a healthy life will have positive effects on your body shape, skin and digestion.

5. Listen To Some Music – Turning on the radio or listening to music in general can set your mood for the rest of the day. Music has the power to dominate your brain and consequently set your immediate mood.

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Despite Everything I Believe That People Are Really Good At Heart.

Children Of Prisoners Reunite With Their Fathers For One Day.

Credit: ABC News/Youtube.