To live a well balanced, rewarding life of our dreams by day and sleep restfully at night.
Twenty things that increase my energy for a fantastic day and better sleep at night
Published June 28, 2011 | 
I get more energy from:
1. Sitting up straight
2. Working by a window with good natural light.
3. Spending time outdoors
4. Stretching
5. Being creative
6. Getting out of my comfort zone (I may be a little scared at first but once I do it I feel so proud of myself and that it is absolutely exhilarating!)
7. Having an open mind
8. Trying new things
9. Smiling
10. Spending time with positive people
11. Visiting new places
12. Being excited about something (a project, a vacation etc.) Anticipation is a great energy booster!
13. Drinking lot’s of water.
14. Getting exercise in moderate amounts.
15. Eating a light and clean diet (lean meats and nuts, lot’s of vegetables and fruits. Light on starchy and fatty foods).
16. Laughing
17. Playing
18. Spending quality time with loved ones.
19. Working on tasks that I am good at and that have meaning for me.
20. Feeling appreciated
If we are vibrant and energetic during the day, we will be ready for a peaceful, restorative night of sleep when it is time to put our heads down on our pillows at bedtime.
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Posted in Family life, Getting a good night sleep, Good Health, Happiness, Physical Exercises, Positive living, Self-empowerment | 
clean diet, energy, exercise, family time, feeling appreciated, getting a good night sleep, laughing, playing, sitting up straight, spending time outside, supportive people | 
Leave a commentTen things that cause insomnia and ten things to do to get better sleep
Published May 12, 2011 | 
Ten things that cause us to lose sleep:
1. Worry
2. Anxiety
3. Pain
4. Snoring parnter
5. Active mind
6. Active bladder
7. Active pets
8. Young children and babies
9. Uncomfortable mattress
10. Too much light or noise
Ten things you can do to get better sleep:
1. Meditate
2. Write in your journal.
3. Read something positive and spiritual before turning off the light.
4. Take a hot bath.
5. Don’t drink too much before bed.
6. Gently encourage partner to seek help with his/her snoring
7. Exercise during the day. Take a walk after dinner.
8. Focus on the good that ocurred during your day and what you have to look forward to in the morning.
9. Wear socks.
10. Invest in high quality linenes, pillows, and pajamas that you feel positively dreamy in.
In peace,
Debra
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Posted in anxiety, Benefits of Journal Writing, Getting a good night sleep, insomnia, journal writing, Tips to help insomnia | anticipation, comfortable bedroom, exercise, getting a good night sleep, good mattress, gratitude, hot bath, insomnia, journal writing, meditation, snoring partner, walk after dinner | 2 CommentsLive well, Sleep well
Published March 3, 2011 | 
How we live our lives greatly affects how restful we sleep at night.
To live well by day do these ten things:
1. Love
2. Play
3. Work at something that nurtures your talents and strengths.
4. Be a part of something bigger than yourself (volunteer, join an organization)
5. Don’t sweat the small stuff (borrowed from Richard Carlson’s wonderful little book)
6. Try new things.
7. Find the “funny” in life situations.
8. Eat well.
9. Exercise
10.Take mental breaks
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Got the blues? Dealing with bouts of sadness.
Published October 23, 2010 | 
Sadness can come on all of a sudden. An event happens to upset you. You are disappointed about something. Someone has hurt you.
Or sadness can come on as a tide of melancholy, causing you to feel blue but not sure exactly why.
For women, our hormones can certainly come into play with our emotional states.
Being sad and upset from time to time is part of the human condition. Most of the time if we don’t attach too much to our feelings we can just wait it out and the sadness will pass on its own- like drifting storm clouds in the sky.
If you find yourself down for whatever reason, here are some ideas to support you:
- You are never alone.
- Reach out to a loved one, friend, colleague, or neighbor.
- Get out and get moving. Just a bike ride or walk can be just what we need to feel good again.
- Help someone else. Helping others promotes a cheerful mood. It feels good to be useful to another and it gets us out of ourselves a bit (which can be a good thing).
- Get busy
- Plan a trip or party. Anticipating and planning for a fun event boosts our spirits and endorphins.
- Write
- Read an uplifting book
- Watch a funny, romantic, or suspenseful movie
- Attend a cultural event such as a play or music concert
- Attend an inspirational service at a community church
- Go to a yoga,fitness, or meditation class.
- Get online and connect with others
- Please do consult with your doctor if you find yourself depressed a lot. There are effective treatments out there for help with depression and anxiety.
I wish you all a beautiful day.
Debra : )
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Posted in anxiety, Depression, stress | anxiety, connecting with others, depression, exercise, helping others, hormones, sadness, the blues | Leave a commentFive ideas to get balanced quickly when stress is overwhelming you
Published September 1, 2010 | 
Stress is actually good for us in small amounts. It gives us energy and focus. It is good to be challenged. If we had absolutely no stress in our lives think how bored we would be. Too much stress is not good, however. We need balance.
How to get that balance when life is overwhelming us?
Five ideas:
- Meditate on a serene image or the word peace
- Move your body!
- Sip on a glass of wine and focus on something you enjoy
- Get silly, crazy with your kids: jump around and tickle them, make up goofy stories, etc.
- Tell yourself “I Am enough”
Debra : )
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Posted in anxiety, Parenthood, Self-empowerment, stress | dealing with stress, exercise, getting balance, playing with your kids, wine | 1 Comment12 things to do when anxiety comes on
Published July 17, 2010 | 
I think those of us who are prone to anxiety get a little overwhelmed at times. I know I do. I will be rocking along quite smoothly and then that old anxiety decides to flirt with me a bit. It can kind of sneak up on me but at other times all of a sudden I feel fearful or overly emotional or just kind of down.
Symptoms of anxiety can manifest in a variety of ways: excess worrying, feeling bad about yourself, feeling scared, feeling “heavy”emotions, panic attacks, or feeling just a little uneasy.
What can you do when you feel anxiety coming on?
- Reach out for support. Sometimes it is hard to reach out. I find it really helpful to talk with someone who is loving and supportive. You never need to feel alone.
- Breathe
- Get moving! Sometimes just a change of scenery and moving your body can really help. Get outside and ride your bike, take a walk, go to the gym, etc.
- Know that this too shall pass and tomorrow is another day.
- Get focused on a project of some kind.
- Meditate
- Write in your journal
- Do something fun.
- Help someone else with something.
- If you need to cry, do so. A good cry can be cleansing.
- Be kind and gentle with yourself.
- If you try all of these things and your anxious feelings continue to persist, you may want to talk to your doctor.
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Posted in anxiety, Good Health, walking | exercise, getting support, help for anxiety, help others, symptoms of anxiety | Leave a comment“Sleep is a symptom of caffeine deprivation”- Author unknown. How are our lifestyles affecting our sleep?
Published May 14, 2010 | Our lifestyles may be affecting our sleep tonight.
Things to ask ourselves:
- How much caffeine are we consuming? What time of day?
- How much alcohol are we drinking?
- How much water or liquid are we drinking close to bedtime?
- How much anger are we holding in?
- What or who haven’t we forgiven?
- Our we so much on the go that it is hard to unwind at night?
- How plugged in are we? Are we still checking emails, surfing the internet, late into the night?
- How much exercise are we getting? What time of day?
- Do we nap during the day? How much?
Asking ourselves questions is a good practice. It can bring awareness to an area in our lives that is not serving us well.
Start with questions. Write some things that come to mind in your journal. One change in our daily lifestyle could really make a difference to our sleep at night. For instance, cutting back on our afternoon coffee or napping less.
Some things to consider.
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From Fight or Flight to Relaxation Response
Published April 25, 2010 | Life is busy. Life can be stressful. Many of us get in a pattern of reacting to stress in a way that is very hard on our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. You have probably heard of the “fight or flight” response. Our heart rates go up, the adrenaline has kicked in, stress hormones such as cortisol are going through our bodies releasing free radicals etc. This response is a good thing if we are really in a dangerous or urgent situation. It served our ancestors well when the big predators were after them while hunting. It does not serve us well if we are wrecking havoc on ourselves with each bill that comes in the mail, every little worry that pops into our minds etc. The result is anxiety, fatigue, stress related illness, aging, high blood pressure, and probably shortened life spans.
It would benefit us to learn how to turn this fight or flight response off (except when really needed like pulling our kids away from a coming car while crossing the street etc.)
Here are some activities (not in any particular order) that help to alleviate the negative effects of stress by lowering heart rate, slowing breathing, and lowering blood pressure:
- yoga
- meditation
- Tai Chi
- walking
- swimming
- laughing
- personal connection with good friends, supportive people
- bicycling
- journal writing
- making love/masturbating
- breathing exercises
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