Guest Post / Mindfulness

Don’t Let COVID-19 Keep You from Your Yoga Practice

Today's guest post is from Sheila Johnson, author and founder at Well Sheila.  Read her amazing post and be sure and check out her great website!   Don't Let COVID-19 Keep You from Your Yoga Practice   If you’ve been self-isolating for some time, you may have found that many of your normal routines have gone out the window. But your yoga habits are not something you should toss so easily. Practicing yoga is a great way to stay healthy and sane in what is ostensibly the most stressful time in our lives as a whole since 2001. Unfortunately, online classes cost money, and if your hours have been cut or you’ve experienced layoffs, that might be in short supply.   Never fear, however, because there are plenty of ways to fit your yoga routine into your day without watching your savings dwindle away. Here’s how:   Get comfortable.   The most important aspect of your at-home yoga practice is having the right space. This doesn’t have to be an entire room, and even a small corner is enough if you set it up correctly. One thing you do need is peace and quiet. This can be tough if you…

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July 2, 2020
Articles / Daily Positive Thought

Social Distancing Does NOT Mean Social Isolation

Hi Everyone, This has been a trying time for everybody.  We are social distancing and for some, it's turning into social isolation.  It's a lesson we all need to learn.  social distancing does not mean social isolation.  But as I said, this is a very trying time, and we are all trying to navigate the uncharted waters of Covid-19. As I have mentioned before, I'm a teacher, and with schools closed, we've shifted to an online model and it hasn't been easy.  I literally find myself working and interacting with kids all hours of the day - and night.  Yes, I get text messages and emails whenever the kids decide to work.  I've received messages as late (or as early depending on your perspective) as 2:42 in the morning!  Working from home is a time management and time balancing act I am ill-prepared to manage.  It's killing me because if ever there was a time for thinking positive, it's now! There are four people in my house, so I am not socially isolated, but in a way I am.  Looking at the same faces day in and day out can be a struggle, I am learning, and no amount of…

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April 9, 2020
Author / Book / Daily Positive Thought

Now is the Time to Think Positive – Free Book

Hi Everyone, I know our world is in a huge kerfluffle right now.  This virus - Covid 19 is serious.  People all over the world are getting sick, and people are dying.  We're social distancing, quarantining as needed, and in some cases going into shelter in place.  It's scary, it's depressing, it's overwhelming and it's very negative.  My school will start remote teaching/learning on Monday and everybody's stress level is through the roof.  I can only imagine that it's like that pretty much everywhere for all sorts of different reasons. During this time, it's so easy to fall into negative, defeatist thinking, but that's the last thing we want to do!  The goal is to remain as upbeat and positive as possible.  I want to do my part to help you.  I'm making the ebook version of Thinking Positive: Take the Journey into Positivity free on Amazon.  It's free, starting tomorrow, for the next 5 days, so if you don't have a copy yet, now is your chance to download it for free.  I'm hoping to get the companion Book The Thinking Positive Toolbox ready for publication in the next week to help people remain positive in this very trying…

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March 20, 2020
Articles

Positive Practices for a Productive Commute 

Positive Practices for a Productive Commute With rush hour traffic, projects waiting for us at our desks and an overall busy homelife, we rarely think of our mornings as relaxing. To make things worse, we often get to work only to have to deal with awful mental blocks or that nagging feeling that we’re wasting time on menial tasks –– you know, those times where you feel like you’ve done so much yet accomplished nothing? Well, a hectic and stressful morning routine can be the culprit to this unhealthy cycle.   According to a recent survey by Car Rentals on morning commute practices, a busy and stressful commute can hinder our focus and productivity at work. The survey found that nearly 40% of people ages 18-24 think about work on their way to and from work. This inability to disconnect can not only lead to mental blocks and added stress, but can also cause us to feel burnt out.   If your morning commutes are often jammed packed and hectic, perhaps incorporating a few new healthy morning practices can help you better organize, compartmentalize and decompress before getting to work and back home. Below are some simple practices you can…

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February 20, 2020
Articles / Daily Positive Thought

Looking on the Bright Side

Most of you know, I'm a HUGE proponent of looking on the bright side of things.  I am always looking for the good in the bad.  I may not always find it, but I do look.  That being said, I had a very interesting conversation in the writing class I am taking.  The instructor had asked to see a copy of my book Thinking Positive: Take the Journey into Positivity, so with much fear and quivering hands, I gave her a copy last week. At the end of class last night, we talked about it and one of the women in the class asked if it was all touchy feely, looking on the bright side. Now, I don't think it really is, and I told her as much, and she was relieved.  She then went on to relate a story.  Her mom was terminally ill, and she called a friend to talk about it, and that friend responded with, well look on the bright side, you'll get to see your brothers.  I was appalled.  There are times when you can be looking on the bright side, and there are times when you just need to grieve, vent and rail against…

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February 18, 2020
Articles / Guest Post

3 Ways to Empower Yourself to be Prepared

3 Ways to Empower Yourself to be Prepared   No one likes thinking of an emergency situation. We focus on the positives and try to avoid negative “what if” thoughts. This mindset can be good because it’s impossible to prepare for everything, but it can also be harmful if you aren’t prepared at all.   Luckily, you can find a balance between the two. There are 3 things you can do to empower yourself to be better prepared for an emergency. These simple actions will help you live more confidently and positively in your daily life. 1. Make a plan with your family It can be scary to think about an emergency situation impacting your family, but creating a rough plan will help if anything were to happen. This plan will vary based on where you live, but it should include a family meeting place and an emergency kit with food and supplies. Everything might not go as planned if something were to happen (it usually doesn’t) but having a plan will help you feel safer in your daily life. This sense of security will calm any “what if” thoughts.         2. Have an emergency contact list…

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January 29, 2020
Articles / Guest Post

Travel Differently in 2020

Travel Differently in 2020 Six Ways You Can Make the World a Better Place               Image source In the past couple of years, people are being more aware of how important it is to be sustainable. It started mainly with food and clothes but people are realising that you can do sustainable travel, have fun and still contribute to the Earth. Most of us are not aware that travellers are the best promoters for celebrating and taking care of our world. 2020 is the time to choose a different approach to travel and support sustainable development. Help Save Coral Communities in Seychelles If you like beaches and golden sand, The Indian Ocean’s Curieuse Island is the best option for you. It is known for the giant tortoises, golden sand and massive sea coconuts. This is where you can see the unfortunate effects of climate change, especially in the Marine National Park. Instead of laying out on the beach and staying in an expensive resort you can get involved in a program that helps evaluate the health of the waters that surround the coral reefs and the coastal ecosystem by measuring the growth of the…

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January 29, 2020
Daily Positive Thought

Become Remarkable

People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success. - Norman Vincent Peale I love this quote!  To me it's saying that in order for you to become remarkable, you have to believe you are remarkable.  You need to believe in yourself!  I'm taking a little writing course on Monday nights, and last night, the instructor had us rate ourselves as writers on a scale of 1 - 10 and hold up our numbers.  They ranged from 4 to 7, and let me tell you, the instructor was very disappointed in our opinions of ourselves. Some of it was a cultural thing, I think.  We are not encouraged to think that we are all that and a slice of cake.  But guess what, you are, I am, we all are.  The instructor asked us how could we expect people to believe in our writing if we don't believe in our own ability to write?  She is right.  I want to become a remarkable writer, and in order to become remarkable, I have to first believe that I am remarkable. Believe in yourself.  That…

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January 28, 2020
Daily Positive Thought / Gratitude

The Reason

Everything happens for a reason, you only need to keep on editing your attitude and gratitude so as to sail through. - Unknown I haven't felt like writing for a while. I could give you chapter and verse as to why, but in the end, it doesn't really matter. I just haven't felt like writing, so I haven't been writing. I don't have a concrete reason, I just haven't felt like writing.  And yet, tonight, here I am writing and the reason for that is I am grateful.  I had something happened to me this weekend which totally sent me over the deep end into the gratitude pool.  That's not to say I had a bad attitude before or wasn't grateful for things that had happened, because I was. But right now, I am splashing around in that deep end of the gratitude pool and it feels good, and what do you know, I'm sitting here writing! Is there a correlation?  Maybe, maybe not.  I don't know, and you know what?  I don't care either.   I'm not going to dig through my psyche and try and figure out the why and why not of my not writing.  I don't need…

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January 27, 2020